Elizabeth Mason, FEO, May 23, 2024, VOL. 5 ISSUE 19 

On May 14, Mayor Redekop presided over the ribbon cutting ceremony celebrating the long-anticipated remodeling of the park at 155 Aberdeen St; Douglas Park. The park, which is diagonally across from Douglas Memorial Hospital, features brand new equipment for children to delight in, including a saucer swing set, a basketball and pickleball court, playground climbers and a splash pad, keeping its original soccer field location on the south end of the park, surrounded by a pathway for bikers and walkers to enjoy.

The park, one of 33 in Fort Erie, isn’t just for children. Douglas also features a shaded pavilion with picnic tables where anyone can relax while keeping an eye on the playground. This thoughtful addition allows parents and guardians to enjoy a comfortable environment, protected from the sun. Surrounding the splash pad, more seating ensures that everyone can find a spot to rest and leave their belongings. Public restrooms are available for use when the park is open each day.

Mayor Wayne Redekop opened the ceremony with words of excitement and appreciation for the new park and all the hard work that went behind it, giving thanks to everyone involved in the construction, planning, and maintenance of the park.

“We built this specifically for the purpose of making sure that this is a place that the community can enjoy. The children, the seniors, everybody in between can actually enjoy it,” he said.

The park masterplan was approved by Council on October 15, 2019 and has been in progress ever since, with resident input on design and facilities. Before the reconstruction, the park contained an informal baseball diamond, a soccer field and a swing set; the park was in much need of community consultation. An open house held for the public in the summer of 2019 provided an opportunity for the locals and interested organizations to give feedback regarding the elements they wanted to see in their neighbourhood park.

The main concept behind the park was to serve the needs of the surrounding neighborhood as well as Peace Bridge Elementary School, as the park borders the school’s property.

The park is now fully constructed and already in use by the families in the area, and many were on hand to witness the grand opening. The base of the playground is made with a colourful rubberized surface for maximum safety and fun playtime.  As of publication, the splash pad water is not on, and the hours have yet to be posted.

“Now that this park is open, there is activity all the time,” said Mayor Redekop, “This is what feeds, in my view, people’s spirits.”

“It’s been a long time coming and we’re really excited to see this day finally come here. We have a couple more parks that are coming this summer as well too, so we’re really excited about that,” said Edward Terry, Manager of Policy and Community Planning for the Town of Fort Erie.

Mayor Redekop expressed the importance of parks that are engaging for people of all ages.

“We are building some parks that have specific equipment for adults to do some exercise, because people want to remain active, and these parks encourage that,” he added.

An example of a park which is essentially a larger scale version of Douglas Park is Crystal Ridge Park in Ridgeway, which had its grand opening on April 30, 2024. That park also contains tennis courts and soccer fields for adults looking to be active within the community.

Crystal Ridge has become a staple park for the community in Ridgeway and Mayor Redekop summed up his expectations for Douglas Park and future recreational parks alike perfectly. “The benefit and the joy that people will get from parks of this nature is immeasurable.”