Baker Lake didn't go long without a playground at the school. The Department of Education installed a new play structure last week just a few days after the community's SAO Sheldon Dorey raised concerns that the previous one had been demolished with no attempt to salvage it.
In an email to Kivalliq News which included comments that were mistakenly not printed in a previous story on the matter, (Baker Lake SAO speaks out after GN demolishes playground', Aug. 1), department spokesperson Sandi Chan said the previous structure was removed due to safety concerns.
“The playground structures in Baker Lake were inspected by a certified play structured installer and all the equipment that was removed was removed due to public safety concern,” she wrote. “Removal is important as the Department cannot stop public access to the unsafe equipment,
According to the department play structures have an installation requirement which required the process to be supervised and done by a CSA approved and certified play structure installer.
“The firm that the Department of Education uses have certified people on staff.”
Chan wrote than any parts of the playground which could not be reused were destroyed. “Any salvageable have been stored in a sealift can for the hamlet to reinstall at another location as the hamlet see fit.”