Harrow Playground in Essex gets Brand New Look Courtesy of Recycled Tires

The Harrow Playground in Essex is getting a brand new look and it’s courtesy of recycled tires – 2,167 of them to be exact.

The old playground had stood proudly for more than 25 years and was a place where many great memories were created and shared. However it was time to turn the page and introduce a new gathering spot for Essex residents to make all the more memorable.

The much-needed upgrade to the park’s surface was made possible because of the Community Renewal Fund – a program offered by Ontario Tire Stewardship (OTS). The grant, offers municipalities up to $50,000 to put toward building or renewing spaces using sustainable materials made with recycled Ontario tire rubber. OTS, through its 2015 Community Renewal Fund, provided around $36,000 to help provide a rubber surface for the playground.

Helping upgrade the Harrow Community Playground was really a “win-win situation,” according to Claudia Hawkins, Director of Programs and Education for OTS. “We are thrilled to help municipalities like Essex rethink the way they approach updating their community spaces and consider more sustainable options.”

The Community Renewal Fund promotes the use of Ontario-manufactured recycled rubber products such as rubber mulch, athletic and arena flooring, roof shakes, sidewalk pavers, and playground surfacing, encouraging planet friendly building and development while boosting the Ontario economy.

The new Harrow playground is located beside the Harrow and Colchester South Community Centre, the facility is an accessible play structure designed for youth aged 2 to 12.