CANYON — The City of Canyon has been awarded the Texas Municipal League (TML) 2024 Municipal Excellence Award in the public works category for cities under 25,000 in population. The recognition, presented at the 2024 TML Annual Conference and Exhibition in Houston, honors the city’s efforts in developing the Kylie Hiner Memorial Playground.
The award-winning project, located in Conner Park, opened in November 2023 and is named in memory of Canyon resident Kylie Hiner. The playground, designed as an all-inclusive space for children of all abilities, was developed through a public-private partnership with Southwest AMBUCS of Amarillo. The initiative raised $1.3 million through a combination of public and private donations, grants, and local fundraising efforts. As part of the project, the City of Canyon extended 18th Street to include additional accessible parking on the west side of the playground.
“Kylie Hiner Memorial Playground is the most popular playground in Canyon, not only for the quality of the equipment but for the community aspect of how it was built,” said Canyon Mayor Gary Hinders. “The City of Canyon’s public-private partnership made KHMP the community’s playground, whether someone gave $20 or $200,000. It really is a place with no limits.”