Kenaston celebrates new playground

KENASTON—Kenaston School celebrated its new playground structure Oct. 3 with a ribbon cutting and dedication ceremony.
Dignitaries were on hand to officially open the structure that was constructed on the Labour Day weekend thanks to the efforts of many volunteers.
Oct. 3 also marked the dedication of Purves Field in honour of former Kenaston School primary teacher Linda Purves.
“It was very humbling and greatly appreciated,” Purves said of the School Community Council’s decision to name the field in her honour.
Purves taught at Kenaston School since 1980. During her tenure she headed the school’s recycling and environmental programs, leading the Blue Green Team. She harnessed the enthusiasm of elementary-aged students to promote recycling and at the same time collecting recyclables to raise money for school initiatives.
Purves retired from teaching in 2010. She said that year her Blue-Green Team did its final campaign, donating proceeds from recycling to the library.
Purves said at the time she’d asked then school principal Darren Gasper to designate any money left over in the account to go to elementary students because those were the students on the Blue-Green Team.
“It wasn’t until after I retired they talked about revamping the playground,” she said. “My vision became a reality.”