The change continues in several schoolyards in the province. Quebec is spending nearly $30 million to beautify 310 playgrounds, this year, a record number.
Last year, 180 projects to develop play areas, where there is more greenery than concrete, were financed.
This year, playgrounds will undergo a facelift in all regions of the province, but it is in Montérégie (57), Outaouais (35) and Montreal (34) that the construction sites will be most numerous.
In the capital region, 16 projects were accepted while 24 courses will be redeveloped in Chaudière-Appalaches.
All projects submitted by school service centers were accepted if they met the criteria, specifies the office of the Minister of Education.
Play spaces must encourage physical activity, social interactions, outdoor learning and integrate sustainable development principles.
The schools will have three years to carry out their redevelopment project, of which the community must finance at least 10% of the costs.
A major shift that continues
Five years ago, The Journal published a list of the worst schoolyards in the Quebec and Montreal region, but several of them have since undergone a real metamorphosis.
This summer, The Journal reported that improvements were seen in the majority of schoolyards that had been identified as the ugliest in 2019.
The cost of this work has also increased considerably in recent years. Quebec’s maximum contribution for this type of project increased from $50,000 to $100,000 this year.
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