A public playbox filled with toys designed to help get kids active in a local park was recently vandalized and damaged.
Playboxes were installed in three Abbotsford parks – Grant, Berry and Pepin Brook – with lock codes to allow families access to toys, balls and hula hoops.
Berry Park’s playbox is the only one that has been vandalized. The wrapping was cut, there was graffiti on the box, the lock was broken, and about $100 worth of equipment had been taken, according to Heidi Enns, the city’s general manager of parks, recreation and culture. Enns said they did anticipate some damage and loss of equipment, but so far only Berry Park has been affected.
The access codes can be gained by signing up online with Healthy Abbotsford. Between October and December 2014, about 140 families registered to receive the codes and many have enjoyed the use of the equipment, Enns said.
The Berry Park playbox has been relocked and the code will be changed. Staff will be determining their next steps by emailing those participating for ideas and feedback, said Enns.
For more information, visit healthyabbotsford.ca/play-boxes.