MOOSE JAW — The South Hill Community Association announced the grand re-opening of South Hill’s Kinette Peter Pan Park on the afternoon of June 27. The ceremony recognized several improvements made to the park including the addition of new equipment and a fresh look for the park’s existing structures.
The planned upgrade for the Kinette Peter Pan Park was in the process of development since before the COVID-19 pandemic hit back in 2020. Now, thanks to fundraising efforts by the South Hill Community Association and a partnership with the Moose Jaw Kinettes Club, the upgrade became a reality.
“We just wanted to… add some new equipment or refurbish (the park) a bit – you know, just give it an update,” explained Geraldine Trodd, treasurer of the South Hill Community Association.
The new refurbishment improved the park’s accessibility and Trodd said both she and the South Hill Community Association are proud of what the team has accomplished.
These improvements included new park benches and a wheelchair-accessible picnic table, a few child-sized tables which were all ordered earlier in May, and the park’s existing structures received a fresh coat of paint to give the space a fresh new look.
“It’s sure changed the park (and) we’re very pleased at how it turned out,” she said. “We just hope that the community takes advantage of the uplift and uses it to its full potential.”
The space, which Trodd described as somewhat “deceiving,” is considered by some to be something of a hidden gem.
“I think people find it deceiving,” she said, noting that the space is often overlooked when parents consider a space for their children to play. That said, she also mentioned that the park has been able to accommodate around 400 people when the association held its recent South of the Bridge Day on June 8.
“It was – and it is – a very beautiful park,” she added.
Trodd said the association isn’t looking to make any further near-future improvements to the Peter Pan Park, although she did point out that the group is keeping an eye on all South Hill’s green spaces and may consider similar upgrades at other locations.
“Any green space has value, and now that (the park has) got something that’s all-inclusive (and) that everybody can use… (more residents) are able to sit there, enjoy nature and the birds, and just have a spot to relax,” she said.
The South Hill Community Association is a volunteer-based organization with members who take on various projects within the community. These projects have ranged from involvement in the city-wide cleanup effort that takes place every spring, planting trees, and the group is currently partaking in the Yellow Fish Program.
“We’re just a group of volunteers wanting to make our community a little bit better,” she said.
The Kinettes Peter Pan Park is located at 242 Coteau Street West on the corner of Tapley Street.
To learn more about the South Hill Community Association or to apply as a volunteer, the association can be reached by email at SouthHillMJ@gmail.com.
