A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held today at J.C. Mackie Park, named in honour of the Mayor in office when Grande Prairie became a City 50 years ago.

“The development of this venue is an excellent legacy of the 50^th anniversary program,” says Parks Planner Lindsey Juniper. “It celebrates an important figure in the community’s history and reflects our emphasis on inclusiveness by being fully accessible. We are pleased to be able to provide a park to residents in this area of the City.”

The park is located at 111 Street and 106 Ave.

It features Pour-in-Place playground safety surfacing using recycled tire products. This enables people of all abilities to make full use of the venue. There are up to 14 pieces of equipment that can be accessed by residents who use wheelchairs. The play surface at the park is 445 square metres. There will be a seasonal skating rink and junior soccer facilities in the future.

Terry Doering, a grandson of J.C. Mackie, and his sister, Lori Miller, attended the event.

“This is an honour for my family and I,” he says. “I am very excited. My cousin, John Mackie, was here last week and he was very proud and wished he could stay to see this day. It is pleasing to see the family name continue on and also we know the park will be well used because people from all walks of life and abilities can use it.”

At traditional playgrounds, wheelchairs sink into the sand when occupants attempt to navigate to various play structures. Another highlight of the play surface is that it provides a cushion for falls of up to three metres.

This is the first park built by the City in more than 20 years. Additional funding was provided by Aquatera, ATCO Electric, Woodland Tim-Br Mart, The Yardmaster, and LSM Powder Coating. A grant was also received from the Alberta Recycling Management Authority.