Norma Rose Point School initiated the process of building an intermediate playground back in May 2023, but the project has had little progress in recent months due to what appears to be miscommunication amongst stakeholders.
The elementary school, located in the University Endowment Lands on the east part of campus, had nearly 800 students enrolled in 2024 but still lacks a playground for 4th-7th grade students. The only playground is reserved for kindergarten to 3rd graders. Older students are not allowed to access this playground during recess and instead must use an outdoor gravel field with soccer goal posts.
Several years ago, the school’s parent action committee (PAC) decided to see if they could make some changes to improve the outdoor play space.
In May 2023, a parent survey was conducted online through the school mailing list to determine interest in building an intermediate playground. Out of 197 parent responses, 94 per cent agreed a new playground was necessary. Student engagement activities have also reflected interest in building this playground.
In September that year, a playground committee was established to help facilitate the creation of an intermediate playground for older students. Their goal was to design a space that caters to what students and the community need, and ensure the playground design is climate-conscious.
After this initial work, it was estimated the playground would be built at an estimated cost of $377,000, and could be paid for with a combination of grants and fundraising.
The current plan is to build the playground next to the soccer field, and to include a fitness area nearby.
In recent months, the project has reached a standstill.
“Ultimately, we haven’t really dived into the fundraising portion of the project yet because we have not heard back from the Vancouver School Board about whether or not we can go ahead with our proposal,” said Hannie Chia, the Norma Rose Point PAC co-chair.
Chia said the Norma Rose Point PAC has repeatedly reached out to the Vancouver School Board (VSB) through school principal Henry Peters regarding their proposal, but they have received no response.
Until the project is approved, the playground project will not move forward with additional fundraising, Chia said.
When contacted by The Campus Resident, a VSB spokesperson said it was their understanding that the project was paused at the end of the last school year, due to the PAC determining that the playground resources would have been better suited for another area of the school.
“The needs of communities often change, and fundraising efforts are adjusted accordingly, when possible,” the spokesperson said. They said that the funds were re-allocated to purchase new computers for the school’s computer lab, to replace outdated ones.
In response, Chia said the project hasn’t been paused, and the computers were purchased with separate funds. Existing funds raised by the PAC for the playground have been set aside in a separate account, she added.
To date, Chia said they have spent $5000 for a preliminary consultation with a landscape architect and supplies for in-classroom workshops to assess student needs.
When reached for comment, Norma Rose Point principal Henry Peters said the playground project is a complex one with many moving parts that need to be taken into account, such as landscaping issues and ongoing development surrounding the school, as well as navigating VSB bureaucracy.
He said that the project ran up against roadblocks this year, but he is confident that the project will be able to move forward in the 2025-2026 academic year.
“The playground project is alive”, he said. “It is something to bring up for next year, so nothing will be heard or contemplated until budgets are drawn up for next year.”
“Let’s bring it up for next year and see if we can move forward,” he said.
AMIE BERNAERDT IS A THIRD YEAR STUDENT AT UBC, MAJORING IN CREATIVE WRITING AND ANTHROPOLOGY. SHE LIVES IN WESBROOK PLACE.