Beaconsfield wants citizens to help decide future of Centennial Park

Beaconsfield’s Centennial Park will soon be undergoing a big upgrade, and mayor Georges Bourelle wants citizens to help plan it out.

“The intent is to revitalize the park, the cultural centre and also the adjacent property, which is the Lord Reading Yacht Club at the present time,” Bourelle told Global News.

He has three main priorities as the planning stages begin.

“We want to maintain the beauty of the site, enhance access to the waterfront, and come up with a multi-purpose cultural centre,” he said.

To bring a new park to fruition, Beaconsfield will rely on citizen input.

“We want residents to come in and give us their re-imagination of the property,” said Bourelle.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "We want residents to come in and give us their re-imagination of the property," said Bourelle.

“What would you like to see?”

At an art class in Centennial Hall on Thursday, the idea of sprucing up the waterfront was popular.

“We could have boat rentals like we did in the summer, they were pretty important to people,” said art teacher Bev White, who’s lived in Beaconsfield for 20 years.

For others, access to the water is important.

“I like to canoe, so it would be nice if we can bring our canoe to have access easily,” said resident Francine Raiche.

READ MORE: Beaconsfield teen’s drowning death being investigated by Coroner’s Office

Centennial Hall, the building in the middle of the park, is showing its age and it will also be a major part of any plan.

“We have elderly people and they cannot go up and down those stairs,” said Beaconsfield resident Huguette Gabrial.

“We can change the way the building is set, or get a whole new building perhaps,” said White.

The mayor wants to put together a dream team of locals to help design the new park.

“It will be a committee that will include seven of our residents that we will be picking through people who have applied to be on the committee,” Bourelle explained.

READ MORE: Beaconsfield adopts contentious leaf-blower ban amid criticism from residents

The committee will meet between February and June 2019, but residents who spoke to Global News have plenty of creative ideas already.

“A running or walking track all the way around the perimeter of the park would be awesome,” suggested White.

Other ideas included an upgraded performance space, and better signage to promote the park.

If you would like to join the committee that will decide the future of Centennial Park, you can send an email to imagine@beaconsfield.ca with a résumé and cover letter.