Regina Leader-Post (Nov 17 2009)

They are tiny pixels in the "big picture" of Canada's $4-billion Economic Action Plan, but their impact will be seen and felt by thousands of appreciative Reginans.

We refer to three projects in Wascana Centre -- a pedestrian bridge at Broad Street that will complete the popular walking and jogging loop around Wascana Lake, improving accessible equipment at Candy Cane Park and upgrading the playground at Wascana Rehabilitation Centre.

The latter project has a bit of a story to it. Three young women, Carmen Danyluk, Laura Stark and Megan Cross, saw a need for modern play equipment and a more accessible playground at Wascana Rehab. They took ownership of the idea and formed a not-for-profit community group to raise money and move the plan forward.

Stark and Danyluk have worked with Wascana Centre Authority during recent summers and Cross had been a volunteer with the children's program at Wascana Rehab.

The three twentysomething women applied for grants and helped co-ordinate a partnership between Regina Qu'Appelle Health Region, Wascana Rehab, Wascana Centre Authority and the Ministry of Government Services.

Upgrading the playgrounds at Wascana Rehab and Candy Cane Park will cost $660,000 and the provincial and federal governments recently announced they'll provide $190,000 each to help pay for the work. Ottawa's contribution comes from its infrastructure stimulus program.

Wascana Rehab's playground gets a lot of use; each year, more than 1,200 children with physical and/or cognitive disabilities use the children's program at the rehab centre. Thanks to the efforts of Danyluk, Stark and Cross and others those children will soon have a modern play area that combines therapeutic benefits with fun.

The Broad Street pedestrian bridge will also make an impact well beyond its modest cost. The province and Ottawa will each contribute $283,666 towards the $851,000 cost of the bridge, seating pavilions, lighting and other upgrades. It's the final piece to complete the pathway around Wascana Lake, which has seen increased use since 'The Big Dig' five years ago.

Mega projects are all very well, but it's often the small stuff people use every day that makes the biggest impression.