Sandbox Announces 2026 Communities At Play Winners

For the fourth consecutive year, Sandbox’s Communities at Play program is granting $25,000 to five winning playground projects, totaling $125,000. Our team at Sandbox Mutual Insurance received submissions from hundreds of communities across the Prairies, showcasing a wide variety of outdoor play space projects and ideas. 

We extend our sincere thanks to every community that took the time to participate and submit an application. The passion, creativity, and commitment to creating spaces where children and families can play, connect, and thrive made this year’s selection process incredibly inspiring. 

Once again, the Sandbox team held an internal company vote to select four recipients, while for the second year, a fifth recipient was chosen through a public vote. Residents across Saskatchewan, Alberta, and Manitoba were invited to rally behind their communities and spread the word for a chance to receive the final $25,000 grant. 

We are thrilled to announce our five Communities at Play recipients for 2026! 

École Jasper Elementary School (Jasper, AB) 

Among the winners selected by the Sandbox team was École Jasper Elementary School.  

Following a devastating wildfire complex in 2024, the playground has become one of the only remaining recreation areas in Jasper, increasing its importance as the community continues to recover and rebuild. 

The Jasper Elementary School Parents Association has planned a full renewal of the school’s outdoor play space, replacing aging and unsafe equipment with a modern, inclusive playground designed for accessibility and community use. The project includes adaptive play structures, accessible surfacing, a basketball area, and a gazebo that will support both recreation and outdoor learning.  

Once the playground construction is complete, a celebration will be held at École Jasper Elementary School, introducing students, their families, and neighbours to the new play space. 

Concept image of the playground project plan from École Jasper Elementary School, reflecting the community’s vision for an inclusive play space.  

Maude Burke Elementary School (Melfort, SK) 

Maude Burke Elementary School was also selected by the Sandbox team as a 2026 Communities at Play winner.  

The school is planning to refurbish its 30-year-old playground while introducing a fully inclusive play space to better serve students and the surrounding community. Their current play structure is well-used but deteriorating, with ongoing repair needs and no accessible or inclusive features.  

The new design will feature accessible surfacing and ground-level play elements, creating a modern, inclusive space while also helping fill a gap in comparable recreational facilities on the south side of Melfort. 

Concept of the playground project plan from Maude Burke Elementary School in Melfort, SK, reflecting the community’s vision for a fully inclusive, accessible play space. 

The Town of Whitewood, SK  

Next on the list is the Town of Whitewood, selected by Sandbox as another 2026 winner. The town plans to replace its outdated playground adjacent to the local pool with a fully accessible, modern recreation space designed for children of all abilities.  

This is especially important in a small but diverse community that also serves neighbouring areas and visitors passing through the region. The new design will include ramped structures, sensory features, accessible surfacing, and ground-level play, ensuring the space is welcoming and can be used by all children. 

École St. Adolphe (St. Adolphe, MB)  

École St. Adolphe is the fourth community that received Sandbox’s vote. After the removal of its aging playground due to safety concerns in 2025, École St. Adolphe is planning a full rebuild of a safe, inclusive, and universally accessible outdoor play space.  

The school is currently without a functional playground, creating a gap in opportunities for play, physical activity, and social connection for students and the broader community. The new design will prioritize accessibility and inclusion, ensuring children of all abilities can engage in safe, meaningful outdoor play. 

Design visualization of the playground project plan from École St. Adolphe in St. Adolphe, MB, reflecting the school’s vision for a safe, inclusive, and universally accessible outdoor play space. 

Oak Bluff Community School (Oak Bluff, MB) 

Thanks to an incredible show of community spirit, Oak Bluff Community School came out on top in this year's Communities at Play public vote, earning support that helped secure funding for its playground project.  

Oak Bluff Community School is planning to replace its approximately 30-year-old playground, which is now partially removed and no longer safe or inclusive for students or the wider community. The new playground will introduce accessible surfacing and inclusive play elements, ensuring children of all abilities can play together. 

Conceptual plan of the playground project plan from École St. Adolphe in St. Adolphe, MB, reflecting the school’s vision for a safe, inclusive, and universally accessible outdoor play space. 

Together, We're Creating Inclusive Spaces for Play 

2026 marked another successful year for Sandbox’s Communities at Play program. Five inspiring playground projects across the prairies will receive $25,000 each to revitalize their communities through updated inclusive play spaces.  

Communities at Play is just one of the many ways our team at Sandbox Mutual Insurance gives back to the communities in which we live, work and do business. We’re proud to support safe, accessible play for kids across the prairie provinces, and are grateful to everyone who helped make it happen.  

Know a playground project in need of funding? Next year’s Communities at Play applications open in Spring 2027.