A hundred kids got the chance to test out a new playground northwest of Calgary on Thursday. The playground – called The Lookout – is located in the community of Sky Ranch in Cochrane Lake. Developers wanted to make sure they did a good job designing the playground, so they recruited 100 kids to test it out and give them their honest opinions. Jesse LaFrance, CEO of JL Developments, says the turnout exceeded his expectations. “When a kid says, ‘Mom, I want to come back,’ – that’s what we’re chasing,” he said. The playground includes a three-storey accessible tower with net climbing and slides – including one that’s 20 feet high. Its design includes a nod to Alberta; there are three small mountains created out of rubberized matting meant to be the Three Sisters, and a blue Bow River painted on the ground that goes cascading by them. Each of the 100 playground testers were given a special teddy bear to thank them for their service. The hamlet of Cochrane Lake is located about 2.5 kilometres north of Cochrane, and about 30 minutes from Calgary.
