REGINA – Accessibility is a key focus as applications open for the new School Playground Equipment Grant in the province.
The program fulfills a Sask Party campaign promise and will see $3.75 million annually over the next four years. According to their news release, eligible projects receive upwards of $50,000 in matching funds towards either building a new playground, or adding new equipment or components to an existing playground.
Applications are open as of Sept. 9, and will remain open to Feb. 25, 2026 on a first-come, first-served basis. The province states that the program will be administered in partnership with the Saskatchewan Parks and Recreation Association, and is open to applications from school community councils and from parent groups affiliated with publicly funded schools, school divisions and First Nation schools in Saskatchewan.
As outlined in the province's news release, the eligibility criteria is as follows:
Groups can apply for up to $50,000 in matching funds, with a limit of one application per school per year. Schools that reapply in future years will only be considered after all new applicants have been evaluated during that intake.
Projects must be completed within a year of the project approval date.
Funding goes to develop or to refurbish traditional play structures located on school property that meet the Canadian Standards Association Standard for Children’s Play spaces and Equipment (Z614-20).
Play structures must always be accessible to the community — for example, outdoors.
As well, eligible project expenses incurred on or after April 1 of this year may be eligible to receive matching funding. Full guidelines about the grant application are on the SPRA website.
Minister of Parks Culture and Sport Alana Ross made the announcement of the opening of applications at the Ecole Wilfrid Walker School in southeast Regina, which is looking to develop its own accessible playground.
Ross was asked about why there was such an emphasis on accessibility.
“It's very important to have the playgrounds available and accessible to all children in the schools, in the community, so that they are able to be included in all the playground activities. And you heard from a lot of our speakers today just what playgrounds, these school playgrounds, mean to children. It's not only your physical and mental well-being. It's learning to be part of the community. It's learning to establish friendships. It teaches them so much. So it's extremely important that all children have that opportunity.”
She said that if the grant is fully subscribed, that upwards of 75 playgrounds could receive funding.
As for why playground structures are not included as part of the education budget instead of as a separate grant, Ross noted it falls under the Parks and Recreation.
"It's part of the playground. And it gives schools the opportunity to design and have the playground that they want in, in their particular community. And so this doesn't fall under the education portion. It falls under the Parks and Recreation program, as do our other funding for that type of activity."
Families welcome accessible playgrounds
One of those individuals looking forward to benefiting from an accessible playground is Blake Turnbull, the daughter of Ward 5 councillor Sarah Turnbull. Blake is a Grade One student at Ecole Wilfrid Walker School, and she told reporters that it is not easy to get around in a wheelchair on the playground as she does right now.
Blake told reporters her wheelchair gets stuck when going across the gravel, and she didn’t like wood chips because “my wheelchair can’t wheel in them.”
When Blake sees the picture of the proposed new accessible playground at her school, she is excited.
“I can't wait for my new playground,” she said to reporters.
Coun. Turnbull had been advocating for accessible playgrounds during her time at City Hall, bringing a motion to that effect in March to change the Regina playground standards.
“So in March, city council passed a new motion for accessible standards for playgrounds. And that includes the accessible standards for what we call the accessible playground and destination playgrounds. And it just really made it better. So, for example, there were no more wood chips. It allowed for more play activities.”
Coun. Turnbull said all new playgrounds have to be built to the new standards.
“So this playground here is literally built to the new standards that we passed in March, which I think are probably the best standards across the country, to be honest. I think Regina now has the best accessible standards anywhere, because we really worked hard on making them happen. And even at city council, we are working on trying to get a grant municipally as well to help.
“So between the province and the city and the new standards, this is just wonderful. Like this is, it's been years and… this is also my daughter's school. So this is a magical day for us.”
Regina Public School board welcomes funding
Regina Public School Board trustee Ted Jaleta welcomes the funding for playgrounds, saying things had come a long way since he was first elected.
“I was quite a little bit taken by it was not part of the budget,” Jaleta said. He noted they have “advocated very hard” and was grateful to the ministry “to step up and to introduce this granting initiative.”
He believes about six schools from his school division will be applying for the grant.
While he is pleased with the financial help, Jaleta noted this is a matching fund program. He worried that there are several community schools that aren’t able to raise funds, or who do not have a functioning community council.
“I hope they're not left out of this opportunity,” Jaleta said.
