Sydney tar ponds park to be named Open Hearth Park

SYDNEY, N.S. – A park on one of Canada’s most infamous steel-making sites has just gotten a new name.

Students in an elementary class in Dominion, N.S., chose Open Hearth Park as the name for the former tar ponds in Sydney.

The name, which was announced today, was selected through a national online vote after being submitted by a Grade 6 class at MacDonald Elementary School.

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The campaign was launched in March and invited Cape Breton students to come up with a name and explain why they chose it through an essay, song, photo, video or work of art.

There were more than 200 names and submissions and more than 8,000 votes cast online.

The site contains industrial toxins from decades of contaminants spewed from the former Sydney Steel Corp. plant, but was remediated and now has an outdoor stage, a playground area and trails.