Public and School Playgrounds Re-opening June 1

Surrey, BC – Effective June 1, 125 playgrounds throughout the City’s park system and all playgrounds within the Surrey School district’s 101 elementary schools will be re-opened. The decision to re-open has been made with direction from the Provincial COVID-19 Health & Safety Guidelines which states that “playgrounds are a safe environment” and that everyone should be mindful of “appropriate personal hygiene practices before, during and after outdoor play.”

“The collective work we have done to flatten the curve is working and that is why we are now re-opening our City playgrounds,” said Mayor Doug McCallum. “I fully welcome children, students and families to make full use of the playgrounds, but I want to remind everyone it is very important that we all continue to practice good health and hygiene measures. So, wash your hands often or use hand sanitizer and if you are sick, stay home.”

“We can't underestimate the importance of play to a child's development, particularly during the pandemic," said Laurie Larsen, Chair of the Surrey Board of Education. "Playgrounds promote physical activity, which in turn improves attention and decreases stress and anxiety. But we need to ensure that children are playing safely – encouraging physical distancing as much as possible, minimizing contact with other children, and washing hands before and after play.”

The City of Surrey is also re-opening its skate parks. The following eight skate parks will be re-opened for May 30 with physical distancing requirements and size limits for the number of users:

• Bear Creek Park
• Royal Kwantlen Park
• Fraser Heights Park
• Cloverdale Fairgrounds
• South Surrey Athletic Park
• Tom Binnie Park
• Surrey Sport & Leisure Complex
• Guildford Recreation Centre

Surrey’s COVID-19 Compliance and Enforcement Team will be monitoring the sites to educate the public and assist, should any concerns be observed.