Calgary, AB,
03
July
2018
|
12:53
America/Denver

Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities Brings Inclusive Play to Calgary

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In partnership with the City of Calgary, Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities announced today that it will build a universally accessible playground in Shouldice Park under Jumpstart’s Inclusive Playground Project initiative. At 15,000 square feet, the accessible playground is one of several to be built across Canada with the help of Jumpstart funding. This playground will set a new standard for inclusive play through its imaginative and accessible spaces where children of all abilities can enjoy sport and play together.

The playground announcement follows Canadian Tire Corporation’s $50 million fundraising commitment over five years in support of Jumpstart Charities’ Play Finds A Way movement which focuses on removing accessibility barriers to sport and play. The playground structure will be a gift from Jumpstart to the City of Calgary.

“As a part of Jumpstart’s Play Finds A Way movement, we are thrilled to gift the City of Calgary with its largest universally accessible playground,” said Scott Fraser, President, Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities. “Since 2005, we have broken down financial barriers that prevent kids from participating in sport and recreation, and now, we have the ability to get even more kids in the game.”

“This generous gift from Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities is an exciting addition to inclusive play spaces for Calgarians,” said City of Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi. “We are delighted that Jumpstart has invested in inclusive play in Calgary, allowing all children to play together. This is the kind of investment that makes Calgary a better place to live.”

Shouldice Park, located in Northwest Calgary, includes picnic sites, a regional pathway and an athletic park. The Park surrounds the Shouldice Aquatic Centre and Arena, and is close to transit. The groundbreaking is scheduled for summer 2018 with an anticipated opening date of fall 2018. A sample 3D rendering of the playground can be viewed here.

“This incredible new playground gifted by Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities is a big step toward building a more inclusive city,” said Councillor Druh Farrell. “The new play space supports our plan to deliver inclusive play for all Calgarians. We couldn’t be more excited about this new addition to Shouldice Park.”

Jumpstart’s Play Finds A Way movement will be a game changer in helping Canadian children overcome physical barriers to sport and play. The Play Finds A Way movement is made up of three distinct programs: the Jumpstart Inclusive Playground Project, Jumpstart Accessibility Grants and the Parasport Jumpstart Fund. The five-year, $50 million fundraising commitment from Canadian Tire Corporation, will allow Jumpstart to focus funding efforts towards accessible playgrounds, infrastructure and programming in order to provide access to play and sport for children of all abilities.

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ABOUT CANADIAN TIRE JUMPSTART CHARITIES

Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities is a national charity dedicated to helping kids overcome financial and accessibility barriers to sport and recreation in order to provide inclusive play for kids of all abilities. With an extensive, national network of more than 1,900 Community Partners and nearly 300 local chapters, Jumpstart helps eligible families cover the costs of registration, transportation, and equipment, and provides funding to selected organizations for recreational infrastructure and programming. Supported by the Government of Canada through Sport Canada and the Canadian Tire Family of Companies, which includes Canadian Tire, PartSource, Gas+, Sport Chek, Atmosphere, National Sports, Sports Experts, Mark's and Canadian Tire Financial Services, Jumpstart has enabled 1.6 million Canadian kids and counting to get in the game since 2005. For more information, visit jumpstart.canadiantire.ca.

Follow Jumpstart on Twitter and Facebook to learn about how the charity is giving kids across Canada a sporting chance.

For more information:

Leah Gaucher
Communications Manager
Canadian Tire Corporation
647-924-2614
leah.gaucher@cantire.com