Check out West Kelowna’s first fully accessible playground

The long-awaited dream for Melissa and Julia Grassmick finally came true, as they witnessed the grand opening of ‘Julia’s Junction’ - West Kelowna’s first fully accessible playground for all ages and abilities.

“It’s just a wave of emotions, I’m relieved that the hard work is over, but it's kind of bittersweet because I've had so much fun, you know, building this thing and meeting so many great people along the way,” Julia’s mom Melissa told Kelowna10. “It's just it's an incredible feeling to have kids actually playing on this playground now.”

The playground is named after Julia, a nine-year-old girl who developed a snail cord injury caused by a blood clot at the age of just 17 months.

Spanning across 12,000 sq/ft, the playground boasts an array of play structures and equipment, offering children the joy of spinning, swinging, sliding, engaging in multi-sensory play, and ensuring accessibility for all.

The project's $900,000 in funding came from multiple sources, including the City of West Kelowna, the Government of Canada's Enabling Accessibility Fund, PURKIDS Charitable Foundation, and various sponsorships and fundraising efforts.

Melissa pitched the idea for an inclusive playground to West Kelowna city council in January 2022 and after gaining momentum and seeing promising progress, they began to believe it could become a reality. However, it wasn't until Christmas that their dream started to take shape. Melissa expressed her happiness and relief that they successfully made it happen this year.

“It's so important for so many families to now have a place to play. But even more than that, it's also a playground for all children,” she said. “They can all come together and just play together, make friends, and just have experiences together. Without an accessible and inclusive play space, that isn't always possible.”

For Julia, the excitement is apparent as she expressed her joy about having a place where everyone can hang out together.

“I was super excited when I found out that my mom was going to make it. It's amazing. I love it so much,” she said.

The playground is located at Westbank Centre Park.