A grand opening celebration for the Quaker Foods City Square in downtown Peterborough, Ont., will feature a number of outdoor activities on Saturday, Dec. 17.
The celebration from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. will feature outdoor skating, music, hot beverages, face painting for children and other fun activities at the public square on Charlotte Street, east of Aylmer Street.
The year-round public space at the former Louis Street Parking lot had a quiet open this week. The site is also known as the Quaker Foods Urban Park.
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The events are hosted by the Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area with entertainment provided by the Government of Canada, through the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario), as part of the Tourism Relief Fund, through the Rural Tourism Organization.
All activities are free, with treats and hot beverages available while supplies last, including:
- Sweet treats
- Hot chocolate
- Face-painting
- Live DJ
- Stilt walkers and performance art
- Skating (weather permitting; participants must bring own skates)
“A ribbon cutting ceremony and brief remarks will be held at noon to officially open the square and recognize the contributions from funding partners and sponsors that supported the construction of the community space,” the City of Peterborough stated.
The park was a $6.4-million project, including $750,000 from the federal government. The city also used $677,909 from the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation from its share of gaming revenues provided as a host community for a casino, and $50,000 from the DBIA to support the project. PepsiCo Foods, through its Quaker brand, is providing approximately $240,000 over 15 years for the naming rights.