A celebration marked the official opening of the new Market Garden park in Walkerton.
The new community feature includes a performance stage, gardens, shaded seating areas, interpretive plaques, a water curtain and green space in the heart of the historic downtown.
The park will be utilized for neighbourhood gatherings like the July and August Music in the Park concerts, the July 21 Walkerton Summer Streetfest, and the November Walkerton Christmas Market. It will have accessible parking, bike racks, and walkways, and it will be open every day throughout the year.
The event included Brockton Mayor and Bruce County Warden Chris Peabody, municipal staff, committee members, local contractors and many individuals and businesses who donated time, money and resources to make the new park a reality.
Peabody says the transformation of an empty downtown lot into a beautiful park is truly remarkable.
The park cost approximately $450,000 to build. The Municipality received $236,000 in funding, through donations from businesses and private individuals, and grants from Bruce County, the Canadian Urban Institute, and the Federal Development Agency for Southern Ontario.
“The transformation of this space from an empty downtown lot to a beautiful park for downtown businesses, shoppers, and visitors to enjoy, every day of the year, is truly remarkable,” Mayor Peabody said. “I’d like to thank everyone who helped make it happen, from the Wong family who passed on this land for the purpose of creating a community park, to the many donors who helped fund the project, both individuals and businesses, and the people who served on the Durham Street Park committee. Thank you as well to the contractors who worked on the project, our consultants, and municipal staff, and government bodies who helped fund it.”
The opening was attended by several dozen people and included a ribbon cutting, refreshments, and the unveiling of a donor plaque and three separate interpretive plaques outlining the story of the Wong family and their contributions to the community.
Henry Wong was a businessman who owned the Golden Wheel Restaurant in Walkerton, where the Guest House now stands. He was the first Chinese immigrant in Walkerton, bringing his wife Wai Ching and six children here, including son Dan Wong, who attended the Market Garden opening and spoke on his family’s behalf.
Local companies were also involved, including Weber Electric, Keith’s Plumbing & Heating, Schmidt’s Paving, Built Wright Fencing, Al Reich Backhoe & Haulage and RMP Welding, which created the stage and water feature.
