The Aberdeen Street Community Park is in the running for an online contest that could see a share of a $1 million prize come its way.
“We can tap into our parents of the school easily, but now we’re trying to reach out to the people in the community around the school that may use the park,” said Robert Carreau, vice principal at École acadienne de Truro about the project being in the second round of the contest. “They still may not realize we’re working on the park.”
DeAnne Pelchat, the school and development agent with the school where the park will be located, had been searching for possible funding for the second phase of the project, and knew the Cougar Dome has had some success with the contest.
“We’ve gotten lots of support so far,” she said. “It’s fantastic. We were around 97th place (just after 1:15 p.m. Thursday), but we need to be in the top 40 to continue on.”
Phase one will hopefully begin next week, with Turf Masters winning the tender for the construction, which will include earthwork, the installation of secondary outdoor classrooms – an amphitheatre and an aboiteau, as well as berms and large trees.
“Along with those installations, they’ll be installing a trail system within the park and prepping areas for other play structures,” said Pelchat, adding phase one will also include the removal of the current swing set and backstop.
It will take about a month for the completion of phase one, and, if successful, the Aviva Community Fund would help with the next phase.
“Phase two would consist of installing our wigwam and traditional Mi’kmaw medicine garden, as well as fencing, signage, hill slides, a play ship, storage shed and waste receptacles,” she said.
Depending on funding for phase two, it could also include the installation of a community garden.
Round two of the contest runs until Nov. 3, and voting can be done once a day online at https://www.avivacommunityfund.org/ideas/acf21207.
Following phase two, programming will be initiated at the park, which could see students at the school including a butterfly garden and farms.
“There will be lots of fun things to do,” said Pelchat. “Hopefully by the fall of next year, everything will be in place.”
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