The Parks and Recreation Department in collaboration with Communities in Bloom have made significant improvements to Veteran’s Park, including a new park sign.
A new Veteran’s Park sign and WWII memorial project have been added this year to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Remembrance Day.
Local sign artist, Dave Beatty, constructed a new wooden sign featuring hand-painted poppies and hand-carved maple leaves.
A World War II memorial in Veteran’s Park includes a commemorative bench and tree, and a self-watering planter. Two story boards are scheduled to be in place by Remembrance Day 2018.
In 2017, for the 100th anniversary of the WWI Vimy Ridge battle, a memorial was added. The memorial consists of four English Oak trees, a commemorative bench, storyboard, and a self-watering planter.
The revitalization of Veteran’s Park began approximately four years ago with the addition of poppies near the cenotaph for the anniversary of the war of 1812. Since then, the “Big Tom” cannon has been relocated from Canatara Park to be integrated within Veteran’s Park. The LAVIII has also been integrated into Veteran’s Park and landscaped.
“We are grateful to the Communities in Bloom committee for their generous donation towards this park, and their collaboration with our staff to make the beautiful vision of this park come to fruition. Veteran’s Park is an important community asset that shows our respect and appreciation for all veterans,” explains Rob Harwood, Director of Parks and Recreation.