Walkerton is celebrating the opening of its downtown Market Garden Park.
It includes a performance stage, gardens, shaded seating areas, interpretive plaques, a water curtain and green space in the heart of the historic downtown.
A grand opening was held this week with 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 in a statement, “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,” adding, “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 included the unveiling of a donor plaque and three separate interpretive plaques outlining the story of the Wong family and their contributions to the community.
A release from Brockton says 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. Their story is captured in a video by Wightman Telecommunications, posted online at Brockton.ca/MarketGarden.
The municipality says the park was designed by pl.ural, a Fergus company specializing in rural planning and landscape architecture, and cost about $450,000 to build. Brockton received $236,000 in funding, through donations from businesses and private individuals, as well as grants from Bruce County, the Canadian Urban Institute, and the Federal Development Agency for Southern Ontario.
The municipality says the park will be used for community events including Music in the Park concerts in July and August, Walkerton’s Summer Streetfest on July 21st and the Walkerton Christmas Market in November.
It will be open daily in all seasons, and includes accessible parking, bike racks and paths.
