Rossdale Community League / Habitat is Green / Playgrounds to Check Out / New Products! ROSSDALE COMMUNITY OPENS NEW PLAYGROUND The new Rossdale Community League Playground, located at 95th Ave., (between 100 and 100 A streets) in Edmonton, officially opened on September 10th. The unique themed based playground, combines the adventure and wonder contained in nature with playground equipment. Component highlights include, a tree house, recycled panels, mushroom steppers and other nature inspired items. “The new playground will serve and attract younger families settling into our community. The playground is a unique and lovely addition to the river valley trail system and complements the neighbouring river valley playgrounds, including the Kinsmen”, stated Jacqueline Juselius, Playground Committee Member. The original playground, installed in 1985, had reached the end of its life cycle and when inspected by the City it was found that much of it no longer conformed to present-day safety requirements. Fortunately, Rossdale Community League was able to gather funding (from casino fundraising), coupled with grants from the Province (CFEP) and the City of Edmonton (NPDP) to build a new play area. These funds served the basis of the project budget and allowed for a few smaller additional grants to supplement the budget. The playground project was taken on in October of 2008 by the City of Edmonton and Rossdale Playground Committee Members. The Committee conducted a survey of the Rossdale Community to determine the needs and wants of the residents. Habitat was fortunate to have the opportunity to work with the Rossdale Community League on this unique playground. “We chose to work with Habitat because of the company’s environmental commitment as well as their play structure really met the challenge”, Juselius stated. The Playground Committee and City also ensured the playground design included the furnishings required for the site, by adding more benches, upgraded picnic tables, additional litter receptacles and bike racks. Juselius passes on this advice to those looking to embark on a playground project, “Start early and visit lots of playgrounds. Touch base with other communities with newly renovated playgrounds to draw from their experience with the playground renewal process. Be sure to have a strong committee that is willing to advocate on your community’s behalf and meet frequently to ensure things progress.” HABITAT IS GREEN! Did you know Habitat is an eco-friendly company? Going Green with your project is easier than you think. Together we can design a space that leaves a positive impact on the community both, socially and environmentally. Purchase a playground structure from Habitat and through our Global ReLeaf Program, we will donate trees (based on the size of your structure) to offset the carbon footprint of your structure to an area in need. Our playground manufacturer, Landscape Structures, is ISO Certified – meaning they are in compliance with the ISO 14001:2004 Environmental Management Standard. They also uses a kaizen process aimed at eliminating waste known as “lean manufacturing”, which allows them to create the most environmentally-conscious playground products available. Our permalene panels are made up of 73% post-consumer recycled materials and our Evos and Weevos playstructures were designed to minimize the manufacturing impact on the environment on an overall level. Evos has a 30% smaller carbon footprint than traditional play structures on the market and Weevos has a 17% smaller carbon footprint. When you choose to work with Habitat, you are working with an environmentally responsible company who represents equally responsible suppliers. Together, we all can work green, play green and live green! www.habitat-systems.com l Toll Free 1 (866) 422-4828 l Edmonton Office 780.421.7878 Contact Habitat Systems today to start your playground project Meet Bonita Busby, Business Development Manager in Northern Alberta. Working out of the Edmonton office, Bonita is an energetic and enthu- siastic member of the Habitat team. From customized layout and design services, right through to consultation and post-project support, Bonita is dedicated to working with her clients to find solutions that fit their needs. Contact Bonita @ 780.421.7878 to learn more about Habitat’s services. Personal Tidbit: As an avid mountain biker, cross-country skier and certified kettle bell instructor, Bonita’s passion for health and wellness are evident. This background aids in her dedication to creating safe and challenging outdoor spaces for children.