The playground at Elks Park in Weyburn will be getting resurfaced this summer. Weyburn City Council approved the tender for the resurfacing during Monday night’s council meeting. The repairs will address issues with the rubber surface at the accessible playground that were first identified in 2024.
The contract was awarded to DBO Industries Inc. for a total cost of $61,745. This required a budget adjustment, as it exceeded the amount initially included in the 2025 budget.
“This is over the $55,000 in the budget for this, so the recommendation encompasses an overall budget increase of $6,745 to cover this project,” stated Director of Leisure Services Richard Henning during the meeting.
The City received two bids for the project. DBO Industries, which operates as Advanced Surfacing, submitted the winning bid, while another from Park N Play Design Ltd. came in at $128,326.12. The significant price difference was noted by Councillor John Corrigan, who called the variance "mind-boggling."
Director Henning suggested the price difference could be related to location, noting that DBO is Estevan-based, and Park and Play is out of province. He also reassured the council of the contractor's quality by sharing positive references from his counterpart in Estevan.
“She did assure me that they resurfaced a playground for them in Estevan, and they were quite happy with it.”
A key topic of discussion was the reason for the replacement. While the advertised life expectancy for the rubber surface material is between 15 and 20 years, City Manager Mathew Warren clarified that the current surface is only about eight years old. The primary reason for the repair, he explained, is vandalism.
“I think this is being done more because of damage done from people picking at the surface,” Warren stated. “It's less to do on the wear and tear on it. What we're seeing is that actually people are doing vandalism to that area.”
The project will ensure the popular playground remains safe and accessible. Henning confirmed the new installation will be a cushioned rubber surface that meets accessibility designs.
“It's more accessible than other parks that we have that have gravel or loose, laid-in rubber pellets,” he noted.
Work on the park is expected to cause a temporary closure of about three to four weeks, according to Henning. The project has a deadline of September 30th of this year.