People’s park gaining momentum in Port Williams

BY KIRK STARRATT

Kings County Advertiser

It started with a mention at an annual meeting of the village commission. It will soon become reality.

Members of the Port Williams Community Park planning committee say their project has gained a lot of momentum, but support is still needed.

Lia Glover Hennigar, chairwoman of the planning committee, says the village owns the site, located off Highway 358 (Main Street), just north of the fire hall, library and civic building and opposite Centennial Drive. The site runs west to east and adjoins the Benedict Soccer Field to the east, accessed from Collins Road, and is located in the village’s well field zone. The village commission felt a park was the best use for the land.

She says the hard work of the volunteer committee is truly admirable, and she has to give special mention to fundraising chairwoman Laura Churchill Duke and village commission chairman Lewis Benedict for their ability to dig in their heels and get things done.

Glover Hennigar got the idea for the project when she and her family moved to Port Williams from Ontario about four years ago. She and some other moms on her street thought it would be great to have a park within walking distance. After packing the kids in the van to go somewhere to play for the third time, she decided to mention the idea to recreation committee chairman Wayne Blenkhorn at the village’s annual general meeting. She then joined the recreation committee herself.

She also contacted Churchill Duke, who had great ideas, and asked her to join the park committee. At an open house last November, visitors filled out a survey, the committee reviewed the information and identified a “wish list.” Then, it hired a landscape architect to develop a plan.

The park’s first phase involves the existing hard surface court and basketball nets, playground equipment, an accessible driveway and parking area. The playground equipment should be in before Christmas; basketball nets will go up in the spring.

The second phase includes a walking trail around the park, a sun shelter for picnic tables, benches and an Asian-inspired reflexology garden - the only one of its kind in the area. Stones of different sizes will be embedded in a slab of concrete, and people walk barefoot along a path, triggering reflexology points.

Glover Hennigar says they plan to complete the project in three phases over three years. Their fundraising goal for the first phase was $80,000, which they were able to raise in less than a year. The overall cost of the park project could be $180,000.

“The majority of the park will be done next year at this time,” she says. “We could always make additions in the future.”

Churchill Duke has uncovered lots of grant support for the project. The County of Kings made a $25,000 contribution, and a single fundraising event at the Port Pub raised $20,000.

“I can’t say enough about how strong that village is,” she says. “Everyone showed up for us that night.”

“We’re off with flying colours, but we want to keep the momentum going,” Glover Hennigar says. “We still have more work to do, and we’re going to get it done.”

She says the park and playground would make the community stronger: Port Williams is already a great community to raise a family in.

“We lucked out when we bought a home in Port Williams,” she says. “We didn’t know how great it was.”

Churchill Duke says there would be an opportunity for people to donate memorials such as benches, trees or picnic tables; and a dedication is planned for the spring. A playground build day is planned for sometime this month, and there will be a fundraising baking auction at the village’s Christmas tree lighting at 6 p.m. Nov. 29 at the community centre. A fundraising concert is planned for Feb. 21 at Acadia’s Denton Hall.

“I grew up in Port Williams. It was the age when all the kids gathered outside to play,” she says, pointing out it isn’t as easy to do that anymore - and there isn’t the space. She says everyone from children to seniors is looking forward to having an outside gathering place for all.

WEBLINKS

www.pwpark.ca