A significant decrease in the number of playgounds is in store as part of a recently-approved strategy for the city's parks.
In all, 20 will be closed down this year reducing the count to 46 across the city. Over the next five years, another 23 will be replaced while Blackburn and Cpl. Darren Fitzpatrick Bravery Park will get new playgrounds in 2021, raising the total to 48.
Spots losing their playgrounds will remain as city parkland.
"We might see an area become an open, informal lawn where you can kick a ball or your dog may run around," the city's strategic parks planner Laurie-Ann Kosec said. "You also may see them become more naturalized so they become a green space within a neighbourhood."
The moves come after extensive community consultation about the future of the city's parks. The resulting strategy, approved by city council last week, calls for a greater emphasis maintaining and improving riverfront and so-called "destination parks," the one next to Duchess Park secondary school being the prime example.
"If you look at the history of how Prince George developed its parks, in the 1970s typically the mom stayed at home and there were numerous neighbourhood parks because that is where the kids gathered and played - that was called the community gathering space," Kosec said.
"In those communities today, those neighbourhood parks still have a very important function and we aim to make sure that people have a playground within 10-or-15-minute radius of their home.
"But we're also getting more demand for that multi-generational park. In Duchess is that typical example where there is something for everyone to do and of all ages and ability levels.
"That is what people are looking for more so and Prince George doesn't have enough of. And the other is, we're all about being a riverfront city and people want to access it."
A new playground costs about $75,000 and Kosec said those savings can go into improving the city's existing stock.
A comparison with Kamloops and Lethbridge showed Prince George with the lowest annual budget for park construction and upgrades, the largest inventory of maintained parkland and the lowest operation costs per hectare.
"What that means is they have very high quality of parks and less quantity," Kosec said. "We, on the other hand, have a very large quantity of parks and our big message to everyone is that if we continue to add more and more park, the quality will decrease. If you can imagine, it's a bit of a teeter-totter."
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Fact box
Playgrounds slated for closure in 2017: Antler Park, Azure Park, Balsum Park, Blair Park, Campbell Park, Corless Park, Freimuller Park, Harry Loder Park, Ingledew Park, Jasper Park, Kelly Park, Latrobe Park-north, Lorne Park, Malaspina Park, McMaster Park, Ochakwin Park, Perry Park, Punchaw Park, Starlane Park, St. Mathew Park.
Playground replacements for 2017: Byng Park, Eaglenest Park, Moosehart Park, North College Park, Ridgeview Park.
Playground replacements for 2018: Duchess Park (fall protection only), Hammond Park, Jackpine Park, Quinson Park, Sanderson Park, St. John Park.
Playground replacements for 2019: Carrie Jane Gray Park, Clapperton Park, Gladstone Park, Paddlewheel Park, Rainbow Park.
Playground replacements for 2020: Lheidli T'enneh Memorial Park, South Fort George Family Resource Centre, Seymour Park, Snowdrop Park, St. Mary Park, Watrous Park.
Playground replacements for 2021: Eaglenest Park, Fairmont Park, Jean de Brebeuf Park.
New playgrounds will be installed at Blackburn Park and Cpl. Darren Fitzpatrick Bravery Park in 2021.
