Rotary 4-Season Park offers year-round recreational activities
The Rotary Club of Perth-Andover’s new community park will be a recreational hub and gathering place for community members and visitors throughout the year.
The Perth-Andover Rotary 4-Season Park, located on East Riverside Drive in Southern Victoria, held its official opening on Sept. 22.
Louiselle St. Amand, president of the Rotary Club of Perth-Andover, said the park is a long-term project to provide a recreational space for everyone to enjoy.
“We wanted to create a welcoming space for everyone,” St. Amand said. “The park is designed to be fully accessible and able to accommodate different activities throughout the year.”
The park includes a four-season paved activity court with basketball nets, a green space for other fair-weather activities, and an outdoor ice surface in the winter.
A new log pavilion constructed nearby is designed to blend into the natural surroundings. The pavilion has lights and electrical outlets for picnics, concerts, family reunions and community events.
“The new park expands existing green space facilities, including the municipal ball field and the refurbished Perth-Andover cenotaph,” said Marsha Lang, past president of the Perth-Andover club. “Rotarians have worked hard over the past five years to create the park, and we hope community members will enjoy the green space and amenities.”
“Atlantic Canada is brimming with new energy and growth,” said the Honourable Gudie Hutchings, Minister of Rural Economic Development and Minister responsible for ACOA.
“Investing in shared public spaces like the Perth-Andover Rotary 4-Season Park helps grow local economies, boost tourism and give residents more opportunities to deepen their connection to the people and places that we call home.”
“Our residents, families and communities flourish when they have community green spaces that provide opportunities for physical activity and social interaction,” said Margaret Johnson, Carleton-Victoria MLA and Minister of Agriculture, Aquaculture and Fisheries. “We are pleased to have been a funding partner in the Rotary Club of Perth-Andover’s 4-Season Park and want to thank and congratulate the Rotarians and everyone involved in the completion of the project.”
The park is constructed on property owned by the Village of Southern Victoria, and the municipality has contributed to the improvements by installing outdoor lighting on the activity court and other improvements.
Mayor Cindy McLaughlin welcomed the upgrades to the community’s recreational space.
“Council is dedicated to making our beautiful village grow and thrive. We need attractive and welcoming green spaces to encourage people to move to Southern Victoria. I want to congratulate the Rotary Club of Perth-Andover for their dedication and commitment to improving our community,” Mayor McLaughlin said.
Phase 1 of the park project cost about $230,000, including financial commitments from the Government of Canada, through the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA), of $110,400 and the Regional Development Corporation (RDC) of $66,240.
An initial contribution from Dr. Oetker fund of $45,000 and a matching $45,000 from the Perth-Andover Rotary Club completed the final stages of Phase 1 and will kick off fundraising for Phase 2.
“The next phase will focus on accessible ‘movable’ washrooms and create walking paths to connect to the nearby Trans-Canada Trail, add additional picnic tables and benches to the park,” St. Amand said.
