08/30/2026
You might have seen the new structure going up at Battalion Park School and wondered. So here’s the story behind it!
The Signal Hill School Enhancement Society (SHSES) has spent three years fundraising to replace the “Mini” playground, the one for younger grades that had been in the ground since 2001. Their goal? To build something inclusive, challenging, and fun for all 500 students – and for the community.
What they achieved:
- A playground designed with student input – they picked the “Mango Tango” colours and asked for “no more pea gravel!”
- Designed, supplied, and built in Canada – not automatic for a project this size
- Fully inclusive – with pour-in-place rubber surfacing for all abilities
- Features like a “floor is lava” course, harder monkey bars, and a sensory regulation piece
The Signal Hill Community Association contributed $100,000 – our largest single grant ever – to help make this happen.
Note: It is NOT open yet. The equipment is in, but the site is still under construction. Asphalt, picnic tables, benches, pathways, and landscaping are still to come. The Society is aiming for an end of September opening – but until then, it remains an active construction site.
Thank you to Brian and Kristi McKinnon, the playground committee, the SHSES Board, and the hundreds of volunteers who made this possible. As Kristi said: “We aren’t doing this for recognition but it has been an enormous project. There are many many amazing volunteers in our community and we are two of them.”
Read the full story and see the photos on our website: https://shca.ca/news/2026-08-29-battalion-park-playground.html
