Work Has Begun on American Ninja Warrior-Styled Playground.

Nick Murray

It looks like Connor Park is fixing to be one of Moose Jaw's hottest hangout spots for adults and older children looking for fun and fitness.

Crews have been hard at work building new bathrooms to go with the interactive, American Ninja Warrior-styled playground they've just begun the groundwork for.

The playground, called the Connor Park Pro 4000 Challenge Course, has been described as an obstacle course for older kids and adults. It's aimed for people 13 and up and it will replace the outdated, wood play structure that sat to the south of the Jitney Dance Hall.

"Components of the challenge course will include ninja steps, floating boards, U-turn ramp, agility trainer, traverse walls, balance walk, sway steps and vault walls" said Trish German, Office Administrator and Event Coordinator for Wakamow Valley Authority.

"We decided quite a while ago how the layout of the course would look, as this was the determining factor in regards to the amount of ground excavation and land preparation our maintenance department has been working on" she added.

As for the playground being styled after the highly popular sports-entertainment competition show German said "it is in the same style of American Ninja Warrior, but for the "Average Joe". For example, our Ninja Steps will be placed about 1-2 feet apart as opposed to the five or six feet that you see on the television show."

The idea for a playground geared towards adults and older kids came as a result of their already being numerous playgrounds in the city targeted at toddlers and young children.

"Sometimes people forget that teens and adults just want to get outside and play as well" German said.

The challenge course is a first for Moose Jaw and only the second in Saskatchewan.

"It enables teens and adults to get outside, play and stay active" German said, adding "we hope that the residents of Moose Jaw and the surrounding area will incorporate it into their daily or weekly fitness regimen".

Wakamow Valley was responsible for selecting and purchasing the components from Park and Play Design Company. It is the Wakamow Valley staff and volunteers who will be the ones to install it and bring it to life.

"There will also be a call out to the community to assist in the work bee to get the course installed over the course of a weekend" German said.

"We are hoping to have the work bee completed and the course completely installed by the end of September" she said.

Wakamow Valley Authority had originally set a goal of fundraising $120k by the summer of 2017 to pay for the playground but ultimately fell short.

"It took us a little longer to raise the funds but we are almost there" German said. "The equipment has been completely paid for and we are currently fundraising to cover final expenses associated with the installation and ground preparation."

Wakamow Valley is hosting their final fundraiser for the challenge course on September 27th. That's the night of their annual Festival of Flavours event.

"We have partnered with Temple Gardens Hotel again and are very excited to be working with them for this event."

For more information or to purchase tickets for the event you can call Trish at Wakamow Valley.

"There have been numerous individuals and businesses that have made substantial donations to help us pay for the playground" German said. "Not to mention all of our hard working staff and volunteers who have spent countless hours planning events, applying for grants, selling 50/50 tickets etcetera."

Upon completion of the challenge course Wakamow Valley Authority will be placing a donor plaque at the venue listing all of their donors and volunteers.

The below picture is of a fundraising poster now outdated, but it provides a photographs of what the challenge course is expected to look like.