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Blake Turnbull is eagerly awaiting the day she can go everywhere in her wheelchair on her elementary school playground.
“I think everybody should play on the playground together,” she said.
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Her school is applying for a new provincial grant that will match funding up to $50,000 for schools to get new and accessible playground equipment.
The provincial government has committed $3.75 million annually over the next four years for new playground equipment in schools across the province.
The funding will allow about 75 schools to receive new equipment with the grant.
Blake attends École Wilfrid Walker School in Regina, beginning Grade 1 this year.
Blake’s elementary school has a gravel ground, which will be switched to rubber pavement in its new design. (Gillian Massie/980 CJME)
Besides the blacktop where the basketball hoop sits, the majority of her playground is made out of gravel rocks, something that’s really hard for her to take her wheelchair across.
“It gets stuck,” she said.
Her school’s new accessible playground design follows rules set out by the City of Regina, after city councillors voted to make playgrounds inclusive for kids with disabilities in March.
The new playground will have rubber pavement, which Blake said she can go very fast across.
“I can’t wait for my new playground,” she said with a smile.
Blake’s mom, Sarah, is the city councillor for the school’s area, and was one of the parents who gave advice while designing the school’s new playground.
She said the playground design will help meet kids’ needs with physical, visual and auditory disability requirements.
Sarah said a newer, more accessible playground has a life lesson in it for the whole community.
“When you have a child that’s on the sideline, you are teaching kids from a very young age it’s okay to leave someone else out because of ability — and that’s not okay,” she said. “You’re teaching a whole community from the very beginning how to be inclusive and how to be a better community.”
The school’s accessible playground blueprint has quiet and loud spaces to meet the different sensory needs of kids, according to Sarah Turnbull. (Gillian Massie/980 CJME)
Alana Ross, the minister of Parks, Culture and Sport, said the grant began as a provincial election promise by the Sask. Party while on the campaign trail.
“It’s very important to have the playgrounds available and accessible to all children in the schools in the community, so that they are able to be included in all the playground activities,” Ross said.
The application period opened on Tuesday and will close on Feb. 25, 2026. It runs on a first-come, first-served basis.
Schools reapplying for the grant in future years will only be considered after all new applications are assessed.
Once projects are approved, schools have one year to complete their construction.
