Lafayette Park in south Oak Bay will get a makeover this fall that includes a state-of-the-art swing set largely funded by Oak Bay Kiwanis.
On on June 28, Leslie Johnston, president of the Kiwanis Club of Oak Bay, presented Oak Bay Parks Services Manager Chris Hyde-Lay with $10,000 toward installation of a CSA-approved swing set when Lafayette undergoes primary-use conversion from soccer field to neighbourhood park.
The addition has been the subject of household petitions in the area, Kiwanis said in a news release.
Thick bushes near street-side parking on Henderson will be removed to improve sightlines, and the swings will be installed roughly adjacent to existing climbing equipment that’s still quite serviceable and popular.
“If you ever wondered what you’re volunteering for, just stroll around Oak Bay’s recreational sites and you will most likely find that Kiwanis has been there,” Johnson said, regarding local Kiwanis members’ many volunteer hours in the local community.
“Most years the club’s President’s Project monies have gone toward improving park recreational facilities for the children and youth of Oak Bay.
“I’m not sure if club members of 1948 realized that their little tea room at Willows Beach would still be attracting customers all these years later but I am sure glad it is,” she continued. “Without the funding from the tea room we would not be able to fund the organizations and the projects that we do.”