North end residents had the opportunity to learn more about the master plan for Fort Needham Memorial Park on Thursday night.
The city hosted an open house designed to give people the chance to ask questions and voice some of their concerns before construction gets underway next year.
“Tonight’s open house is really to give the public a sense of what it is that we’re doing. We’re also explaining some options in regards to tennis courts and explaining what it is we’re doing with some other areas in the park including the off leash areas,” Richard Harvey, manager of policy and planning, Parks and Recreation with the Halifax Regional Municipality, said.
“I think we’re getting quite a lot of positive feedback by the fact that we’re actually doing things within the park.”
A ceremony is expected to be held at the park next year to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Halifax Explosion. According to the city, the “revitalization will enrich the cultural significance of the park and improve the facilities within one of the largest public open spaces in the north end of the Halifax peninsula.”
Improvements are expected to cost $2.7 million and will include landscaping around the Halifax Explosion Memorial Bell Tower with a new plaza for the annual ceremonies, a new staircase commemorating the lost community of Richmond, an enhanced children’s playground, and improvement to the park entrances, main pathways, and lighting.
READ MORE: HRM reveals plans for Fort Needham Park upgrades
However, some residents said they are concerned about the current plan which would see the removal of the current tennis courts.
“Up until recently, my impression was that it was a done deal and Phase 1 called for removing the courts and that was it. Now I’m hearing there’s an option to keep the courts, which is great,” Ian Currie said.
Currie started a petition earlier this year in an effort to save the courts. He said the surface is regularly used by area residents and dismisses the notion that the courts located at Highland Junior High, Merv Sullivan Park and the Halifax Common would be an adequate substitute.
“It’s one thing when you present it on a piece of paper and say it’s ‘x’ number of kilometres away. When you actually have your kids and they have to go walk by themselves to amuse themselves at a park, well, around the corner is a lot different than 10 blocks away,” Currie said.
“For people who live close to the park, that’s what we have, and we’re reluctant to let it go.”
North end resident Vincent Vandenbrink said he lives just around the corner from the park and is interested to see what will happen to it. He said while he is pleased with the design overall, he also had concerns when it comes to the removal of the courts.
“It’s not because I have a love of tennis to any particular degree, it’s because I’ve seen a lot of kids, younger teenagers and young adults using it. And they don’t have a lot of other hard surfaces in the area aside from the school itself.”
Vandenbrink said he thinks there are other ways to tell the story of the Halifax Explosion that would not compromise the lifestyles of people living in the area.
“I think the entire Hyrdrostone itself is a great representative of the history of the explosion. Removing what it is good about a lot of the park, having sensory gardens when there’s a great green space now, removing the tennis courts for a pathway for a lookout, just doesn’t really make a lot of sense to me.”