Family, Friends, council members, city employees past and present and many others gathered in Kingston’s midtown area Saturday morning for a very special occasion.
Three years after he passed away, the city dedicated a newly built public park to the late Gerard Hunt, a longtime former Chief Administrative Officer in the City of Kingston.
Hunt worked for the city for over two decades — more than 10 of those years as the CAO.
The role is important in guiding many of the decisions made by council, a role that former colleagues say Hunt executed with passion and grace.
“Whether it was attracting new businesses into the city, other important projects like the airport, he was intimately involved in many really important projects for the city,” said Kingston Mayor Bryan Paterson, who served with Hunt as both a councillor and mayor.
“He loved his job and he always wanted to make sure that things were handled and managed,” said Hunt’s wife, Kim Brown.
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However, that was only part of the man who was behind the scenes on so many important projects and initiatives for the city during his tenure.
An avid outdoorsman, Hunt could often be found out snowmobiling or hunting with his two sons and daughter, or at home with family enjoying some quality time.
“He enjoyed being outdoors because it was a good release from the stresses of being at work. It was an opportunity for him to just kind of let things go for a little while,” said Brown of her husband.
Hunt passed away in 2020 after a battle with cancer. It became clear to his former colleagues and family that they needed to honour his legacy, and for a man who cared so much about people, a park for all to enjoy seemed right.
“Just being able to have a space like this, I think, is such a great legacy because it’s a park space where families and friends will come together to spend time together, and I know that that’s what would’ve been most important to Gerard,” added Paterson.
The park was built in collaboration with both of Kingston’s french language school boards, as the park on Wheathill Street backs directly on to the new French double-school that includes École Secondaire Catholique Sainte-Marie-Rivier and École secondaire publique Mille-Îles.
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