Now Casting: 100 Kids Wanted to Test-Drive Alberta's Newest Playground

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Now Casting: 100 Kids Wanted to Test-Drive Alberta's Newest Playground

Canada NewsWire

COCHRANE LAKE, AB, Aug. 20, 2026

Alberta's first Volo Aire climbing tower opens August 27. First, JL Developments wants to hear from its toughest critics: kids.

CALLING ALL KIDS: Summer Isn't Over Yet — Be One of the First 100 to Test The Lookout Playground

COCHRANE LAKE, AB, Aug. 20, 2026 /CNW/ -- The Lookout Playground at Sky Ranch opens to the public on Thursday, August 27. But before it does, JL Developments is putting it in front of the people whose opinion matters most. Kids of all ages.

The Lookout Playground @ Sky Ranch. Three storeys of tunnels, tubes and a view worth climbing for. For kids, play is their job. It's how they test their own limits, figure out what their bodies can do, negotiate turns with a stranger on a rope bridge, and decide, all on their own, whether to take the tall slide or the twisty one first. A good playground doesn't just burn off energy, it gives kids a place to be brave in small, safe doses.

The community is recruiting 100 "Playground Testers," kids ages 2 to 13, to be the first to climb, swing and explore The Lookout. Each tester gets a hands-on run of Alberta's first Volo Aire structure, a three-story net climbing tower and only the second installation of its kind in Canada, then rates the experience and hands their feedback directly to Jesse LaFrance, CEO of JL Developments.

"We can design the park and choose the amenities, but ultimately, kids decide whether a playground is great. If they leave The Lookout asking their parents when they can come back, we'll know we got it right."

Jesse LaFrance, CEO, JL Developments

Spots are limited to 100 kids. Parents can register their Playground Tester at JLDevelopments.ca or Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/1997798373715 with registration open through August 27, 2026.

Kids testing The Lookout Playground won't take the same route twice. The Volo Aire alone offers a spiral tube slide, a straight slide, a net crossing and an interior cargo-net climb, on top of the exterior tower scramble. The Lookout is home to Alberta's tallest fully accessible playground slide; a 20 foot high ride from the top of the three storey Volo Aire Tower.

Each Playground Tester will be invited to a Teddy Bear Picnic, and receive an Official Playground Expert Badge, a drawstring bag and a special teddy bear. The Lookout Playground is an ideal location for families to gather at the picnic tables and if you need a moment in the sun, the gorgeous lounge chairs are set up nearby to relax or indulge in a book while the kids continue to explore the many ways to travel through The Lookout Playground @ Sky Ranch.

Event Details
What: The Lookout Playground at Sky Ranch Grand Opening and Playground Tester Ambassadors
When: Thursday, August 27, 2026, 1:00 to 3:00 p.m.
Where: Sky Ranch, Cochrane Lake, Rocky View County, Alberta
Testers: 100 kids, ages 2 to 13. Registration required, limited to the first 100 registered testers.

About The Lookout at Sky Ranch
The Lookout is anchored by the Volo Aire, a three-story, net-based climbing structure designed to encourage unstructured, child-directed play rather than a single fixed play pattern. Sky Ranch is only the second Canadian site to install the structure, following its debut at Yorkson Community Park in the Township of Langley, BC, which officially opened May 7, 2026.

About Sky Ranch
Sky Ranch is a 118-acre master-planned community in the Cochrane Lake Hamlet, 2.5 km north of the Town of Cochrane and 30 minutes from Calgary. Set across rolling grasslands with panoramic views of the foothills and Rocky Mountains, Sky Ranch will deliver 646 homes across 7 diverse housing types.

About JL Developments
JL Developments is a boutique development firm dedicated to the investment, development, and management of diverse residential communities. At the heart of everything they do is a commitment to improving lives; they are dedicated to transforming land into thriving and sustainable communities that enhance the quality of life for their residents.

 

The Lookout Playground @ Sky Ranch at night is magical, The ground is embedded with innovative photoluminescent glow stones along the pathways that mimic overhead constellations while remaining dark-sky compliant to avoid light pollution.

SOURCE JL Developments