Newly-formed committee working towards accessible Belgrave playground
BY SCOTT STEPHENSON
The Belgrave Playground Committee (BPC) met earlier this month at the Belgrave Community Centre (BCC) to finalize plans for its upcoming fundraising efforts.
The BPC was formed last year by a group of dedicated citizens who want to facilitate a much-needed update to the municipally-owned playground adjacent to the BCC. The group is headed by several young, local families who are working together to create new playground facilities to be enjoyed by all of the area’s families for years to come. Several members of the committee attended the meeting with their young children in tow, including BPC Secretary Emily Hopf and her husband and BPC co-chair, Trevor.
While the BPC has no shortage of creative money-making ideas, the group’s first foray into fundraising as a team will be a tried and true Huron County concept: a roast beef dinner. Community beef dinners are an enduring rural tradition - some of the earliest surviving local newspapers make mention of beef dinners, and they were likely happening before the age of the public record. It would be a reasonable assumption to make that Huron County has been hosting community beef dinners for just as long as there have been cattle farms here. The BPC is hoping to put the beef dinner’s ancient community rallying power to use once again, all in the name of good, clean fun.
The group has also drafted a letter requesting donations from nearby business owners that might be interested in a little bit of community betterment. They also discussed the importance of collecting input from as many other local, interested people as possible. The BPC has been considering the work of several different playground design companies, and hopes that citizens will weigh-in with their opinions on the available options.
North Huron Councillor Anita van Hittersum is volunteering her time to support the project. At a regular meeting of council held on Monday, April 15, she provided an update on the group’s fundraising efforts. “On April 27, they are having their first major fundraiser, at the Belgrave arena, from 5 to 8. Mr. Wayne Fenton will be putting up his famous roast beef, and they will have some delicious desserts - it’s going to be a real, old-fashioned country supper.” Fenton is co-chair of the BPC, in addition to being the evening’s beef master. The meal will also feature coleslaw, mashed potatoes and carrots, with all the vegetables being provided by Belgrave farmer Robert Foreman, of 100 Mile Produce.
The BPC first presented the concept for its fundraising project to North Huron Council in late 2023. At that time, the group requested council’s assistance in regards to funding, so they could achieve the mandated improvements necessary to upgrade the playground in time for the 2025 deadline set by the province in the Accessibility Act. While a full slate of other capital projects meant there was no additional funding available in the 2024 budget for the playground, council did approve the BPC’s request for a $1,000 donation towards its fundraising goal of $300,000.
Council also encouraged the group to spend the year fundraising independently within the community with help from a local not-for-profit group. Finding an available not-for-profit can be challenging - luckily, the BPC is already a subcommittee of the Belgrave Community Centre Board. Jonathan Van Camp, who has long ensured that things run smoothly at the Belgrave arena, is also a member of the BPC.
There are many municipalities throughout the province, including some in larger urban centres, that will likely fail to meet the 2025 deadline set out by the Accessibility Act. Huron County is lucky to have the invaluable resource of accessibility advocate Julie Sawchuk, who is always working towards creating a wider mindset when it comes to the way we consider public spaces. Whether she’s gently, (or not so gently) pointing out “accessibility fails” through social media or speaking on any number of important issues relating to accessibility, Sawchuk is a true thought leader when it comes to inclusive, accessible, spacial design. The BPC has hopes of consulting with Sawchuk as the project progresses.
Some of the playground’s existing equipment has already been removed, as it was deemed unsafe for children. The equipment that does remain in the playground, while functional, is showing its age. Updating the playground to meet modern standards isn’t just about having a nicer jungle gym for kids to monkey around on, although that does have a lot of appeal to committee members like Emily and Trevor, who live in Belgrave and have an energetic young daughter with skinnable knees and chippable teeth; It’s also about showing commitment to the idea of a truly inclusive future where all children, no matter what their level of mobility, can enjoy communal play spaces together. It’s an effort that strives to not just change the face of a single playground, but to create a kinder, more expansive future, and to turn a semi-forgotten piece of Belgrave into a beacon that welcomes all to a little slice of rural inclusivity.
Tickets to the BPC Beef Dinner on April 27 cost $25. Contact any member of the committee for purchase: Trevor Hopf, trevor_hopf@hotmail.com; Wayne Fenton, wfenton18@gmail.com; Emily Hopf, emily.d.hopf@gmail.com; James Elston, j.elston02@outlook.com; Jonathan Van Camp, vancamp.jon@gmail.com; Anita van Hittersum, avanhittersum@northhuron.ca.