Now THAT is a slide. The toddler wouldn’t go down the super tall slide from Playworld, and actually, he couldn’t get up the climbing wall anyways to access the top of it. So who went down (screaming)? Yes, that would be me. Someone’s got to do the testing!
This mega play structure is full of all sorts of interesting ways to swing, balance, and slide. There are the Whirlwind Climbers which look like a colourful forest from a Dr. Seuss book, the creative Flip Flop seesaws, and the Inclined Cliff Hanger.
It’s challenging, creative, and colourful. Bigger kids should have a blast.
Just beside is an older structure from GameTime with various ladders and rungs. Everything is on sand, and while not super close to the road, note that there is no fencing around any of the play areas.
Nearby is the toddler section, with the chubby flyer plane spring rider, and another (faded) GameTime play structure. This one has stairs, slides, a crawl tube, telescope, slanted climbing wall, and a panel of “Gizmos”. Just beside are a couple of baby and big-kid swings.
Ernest B. Jubien was a town councillor and president of the horticultural society, and helped create the park. There are some lovely gardens and trees throughout the park, which reflect his horticultural background.
I love reading about the history behind parks and public spaces, and found this paragraph from the TMR Newsletter (volume 3 – N0 7, July 2015).
“A little history… Did you know that a school used to stand where Ernest B. Jubien Park is today? Built at the turn of the 1950s, Russell School belonged to the now defunct Protestant School Board of Greater Montreal. It was some 30 years later, when the closing of the educational institution was announced, that the Town acquired the building and the large adjacent property with the idea of turning it into a community facility. Shortly thereafter, the Town ceded part of the land to a non-profit organization through an emphyteutic lease to allow the construction of an 80-unit apartment building for autonomous retired Townies. The development and landscaping of the Ernest B. Jubien Park, a green space today much appreciated by walkers and nearby residents, was completed a few years later. Le Russell sur le parc celebrates its 30th anniversary this year. The apartment building for autonomous retirees remains an appealing option for single or partnered Townies age 60 and over who want to stay in our community and take advantage of the quality of life found here in Mount Royal. Le Russell sur le parc is located at 30 Brittany Avenue. Information: lerussell.ca”
