Sun Peaks Playground and Plaza officially open

Sun Peaks community members officially have a public gathering space at the newly unveiled plaza.

Sun Peaks Plaza opened Oct. 12 at noon welcoming droves of children, guardians and community members during the official ribbon-cutting ceremony. Sun Peaks Mountain Resort Municipality (SPMRM) mayor, Al Raine, cut a ribbon above the slide as kids gleefully glided down, inaugurating the playground.

The space will fulfill various community needs as Sun Peaks grows, Raine explained.

“As we mature as a community, we need all kinds of attractions and events,” Raine told SPIN. “The plaza is going to provide the green space that the village needs… I know down the road, this is going to be a place where people want to gather and relax and play. For the kids or the community, it’s fantastic. I think for the families that come in summertime, this is going to be a big attraction.”

The site features a natural amphitheatre, an accessible and modern playground and a greenspace.

The plaza is worth $1.65 million and the project’s funds came from a grant from the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport. Tourism Sun Peaks contributed funds for the playground equipment, and individual donations, municipal funding and donations from Sun Peaks’ Rotary Club and Adaptive Sports Sun Peaks also helped build the plaza.

During his speech, Raine said the plaza was “a total community effort,” and he thanked the former chief administrative officer, Shane Bourke, for his work in the planning, as well as the contractors who built the space and everyone who contributed funding for the project.

The plaza will be open year-round and was designed to function effectively during the cold, snow-covered months.