Your kids need a new playground and the province won't pay
Good morning from the Atlantic — three provinces, five communities, and the stories that cross every border.
Now look, I've seen some shocking things covering councils from Tyne Valley to Corner Brook, but this one's got a real sting to it. The P.E.I. Home and School Federation is out there, bless their hearts, begging the province to actually *fund* new playgrounds. Seriously, b'y, you'd think in a place as family-focused as Charlottetown, with all our lovely green spaces from Victoria Park to the fields near UPEI, that the kids would be sorted for a swing set without their parents having to hold a bake sale every other weekend.
This isn't just about a few rusty slides down by the waterfront. This is about parents in every neighbourhood, from Brighton to Sherwood, trying to fill a gap the government should be taking care of. Imagine trying to run a school council, dealing with curriculum and school lunches, and then on top of it, having to fundraise thousands of dollars for a new monkey bar set because the old one's practically a hazard. It puts an unfair burden on families and, frankly, it's just a bit embarrassing for a province that prides itself on being a wonderful place to raise a family.
* **Financial Burden:** Parents are stuck with major fundraising duties. * **Equity Issues:** Schools in less affluent areas struggle even more. * **Safety Concerns:** Older equipment might not meet modern safety standards.
We're not some quaint postcard where kids just play in the fields, you know? Our children deserve safe, modern places to play, and it shouldn't be on the local parent-teacher associations to make that happen. The province needs to step up and make playgrounds a budget line item, not an afterthought.
Bridget Chicken-MacPhail, MiTL Sports Desk, Charlottetown.
My colleague Keith and the crew dive into the real issues every morning, catch them live at mornings.live.