The Palmerston Lions Club will have its hands full this summer as members get set for an ambitious plan to bring more life into the Lions Heritage Park in downtown Palmerston.
A handful of Palmerston Lions Club members, including president Joanne Klonikowski, Glen Hall, and Dave Wilson were at Minto council last week to present their plans for the coming season.
Mayor David Anderson, said recent meetings also had representation of the Palmerston CN land rehabilitation committee. He said there have been a number of good meetings and good positive directions.
He noted one thing council did not have is a copy of the initial plan – such as the floral design plan.
Wilson said “the Palmerston Lions Club is incredibly excited about the partnership between the Lions and the town now into its third year. The park is shaping up to be a fantastic centerpiece … We just wanted to express our gratitude in the fantastic partnership that we’ve formed.”
He said in his travels to other Lions clubs in the district, and to Rotary Clubs he has talked about the park plans.
“The response … has been amazing.”
Audiences are surprised at two aspects – the amount of work, since it is a multi-year project and the final cost, yet to be determined.
Obviously with the scope of the land and the work to be done (including the rehabilitation of lands on the former railway yard lands), Wilson believes it could end up being a multi-million dollar project.
People, he said, are amazed at the cohesiveness of the partnerships. Other clubs are envious of the partnership the Palmerston Lions have with their municipality.
Wilson cited the list of projects the group was attempting in the coming year. Some factors will include the volunteer base and the number of work days without rain.
“To a certain extent, this is a very ambitious 2009 plan,” Wilson said.
Other factors include how soon spring arrives and how long winter holds off in the fall
One of the highlights working with the Communities in Bloom committee and other groups putting the plan together is the entire entryway to the park where the two statues of lions are, the two large gardens that highlight and accent the train, as well as the entryway to make it a streetscape type project. The plan is to make the park a centerpiece of the town, even more than it currently is.
“We’re very excited about the opportunity to do that. There’s a lot to happen to it, and there’s a number of elements.”
One of those elements is the decision if the Palmerston cenotaph will remain at its current location next to the Palmerston Library. The Legion branch has yet to decide where that is going to go, Wilson said. It could be a valuable part of the park as well, he suggested.
Work will begin slowly at the start of the year and speed up later on, and some portions may get bumped into 2010 depending on the schedule, he said.
“One of the great highlights that we’re really looking forward to is creation of the Heritage Trail.”
That trail, built with interlocking brick, will start at the park entrance to the splash pad, the bridge, then towards Albert Street. He hopes the trail will be used by the entire community. It will access all the areas of the park, Wilson said.
The estimated cost of the brickwork is roughly $12,000 with an additional $6,000 for the gravel, edging, and sand.
Wilson said there have been talks with the local high school about “developing a bit of a Sports centre.” That would be near the pool but, Wilson stressed, no final decisions have been made yet.
One of the ideas is getting students help the volunteers construct the facility. Proposals being discussed include a basketball court, multi-purpose area on the other half of the pad, ball hockey rink, and boards at an estimated cost $10,500.
“The high school is very big on developing some type of a beach volleyball area because the volleyball program at Norwell is so strong. There are kids who’d love to be able to play volleyball all summer long.”
Lighting is another area the club wants to deal with, Wilson said. The idea is to have lights along the path, to open it up at night, and make it safer for people to access in the evening for the entire community. Lighting to bridge and along paths would vary depending on the type of lighting chosen. Fifteen light would cost $30,000.
Gardens at the front of the park area are estimated at $10,000
He said one item close to the hearts of the club, is to create the beginning of a memorial forest pathway. In the past year a few members have passed away, so it would become a special part of the park for a lot of people.
On top of that, Wilson said one of the biggest requests, especially for parents with small children is shade. He said the pergola is really appreciated. Every night at the park, he said someone is using it.
The group is working with Works Superintendent Norm Fisk and with a company that can move trees from throughout Minto and nearby farms to provide some “instant shade”.
Wilson hopes that work can be lined up for early spring.
The next move, he said, is to increase signage “to make it more of a destination zone.”
He added the Lions executive met the night before the council meeting and wants to note one of the highlights last year was the splash pad party, which was free and helped the community celebrate at the time of the grand opening.
The idea now is to make it an annual event, Wilson said. It could be a day to celebrate what’s happening in downtown Palmerston. The idea would be to keep it the second Saturday in July.
Anderson liked the idea of the annual event for the splash pad day and said ti would generate interest. He noted the other great event at the time last year was the involvement of the Minto Fire Department. Adults and children were getting involved.
“It’s a great outline [of what’s being proposed] and it looks like another really busy summer,” he said.
Klonikowski added that councillors are more than welcome to take part in the work parties on site. She joked that she is certain something could be put into the budget for knee pads.
Traditionally those work details have been on Saturdays, and Wilson said they would be easy to find.
“There’s a lot of brick to lay.”
The resolution by council was to approve the plan as proposed.
