A new park spanning the Maitland River in Harriston was officially opened at a celebration on July 21.
The park consists of a deck covered with benches and flower boxes and surrounded by some newly-landscaped green space. Large murals depicting historic views of downtown Harriston overlook the park.
The new park covers a set of empty beams that has been a gaping hole in Harriston’s downtown since a television and video store, one of several downtown buildings built over the river, burned down in November, 1994.
Dennis Newman, who owned the business, attended the official opening of what is now known as “Tannery Park,” on Saturday. Newman said he got into other ventures and didn’t have “the time or the energy to put into developing the property” immediately after the fire.
Maitland Valley Conservation Authority regulations give owners one year to rebuild after a building is lost. When that didn’t’ happen, the right to put up a new building was lost.
“But we could build a deck like this,” explained Minto business and economic manager Belinda Wick-Graham. She said the project wouldn’t have been possible without the cooperation of Newman, who agreed to sell the lot to the Town of Minto and donate most of the proceeds of the sale back to the community.
“He basically gave it to us,” said Wick-Graham.
Tannery Park began moved towards reality in March, 2009, when the Harriston Downtown Revitalization Committee approved an action plan for revitalizing the downtown. Establishing a patio over the vacant Maitland River lot was among the ideas put forward. The Town of Minto also faced an estimated $50,000 worth of work to restore an existing pedestrian bridge about half a block north of the Tannery Park location, and decided the money would be better spent on the new project that would provide enhanced access to the downtown.
The site of the new park may have originally been part of a tannery once located on the spot; hence the name, Tannery Park.
Minto Mayor George Bridge said the development of the park has been a true community effort, with many groups and businesses involved. The park design was funded through the federal Rural Economic Development program and the main park sponsors include the Town of Minto, the Harriston Kinsmen Club and the Harriston and District Horticultural Society.
“Projects like this don’t just happen. It takes a dedicated group of community-minded volunteers to see these projects to fruition,” Bridge said.
Mike Lawless, president of the Harriston Kinsmen, which donated $25,000 to the project, acknowledged town officials for their “vision” in seeing the park effort through and also commended the many other contributors.
“This park was built for the community of Minto, by the community,” said Lawless.
Dorelene Anderson of the Harriston and District Horticultural Society said she is proud of the committee of society volunteers “who planted all of the beautiful plants here,” and will be continuing to maintain them in the future.
