Fredericton looking for input into future of 2 city parks

The City of Fredericton is hosting two workshops this week to help develop a plan for two of the city's most popular parks.

On Monday evening, members of the public gathered to brainstorm ideas on how to develop or preserve Wilmot Park.

A similar event will take place for Carleton Park on Thursday evening.

Jim Scott is a landscape architect with Trace Planning & Design, the firm contracted to plan for the parks' futures.

"I think the heritage of [Wilmot] Park's important. That's probably the biggest thing," said Scott.

"Probably the biggest thing that is talked about is the idea of parking. We have this beautiful parkand is parking the right thing that we should expand in the park or can we look at other sites closeby?"

Wilmot Park's splash pad is currently being rebuilt in time for next summer.

Scott said that upgrade will attract more people and require more parking too.

Pickleball

Nancy Roach, who lives opposite the park, said sheagrees that parking is an issue that needs to be tackled.

Roach also said shebelieves the city should explore the idea of more activity options for older residents, such aspickleball courts.

Pickleball is a hybrid racquet sport, played on courts smaller than tennis courts.

"People of my age can continue to be engaged in a racquet sport that's probably less hard on the joints than tennis might be," said Roach.

"But again one has to consider that really carefully in terms of using up green space."

TheStepping Stone Senior Centre and theFredericton Lawn Bowling Club are currently side-by-side at the south end of the park.

Community garden

Some of those who took part in the workshop think part of the park could be set aside for a community garden.

MadeleineBerrevoet, aco-chair of New Brunswick Community Harvest Gardens, said there is a huge demand for a community garden in the area.

"We have our members bombarding us all the time with calls andemailsasking for a garden on the south side," saidBerrevoets.

"We've been trying to work with the city for six years now to get a garden on the south sideand with these park improvement plans, this is what we've been told to show up to."

Berrevoetssaid shebelieves skeptics are won over whenever a community garden is set up.

"People are just a little butcringyabout change, and then when it happens, they're just so happy that it's there, and it really grows on them, and it becomes part of their city," saidBerrevoets.

Carleton Park

A similar public workshop on the future of Carleton Park will be held at Picaroon's Brewery on Union Streeton June 16at 6:00p.m.

After that,Scott said the information will be used to develop a plan that will again be presented to the public and city council.

Scott said that will likely happen sometime in September.

Once approved, the plans will be implemented in stages over the next 25 years.