Meades Park

What a beauty!

This is quite a special park: The first universal/all-abilities park for Kirkland, and just one of a handful on the West Island. 

The playground opened for the first time at the end of June 2020, and having visited it about 37 times during its construction, we were pretty eager to try out some of the new-to-the-West-Island products.

We ventured out at 7:30am (“Let’s go, let’s go!”) with freshly washed hands and lots of hand sanitizer for after.

All on soft and colourful poured-in-place rubber, there is plenty to do here, and both the 7 & 12 year old enjoyed it. 

You’ll find a great GameTime play structure for a wide range of ages, and that’s accessible to kids of all abilities. The ramp goes all the way to the small double slide, the monkey bars, spinny sensory wheel, small steering wheel, and the Sensory Wave Rock N Raft which can fit up to 6 riders, and even a wheelchair. A sign language and domino panel are on the exterior of the ramp railing, so friends can play beside each other while on and off the structure. 

My nutters loved the selection of outdoor Concerto music equipment, including the Vibes (I’m just going to call that a xylophone), congas, and cabasas. Super fun. Super colourful. Super original. 

The inclusive spinner is a great addition, and is easy to turn, though not too easy to turn too fast. A raised sand table has lots of room for seated and standing kiddos, though I wonder who’ll be picking up the sand that will end up on the ground every day. 

One of our favourite products is on the other side of the play area. The Berliner trampoline has the perfect bounce, and my kids will sproinnnnnnng on these forever. (Read the safety panel beside it.)

Try out your balance on the X-Wave, leap across the standing long jump beside it, and when you’re nice and hot, run through the adorable splash pad with its interactive and invigorating products from Pointe-Claire based Vortex. There’s some artificial grass around the splash pad, which will make it a nice non-muddy spot to sit on. 

There are no swings here, BUT, follow the path to where the playground used to be, and the newly landscaped area has a baby and adult swing, as well as two picnic table and tons of shade. 

Couple of things I would have added (because I’m picky and a twerp.):
-Fencing around the whole perimeter of the playground, especially at the parking lot. It’s something parents—especially parents of children with special needs—often ask me about and look for.
-A couple of spinning sensory seats or solo spring riders.
-Shade.
-And I wonder about the sand table close-ish to the splash pad, but maybe it’ll be fine!

Things to note:
-The splash pad water is on from 8am-9pm. Press the sensor on the top of the post to start the water sequence. There is also in-ground lighting so try and come at night one time!
-It is very, very hot. While there is a lovely small shade structure over the sand table, the rest of the playground is in full sun.
-A gently-sloped wheelchair-accessible path leads up to the Kirkland arena where there are bathrooms and water fountains, but it was locked (because of COVID-19.) The city has installed two porta-potties instead. One is wheelchair-accessible and one has a baby changing table!
-There is tons of easy parking in two large lots. 

All-in-all, a great addition to the area, and a fantastic playground where friends and families of all abilities can play together!

 

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