by Deb Lee (Heritage) and Allan McIntyre (Beautification Committee)
We’ve shared news in the past about our ambitious, long-term Parks Project. Phase One culminated in 2023 with City Council’s approval of names for eight of our local small parks and green spaces. To communicate their approved names, we placed painted rocks in the parks that summer. Two parks have been deferred for Indigenous naming at a later time.
Phase Two of our project is about putting informative plaques in the parks. The plaques will tell a story about each park and provide wayfinding in our community. Thanks to private funding, we were able to design and install our first plaque in Normie Kwong Park. The plaque describes Normie’s growing up years in Riverside and his subsequent accomplishments in football, real estate, philanthropy, and as Alberta’s 16th Lieutenant-Governor. It’s quite the story! Family, friends, and neighbourhood people celebrated the dedication of the approved name for the park and the plaque on a beautiful fall day last October. The most important result is that the story is there for all to see in all seasons, and there’s no admission fee. Plan to stop by Normie Kwong Park at the corner of 9A Street and 4 Avenue NE, where you’ll find some nice benches, picnic tables, a Little Free Library, a great playground, and a wonderful shade canopy of mature trees.
Phase 2 of the Park Project continues. It involves the purchase and installation of plaques for seven parks. We are applying for grant funding and starting work on the design of the plaques. These plaques will tell the story of Bridgeland-Riverside, its landscape, history, and past and current residents who made a difference in our community and city. The presence of the names and stories in our parks is integral to our community’s identity and will encourage more park visits not only to enjoy nature, but also to deepen our “Bridgeland roots”. Being optimists, the BRCA Beautification Committee volunteers are working hard to get Phase 2 completed in 2025. Watch for more details about our progress and plans for a celebration before year-end.
If you’d like more information about the Park Project, contact us at [email protected].
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