When I was a little girl, you could always find me at my small town, Lambeth’s, local arena. Ringette brought me to the rink, but the arena stood for so much more than sport. It was where I once laughed amongst bleachers alongside my friends, enjoyed a hot chocolate with my parents as we watched my brother play hockey, and cheered along our local teams. The arena was where my community came together.
Unfortunately, a fire caused the arena to burn to the ground, and with it, our town’s favourite place to play. Gone were the early mornings at the rink, the handmade scoreboard that kept us on the edge of our seats, and the aging dressing rooms that served generations of players. What we had come to depend on as our second home was lost, and we didn’t realize its importance until it was too late.
With the support of fundraisers and local governments, our town was able to raise enough funds for a full community centre. With every donation and every brick, our community was rebuilt.
But not all communities are this lucky.
Now as a mother, I have come to realize that not all towns and cities have a chance to restore their play places. Thousands of places to play are waiting to be refinished, regrown, and rebuilt. That’s why, this year, I’m acting as a Program Ambassador for Kraft Heinz Project Play.
Kraft Heinz Project Play is calling on communities across Canada to nominate a place to play in their hometown that deserves restoration — from soccer fields, to outdoor swimming pools, and baseball diamonds. Share your town’s story for a chance at a quarter million dollars in infrastructure upgrades, or $20,000 for secondary-prize winners.
While I can confidently say that most professional athletes have a story of their local stomping grounds, we should not discount the stories of kids who don’t grow up to be in the big leagues. Places to play are not just for raising athletes, but for raising all children. These places are not just for sport, but for learning leadership, cooperation, how to win or lose, and more.
I encourage all Canadians to nominate their places to play in need, and I challenge you to look closely at your own neighbourhood — not through your own eyes, but through the eyes of current and future generations of children. Our children aren’t aware that they must advocate for their places to play — and so this responsibility belongs to those of us with older and stronger voices.
A place to play is not a childhood right, it is a childhood need. Help inspire our towns and cities to focus on keeping our local areas of play alive. Together, our conversations, our stories, our passion as parents, can build a better future for our communities.
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