A small community in southern Alberta is working to replace its aging playground with an updated structure that residents say will provide more opportunities for local children to play safely.
Rebecca Foss, a committee member with the Moon River Playground Committee, said the current wooden playground was originally installed in the late 1980s.
According to Foss, the committee has found a second-hand playground structure for the roughly 40 children who live in the community.
“We found a secondhand play structure that we couldn’t pass up. So we’re hoping to just improve the community with the install,” Foss said.
Foss said the project carries a price tag of about $20,000. She said the playground structure itself costs $6,300, supervision fees are estimated at $4,500 and gravel will account for about $10,000.
She added that volunteer labour is dramatically reducing overall costs.
“If there wasn’t all of this volunteer work, this would probably cost us upward of like $80,000.”
According to Foss, a local excavation contractor has volunteered to complete the excavation work while community members will handle the installation.
She added that mothers in the community are organizing fundraising efforts and managing logistics behind the scenes.
“The whole install is done by a group of like the dads here in the community, the men in the community and then us moms are the ones kind of organizing all of the behind the scenes stuff and fundraising.”
Foss said the upgrade is needed because, while the existing playground remains functional, it no longer meets modern standards.
“The new playground we would get would be installed fully to code,” Foss said. “That’ll just bring us up to date for 2026 codes for playgrounds.”
To help fund the project, residents have organized bake sales, a silent auction, barbecues and an upcoming car wash.
Committee members are also hoping to attract support from nearby communities and the City of Lethbridge.
“Trying to get out there to Lethbridge would be really helpful for us,” she said. “It would help us a lot.”
The new structure will include additional features such as monkey bars, slides and swings, according to Foss.
“The biggest deal to the kids in the community is like grounders or the floor is lava,” she said. “That’s what they’re super excited about, is all of these extra little features.”
“We are offering anyone who does a donation of $500 or more, they’ll get an engraved plaque at our park,” Foss said. “We’re going to put everyone’s name at the park who donates that.”
According to project organizers, the Municipal District of Willow Creek is accepting financial donations on behalf of the project and can provide tax receipts for eligible contributions.
