The City of Whitehorse and Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities (Jumpstart) officially celebrated the Jumpstart Inclusive Playground in Shipyards Park on Tuesday. The play area opened to the public last fall.

At approximately 9,500 square feet, the Jumpstart playground is the first of its kind in the Yukon, providing an accessible space where kids of all abilities can experience the magic of play.

“All children deserve the opportunity to play without limitations or barriers to build confidence, self-esteem and nurture their creativity,” said Yukon MP Brendan Hanley. He was speaking on behalf of Dominic LeBlanc, the federal minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructure and Communities.

“This inclusive playground is a great addition to the community and will help ensure all children have these opportunities for generations to come.”

Speaking on behalf of Community Services Minister Richard Mostyn, Energy, Mines and Resources Minister John Streicker congratulated the City of Whitehorse and Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities.

“It’s tremendous that the City prepared the site for this amazing park with its allocation of the Canada Community Building Fund,” he said.

“Local kids and kids visiting, now have a great, inclusive and accessible place to play and have fun.”

The state-of-the-art facility is designed to accommodate sensory, cognitive and physical disabilities.

Through collaboration with Jumpstart and the contributions of local Canadian Tire dealers Michael Varley and Dan Charlebois, local kids of all abilities can play together side-by-side, “fostering a stronger, more inclusive, and healthier community,” the city said in a statement.

“We are so excited to open this Jumpstart Inclusive Playground in Whitehorse!” said Mayor Laura Cabott.

“What makes this facility unique and amazing is that kids of all ages and abilities can participate.

“Everyone deserves a chance to be a kid, and we are so glad we could help make that happen.”

“Through play, kids have the opportunity to develop valuable life skills such as teamwork, confidence and creativity,” said Scott Fraser, the president of Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities.

“We are proud to partner with the City of Whitehorse and our Canadian Tire dealers to bring the power of inclusive play to Whitehorse.”

Shipyards Park is a community hub that features a skating loop and a concert stage.

The Jumpstart playground is part of the Charity’s Inclusive Play Project, which focuses on removing accessibility barriers to sport and play.

Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities is a national charity committed to ensuring kids in need have equal access to sport and recreation.

With a national network of more than 1,000 grantees and 289 local chapters, Jumpstart helps eligible families cover the costs of registration, transportation, and equipment, and provides funding to selected organizations for recreational infrastructure and programming.

Supported by the Canadian Tire Corp., Jumpstart has provided more than 2.7 million opportunities for Canadian kids to get in the game since 2005.