Work continuing on Centreville park complex
BMX bike track soon to be added as development continues
It’s known as a good place to live and grow and it keeps getting better for young families as the development of the Centreville Community and District Park continues.
Centreville Park and Recreation Association president George Graves said that community volunteers have done a lot of work to improve the park in recent years. This has been accomplished with the support of grants from the provincial and federal governments and the Municipality of the County of Kings.
Projects have included the installation of new playground equipment, upgrading trails to make them accessible and the addition of an accessible gazebo with picnic tables and benches.
There have also been significant renovations to the building, including the addition of accessible washrooms. The group is currently expanding the parking area and the next project is to build a new BMX bike track.
Not intended for motorized use, the track will be shaped like a horseshoe, about 25 feet wide and 95 feet long. It will include step jumps and rollers. Graves said Hugh Witty of Centreville would be doing a lot of the work and construction will soon begin.
Graves said the catalyst for the project was the level of interest expressed by children in the community. There are a lot of kids who currently use the park for biking and several have asked about getting a track.
“We want it done for them when they get out of school,” Graves said.
He said the group isn’t certain yet exactly what it will cost but it’s hoped municipal grant money will be available to cover part of the expense. A fundraiser will be held for the remainder.
Other work soon to take place includes the upgrading a trail connecting to Saxon Street with crusher dust and the installation of six heavy duty benches in the area. Graves said the group also plans to cut back some of the trees to widen the trail. He also hopes to get some fencing put in between the new parking area and Sherman Belcher Road and bring in more wood chips to put around the playground equipment.
The playground was officially opened as part of Centreville Days in 2015. This was the culmination of more than two years of effort on the part of community volunteers. It cost approximately $54,000 to build, but the price would have been closer to $115,000 without in-kind support and donations.
The community park complex, also known as the Percy A. Lydiard Park, is approximately 40 acres in size. It includes base- ball and soccer fields and a large wooded area with a network of trails. Graves said there is ample space for more additions in the future.