A new playground is now officially open along Windsor's riverfront.
The newly completed playground at Legacy Park replaces the previous playground at Legacy Park, located west of Caron Avenue, which was installed as a legacy project for when Super Bowl 40 was held in Detroit in 2006.
The new playground is at the former Dieppe playground location at the eastern end of Legacy Park near the foot of Church Street.
It will maintain the football theme from the previous structure and features a seating area built into the retaining wall of the trail that runs south of the playground, providing a view of the City of Detroit and the Detroit River.
James Chacko, Executive Director of Parks and Facilities for the City of Windsor, says the previous playground was very well used.
"Now you have this beautiful NFL-themed playground. It's got the Honolulu blue and silver colouring to pay recognition to our beloved Detroit Lions right across the river. Certainly also pays recognition to some of the local NFL players from Windsor and Essex County in Luke Willson, Tyrone Crawford and OJ Atogwe," he says.
A jersey featuring the name and numbers worn by Luke Willson of LaSalle, along with Windsor's Tyrone Crawford and OJ Atogwe (Ah-tog-way), are built in as part of the playground structure.
The City of Windsor's newly completed playground at Legacy Park, near the foot of Church Street along Windsor's riverfront. The NFL-theme park includes the numbers of local NFL players, Luke Willson, Tyrone Crawford and OJ Atogwe. Dec. 14, 2022 (Photo by Rusty Thomson)
Chacko we have such great parks in Windsor like this new one.
"Certainly we have the great riverfront and the view of Detroit. It's certainly something you can't replicate in the world," he says.
The City spent $400,000 on the new structure.
Chacko says they wanted to make sure the NFL legacy of Super Bowl 40 continued.
"Super Bowl 40 was such an important event for this region, that is something you want to recognize going forward. I think it was important we carry on that theming and it was something the public was very happy to see," he adds.
The Legacy Park play structure is one of 125 public playgrounds in Windsor that are being upgraded and modernized through the Playground Replacement Program.