A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held at Alexandra Neighbourhood Park on Odlin Road on June 8.
Local politicians and nearby residents and students from Tomsett Elementary came together on Wednesday afternoon to celebrate the official opening of the new park.
The park was designed with an ecological focus, and features a playground for everyone, a basketball court, table tennis, an off-leash dog park, 80 trees and over 2,300 new shrubs and perennials.
And it almost took five years for the park to be completed, according to mayor Malcolm Brodie.
He explained that in 2017, the city first encouraged residents to provide feedback on the park’s design. In 2018, the city staff drew up a master plan that then got approved.
The crews had completed the site preparation work in 2019, but it wasn’t until last summer that they were able to break ground and finally begin construction.
“The main objectives of the Alexandra Neighbourhood Park design were to preserve the natural character of the existing site, meeting community needs for active recreational opportunities and addressing sustainability and environmental features,” said Brodie.
A green neighbour shares the location with the environmentally-conscious park -- the city’s geothermal Alexandra District Energy Utility (ADEU). The ADEU is a low carbon plant and underground renewable energy source.
In addition, the park is also home to a public artwork, Pergola Garden, which will serve as a place for people to relax under a canopy of climbing plants.
Artist Nick Croft, who spent four years designing Pergola Garden, told the Richmond News that the artwork intends to raise awareness of the significance of Richmond’s bog ecosystem and its biodiversity. The artwork will be covered by green plants in years to come.
The city also acknowledged the province for its $1 million grant funding support for the construction of this park.
