Kids Contending with Construction

Vancouver; a burgeoning city thriving off of crisp mountain air, salty ocean breezes, and  wafting particles of saw dust. As it grows, construction has become a common sight for locals. Single family homes are torn down and transformed into multi-unit residential housing to accommodate the many families who have fallen in love with the lower mainland of Canada’s beautiful British Columbia. With the development, a small group of people, not in population but rather in size, are often overshadowed – children. Tykes need room to explore, play and grow are not able to do so in their own backyards as many townhouses and apartments do not feature a personal outdoor play area. With a lack of space dedicated to play already, the work of arsonists and vandalists on playgrounds, do not help the issue. Building a new playground comes with a hefty price, ranging upwards from anywhere from $100,000.

Children enjoying a playground in Richmond, BC

After facing such a dilemma in Richmond, BC, the article “Contractor makes playground challenge” of the Richmond News explains how an elementary school’s playground was set ablaze, and would cost $100,000 to replace. The school’s Parent Advisory Committee decided to approach the construction companies themselves, and were rewarded for their efforts. On a mission to promote corporate social responsibility, Am-Pri Construction Ltd. donated $10,000 to the cause, and challenged other companies to follow suite, raising enough funding to build a play place for the entire community to enjoy.

This display of going one step further to enhance the quality of a community, rather than simply providing a living space, goes to show that a business is much more than its measured profits.