Playground goes up in flames in Edmonton’s Summerside community – Edmonton | Globalnews.ca
A brand new school playground in south Edmonton was damaged by fire Saturday evening.
Edmonton Fire Rescue Services is investigating the cause of the fire at Father Michael Mireau Catholic School playground.
The damage is isolated to one structure, the city said. That section will be fenced off and closed until repairs are done, which might not be until spring 2024.
“The playground is brand new and hasn’t completely been transitioned from the contractor to the city,” said Caitlin Zerebeski, the city’s director of infrastructure maintenance.
“We’ll be working directly with the playground contractor to discuss repair options, including salvaging any existing components to expedite the repairs.
“All other unaffected playground equipment will remain open for use, with possible intermittent closures once the repairs are started. The timeline for repair is dependent on procurement and weather,” Zerebeski said.
The city has been in contact with the fire department and the Catholic School Board.
Playground at Father Michael Mireau school in Summerside, Edmonton, on fire. July 23, 2023.
Supplied to Global News
Raumy Mostafa lives nearby with his family. His three children use the playground regularly — once or twice a week.
“It’s one of their favourites,” he said. “They enjoy it a lot. We were here a couple hours before the fire started.”
Mostafa said it’s sad to see the damage.
“I know the community put in some efforts to build it,” he said.
“It’s upsetting a little. I know the kids are going to be upset by it. They did enjoy coming here. Hopefully they can get it up and running again … sooner than later.”
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