School playground move stopped by province

P.E.I.'s Education Department has halted efforts to move playground equipment from schools closed last year to the schools that the students have moved to.

'Government agencies, maybe they can pony up some money to buy some new stuff to replace it.' — John Miodowski, Eastern School District

The Eastern School District says if it can't move the playground, the province should pay for new equipment.

In an effort to deal with declining enrolments, the Eastern School District closed down six schools last year, including Rollo Bay and St. Peters. District property manager John Miodowski was preparing to move those playgrounds when he got some unexpected calls.

"We were in the process of moving Rollo Bay's to Souris Consolidated, and St. Peters Consolidated to Morrell Consolidated," Miodowski told CBC News Thursday.

"I had received calls from the MLAs in the area, and followed that from the department … not to move the equipment."

Miodowski said the calls came from deputy education minister Sandy MacDonald and Souris-Elmira MLA Allan Campbell.

Crews had already started to remove playground equipment at Rollo Bay Consolidated, but he was told the equipment had to stay because kids attend daycare there.

"The equipment in the school is age appropriate from five to 12 years of age, and is CSA inspected for that age group," said Miodowski.

"[It] wouldn't really apply for a daycare centre, but there seems to be some pressure in the area to keep it."

The playground equipment at Rollo Bay was paid for with money fundraised by parents who had kids at the school, and the school board promised the equipment would follow their kids to Souris Consolidated.

"Either we're going to have to have permission to move it, or government agencies, maybe they can pony up some money to buy some new stuff to replace it, and everybody will go away happy, said Miodowski.

Nobody from the province was available Thursday to comment on why it feels the equipment should stay.

The Rollo Bay playground would cost $12,000 to $14,000 to replace.