The brand-new Canadian Tire JumpStart Multi Sport Court in Carrie Jane Gray Park is now open.
Local children sporting red JumpStart t-shirts court were the first to try out the court in a special grand opening celebration on Wednesday morning.
Spanning over 28,000 square feet, the new JumpStart Multi Sport Court is the largest of its kind built in Canada to date.
Designed to accommodate physical, cognitive, and sensory disabilities, the recreation space supports casual play and a variety of organized sports and para sports, such as basketball and pickleball.
“We’re thrilled this project is completed and ready for people to enjoy” said City of Prince George Mayor Simon Yu.
“We know there’s been a lot of buzz about this for people keen to play basketball, volleyball, hockey, tennis, pickleball and even badminton. We’re grateful to JumpStart for their contribution to this fantastic facility,” he said.
The court came to be through a collaboration with JumpStart and because of the generosity of local Canadian Tire dealer Selen Alpay.
“This new multisport court will be a hub of activity where kids and families can gather, get outside, and share in the many benefits of sports and recreation. This new facility will also help remove barriers to recreation giving kids of all abilities the access and opportunity to try a new sport or continue a sport they love,” said Alpay.
The city contributed $475,000 from reserve provincial grant money, and JumpStart contributed $950,000 to build the project.
The playground is located in Carrie Jane Gray Park, a neighbourhood hub that features sporting fields and a wide variety of recreational facilities. The JumpStart Multi Sport Court is part of the charity’s Inclusive Play Project, which focuses on removing accessibility barriers to sport and play.
The court also features a new an automated external defibrillator (AED) machine, thanks to a donation from the family of Prince George-Valemount MLA Shirley Bond in memory of her late husband Bill.
She said Alpay and his wife Anita approached her and asked if she would be wiling to help install an AED machine in the new court.
“Selen and Anita have been partners in a legacy project for my husband. Many of you would know we placed AEDs in public places in Bill’s honour and so when Selen and Anita said would your family consider putting an AED in this park and it didn’t take more than a nanosecond to say absolutely,” she said.
Bond established the Bill Bond Memorial Fund alongside the Heart and Stroke Foundation and the Prince George Community Foundation which has paid for more than eight AED machines.
