Who We Are
About Us
Play Envy brings hardworking and creative people together with a vision to build innovative and inclusive outdoor spaces that everyone can enjoy. Our goal is to make outdoor spaces more inviting for children and adults to have the opportunity to play, relax, explore and build great memories.
The Best in The Industry
Our Team
PEPPER – The Office Charlatan
Cute and cuddly, and weighing 13 lbs soaking wet, Pepper is the office charlatan with 9 lives. The vet has given Pepper so many life expectancy predictions, that she’s thrown caution to the wind and lives life to the fullest. Her beady eyes and quivering body are due to a daily cocktail of seizure medicine and her decade long caffeine addiction. But don’t be fooled, Pepper moves at lightning speed. While you’re chatting on the phone, she’s ransacked your office to sniff out your favourite cashews, drink your coffee, or eat the banana muffin you were saving for breaktime. And then, when she’s being scolded, her breathing becomes loud and laboured, which suspiciously, sounds a lot like laughter, wheezhee..wheezhee…wheezhee.
Zuri + Mali – Dynamic Design Duo
Zuri and Mali are an integral part of the design process. They are adept at mashing the keyboard, batting the mouse, and typing unintelligible commands into AutoCAD. They are also quite capable of ensuring that agendas are never turned to the correct week- a task that they take great pleasure in. One task that they do not enjoy is participating in meetings, as these tend to disrupt their important lap-snuggles. Together, they will continue to plot and scheme ways to make the design process a little more… “fun”.
OSCAR – The Office Watchdog
Oscar is our goofy and beloved office watchdog. With a genealogy rooted in Belgium, Oscar’s ancestors were revered for their courage and strength as they dragged wounded soldiers off the battlefield. However, unlike his ancestors, Oscar’s watchdog skills may explain the immigration of his pedigree to Canadian suburbia. Think Mall Cop rather than war hero. Even at 100 lbs, it’s hard to keep a straight face when he interrogates you for the 5th time that morning because he can’t remember who you are. When the day is done, Oscar will push you out of the way to grab the best spot on the couch to watch hockey, basketball, baseball, whatever the season. Yup, it’s a long way from the battlefields of Belgium.
Mike McDermott
President
Mike brings his technical knowledge as a certified engineering technologist to every playground he creates. From design and installation, to maintenance and after-sale service, Mike manages every aspect of your project with precision. The McDermott name has been synonymous with boxing in Alberta for decades. Mike’s uncle was a legendary boxing coach and Mike himself earned the title of Provincial Boxing Champion for his weight class in 1993. While Mike has long retired from boxing, he has transferred his passion for active living to creating play spaces that help children increase their physical strength and develop essential life skills. Mike says “as a young boxer I learned to think, change my position, and change my posture when facing an opponent, all of which helped me manage the ups and downs of daily life.” Mike has a team of professionals who are dedicated to providing the best customer service in AB, BC & YT, and creating quality outdoor spaces that last for decades.
Michelle Wnuk
Designer + lat
As the newest member of Play Envy, Michelle is excited to bring concepts to life with her drafting, rendering, and design expertise. She holds a degree in Political Science, as well as a diploma in Landscape Architectural Technology from NAIT. Michelle’s unique educational background has fostered a passion for designing inclusive and accessible outdoors spaces, which she applied in her previous work as an LAT. In her spare time, she loves gardening and being outdoors.
Su Baker
Marketing & Sales support
For over 25 years, Su has taught outdoor recreation to children of all ages. She holds a Degree in Recreation and a Masters Degree in Business. She helped develop the playground industry’s first nature-based play equipment and has worked with some of the world’s largest playground manufacturers. Early in her career, Su was a climbing instructor for children with ADD/ADHD and Disruptive Behaviour Disorders. As a rock climber for 30 years, Su is a huge advocate for risky play.
The Best warranty in The Industry
Innovation & Affordability
For over 50 years, Playworld has been innovators in playground design. Known for their unique design, longevity of products and the fastest shipping times in the industry, Playworld is passionate about bringing diverse communities closer together through play. When you step into a Playworld playground, you will see they are focused on being the best kid-empowering, confidence-building, health-promoting, community-strengthening business there is!