A Major Park Will Officially Open in Mississauga Soon
Published June 4, 2018 at 7:54 pm
There’s no such thing as too many epic outdoor spaces in Mississauga, especially while we can enjoy them all summer. Now, a major park is about to officially open in our city.
And it’s happening this weekend.
The Hancock Woodlands will be open as of Sunday June 10 at 11 a.m.
The Cooksville area park, located off of Camilla Road near The Queensway at 2151 Camilla Road, is actually a historic property and former commercial nursery that was originally owned by Leslie and Dorothy Hancock.
From 11 a.m.-1 p.m., you can expect information booths and family-friendly activities at the park. And 11:30 a.m. kicks off the official ceremony, and a community barbecue.
According to the city, the property was owned and operated as a commercial nursery by the Hancock family from 1930 until 2010, at which time the city acquired the land for the park.
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The park’s construction is finally complete, and a host of new amenities will be available there, including a natural playground, a unique tree garden, an urban orchard, rain gardens, walking pathway loops, shade shelter and perennial and ornamental grass displays.
It’s also home to the Ecosource Hancock Community Garden, where residents can grow their own food.
The entire property spans 2.727 hectares (6.738 acres) and boasts 1.309 hectares (3.235 acres) of wooded space full of naturalized plants and trees.
According to the City of Mississauga, the park was rejuvenated in partnership with The Riverwood Conservancy and Ecosource Canada.
You might be wondering – who is the Hancock family?
The Hancock family is actually fairly iconic, boasting enormous influence on Canada’s horticultural industry by pioneering the Rhododendron project in the country. They have also received international acclaim for their contributions to landscape architecture and urban planning.
According to the city, this property has been continuously occupied by members of the Hancock family since Leslie and Dorothy Hancock—who met in Nanking, China in 1923—first took it on in the first part of the 20th century. The property was home to the couple and their three children, Macklin, Don and Marjorie. Even now, family members continue to occupy three residences adjacent to the nursery property.
Throughout the 1930s and 40s, the nursery slowly expanded with the additions of the outbuildings, including the shed, the header house (1936), and three glass roofed greenhouses (1937). According to the city, the shed and greenhouses were bermed into the sandy ridge, providing natural cooling and installation throughout the year.
As for the park opening this coming Sunday, Mayor Bonnie Crombie and members of Council will be there, as well as members of the Hancock family, Friends of Hancock Woodlands, and some other special guests.
According to the city, extended event parking will be permitted on June 10 on the streets bordering the park including Camilla Road, Pathfinder Drive, Corsair Road and Cherry Post Drive. There will be no three-hour parking limitation for this event from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Photos and information courtesy of City of Mississauga
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