Ask West Kelowna
Located at Westbank Centre Park (2569 May Street), Julia’s Junction is West Kelowna’s first accessible and inclusive play space, providing a place for people of all ages and abilities to enjoy.
Julia’s Junction was the realized dream of the Grassmick family, creating a first-of-its-kind play space in West Kelowna. Inspired by Julia Grassmick, who suffered a spinal cord injury as a toddler, the Grassmick family was the driving force behind the project, initiating it in January 2022 and partnering with the City of West Kelowna. The completion of the project was made possible through the generous support of the Government of Canada, PURKIDS Charitable Foundation, along with many other donors and sponsors.
Some features of the park include:- A universal sensory-rich design to provide ways to swing, slide, spin, experience music and more.
- Play structures and equipment are installed at ground level to avoid using ramps so that everyone has access and can play together.
Julia's Junction is next to the Kids Care Spray/Water Park, also located at Westbank Centre Park, so users can double the fun.
| Background |
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This project was inspired by Julia Grassmick, who was paralyzed by a blood clot when she was just 17 months old. Since her injury, her family has focused on Julia's recovery, promoting as much movement and function as possible. |
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The Playground |
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Designed to accommodate all abilities and disabilities, whether physical, social, emotional, or cognitive, Julia’s Junction is a safe and fun space to make friends, increase self confidence, and build physical strength; everyone in our community deserves to experience that!
By avoiding ramps, everyone can access them and play together. There are options for staying in your wheelchair, transferring out if you choose, having a quiet break to yourself when you need it, finding an interesting tactile experience, and swinging to your heart's content. |
This ground level group spinner is easily accessed by people who use mobility devices. Everyone can spin together, promoting maximum inclusivity and cooperative play.
Designed for children to improve their balance skills, uneven platforms provide a challenge for kids with special needs. The Balance Trax features sturdy handrails for safe risk-taking.
This kid-sized quiet playhouse is full of tactile and imaginative play elements to help in the self-regulation and cooperative play processes. It provides a place where a child can retreat and relax, or role play with their friends.
Fun for all children, but especially designed for those with autism spectrum disorders, this enclosed space is meant for a child to escape the playground when overstimulated. It has interior textures and molded-in features for tactile exploration, windows on both sides for adult visibility, and helpful grips for ease of maneuvering in and out.
Accessible to all with a wide turning radius and a swinging experience for wheelchair users, the AeroGlider encourages cooperation and teamwork. A unique stepping platform on both ends provides an opportunity for more kids to play and back high rails allow adults to help glide and get in on the fun.
This fun piece features eight games (one player and multi-player) and one freestanding user control panel with player instructions on the back. All ages and abilities, standing or seated, can enjoy 360 degrees of head-spinning, body-twisting, heart-pounding, competitive fun. Its circular design builds peripheral vision, and auditory and spatial awareness skills.
| Partners, Donors and Sponsors |
Julia's Junction's project partners:
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| Contact Information |
| If you would like to connect with Melissa Grassmick, Julia's mother, please email juliasjunctionplayspace@gmail.com or connect on Facebook or Instagram. |
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