Heron Park raising funds for play equipment
Posted Nov 20, 2009 By Sheena Bolton
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EMC News For the last year, the Heron Park Community Association has been hosting bazaars, raffles and other events to raise funds for new play equipment for Heron Park.
Sheena Bolton, Ottawa South EMC
Orlando smiles as he plays with two friends on a 27-year-old play structure in Heron Park. The community is trying to raise funds for a new structure.
The park, located along Heron Dr. just past the Airport Parkway underpass, currently has an old basketball court, outdoor pool, small field house and two play structures, the majority of which is more than 20 years old.
A rink occupies space in the park during the winter months.
"When I moved to the area in 1956 this park was just rocks," said local resident Peter Fourney. "The city used to use this as a dumping area for all the rocks they moved from Parliament Hill while building downtown. So when we played here we played amongst the rocks and slowly they have covered it all in."
The hockey rink was the first element to the park, along with a two-door shack with a wood stove.
"Then we finally got a field house and then the pool," Mr. Fourney explained. "The main (play) structure is old, it's falling apart and it has a lot of products on it that aren't even suppose to be used anymore."
The community association initially decided to begin raising funds after being told the city planned to replace their old play structure as part of the life cycle renewal initiative. Hopes of city support have been since been dashed, however, and the association has opted to continue fundraising with the aim of replacing everything.
"Realistically we thought we would replace one structure because the city was replacing the other and now we found out the next one is not being done," said Heron Park Community Association member Leo Derome.
"The city said if we raised $25,000 to $30,000, they would raise money for the other (play structure) and replace both at the same time, which would cost $80,000."
Instead, the city has given the community a smaller grant to make park improvements.
Over the past year, the association has raised $6,600 on their own.
At this point the association has decided to add some play equipment in the park, instead of replacing the larger pieces. The association will put two or three new spring toys for pre-schoolers around the small play house.
"We are putting stuff in now because we haven't raised enough and we want to show something concrete," explained Maritala Robinson, a director with the community association. "Originally we wanted to have a play structure but we can't have something for the little kids when the older kids helped to fundraise, so we are putting in a climbing wall for them."
In the future, the association hopes to replace both play structures, the field house and install some exercise equipment, such as bars, for older children. Currently their wish list of improvements would cost approximately $100,000.
"It's frustrating because we thought the main core would be fixed and it's not, so we are almost back to square one even with all the work we've done," explained Mr. Fourney.
Despite strong efforts from community members, a problem the association has encountered throughout its fundraising venture is that many other community groups are also trying to raise funds for similar projects.
"It's almost like we are competing, everybody has a great cause and something they really need to get done," Mr. Derome said.
To donate to the Heron Park Community Association fundraising efforts, please contact Ms. Robinson at maritala@sympatico.ca or 613-316-3979.
For more information visit www.heronpark.ca.
