Julisa Swader, Grand Portage Youth Program Director cuts the ribbon at the grand opening. All photos by Anne Brataas. 

By Anne Brataas for Boreal Community Media - August 12, 2024

The Grand Portage Community Center’s new playground drew more than 100 community members to its grand opening last Wednesday to hours of delighted cheers, laughter, and friendly, playful banter.

“We planned this as a team to encourage imagination, creativity, physical health and developmental, and to provide a family-oriented, community park-like experience in a culturally relevant way,’’ explained Jared Swader, Tribal Planner for the Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa. “It’s just amazing to see it come to life– full of children and families. We’re just bouncing off the walls we’re so excited!”

After deftly managing a giant pair of scissors for the ribbon cutting, children of all ages moved on to test the playground. Running from piece to piece, dazzled by the play potential before them, they thronged the child-safe dark green plastic structures topped with conifer cutouts and supported by Lake Superior rock replicas.

Traditional Ojibwe community values of well-being and togetherness share the message of the healthful intent of this playground visually. As colorful hoof prints of Ojibwe Clan animals track over the rubberized surface—soft on landings and joints–a watchful thunderbird oversees all the activity, echoing the dominant image of the Grand Portage Community Center.

Colorful hoof prints of Ojibwe Clan animals appear over the soft, rubberized surface.

 A watchful thunderbird oversees all the activity, echoing the dominant image of the Grand Portage Community Center.

Located on the Grand Portage Community Center and Oshki Ogimaag School grounds, the playground vision began during the planning of the Community Center’s Head Start program in 2022. As the 2023 Head Start program opened, playground planning accelerated with major input and grant writing from Swader, concept refinement with his daughter Julisa Swader, Youth Program Director, and teachers Mary Sherer and Lynn Sheils.

The Issaquah, Washington-based playground development company, Northwest Playground Equipment, Inc., worked closely with the Grand Portage team in an interactive design process. Once the design was settled, progress was speedy: less than two months from dismantling the old playground to installing the sparkling new complex unveiled on Aug. 7.

 Kids and families tested the new playground at last week's Grand Opening event. 

The $800,000 project was funded by generous grants from multiple sources, among them: L.K. Johnson Foundation of Duluth, Blandin Foundation of Grand Rapids, MN, a private anonymous donation through the Minneapolis Foundation,  Grand Marais Family Dentistry, Arrowhead Cooperative, Hungry Hippie Tacos, Java Moose Espresso Café and hundreds of “round-up” customers at the Cook County Co-op, who agreed to pay more than charged and donating the difference to the playground project.

The playground project could not have had a more positive reception, Swader said. “I heard there were kids and families still playing in the dark, even in the rain.”

 Umbrellas provide shade over benches and picnic tables for playground goers. 

 Kids enjoy the newly installed "spider web". 

 Big smiles were found across the playground. 

 Big smiles were found across the playground. 

  Big smiles were found across the playground. 

  Big smiles were found across the playground. 

   Big smiles were found across the playground.