Two St Catharines youths help get big changes coming to Bogart Street Park
Published August 9, 2021 at 8:49 pm
“And a child shall lead them…” Actually, in the case of St Catharines, make that two children.
Mayor Walter Sendzik showed up at Bogart Street Park this morning (August 9), he wasn’t alone.Two the city’s younger citizens, Mattea Gandola and Callum McDonald, were with him to promote big changes coming to the city’s most popular park.
After last week’s big announcement that the federal and provincial governments (as reported here) were combining to send $4.4 million to four different parks in the Niagara Region – one being Bogart Street Park – the details were broken down this morning.
And why were the two young men on hand? Well, it turns out that they were originally the ones who wrote to the city, saying the park was in need of some serious upgrades.
When the two higher levels of government chipped in a combined $437,000 for Bogart Street Park improvements, the city ponied up an additional $116,548 to hit the total needed for the upgrades.
The park’s old playground is being gutted and relocated with a new accessible play structure installed closer to the park’s splash pad and the accessible washrooms at the Port Weller Community Centre.
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At the same time, Sendzik said, “The outdoor courts at the community centre and park will get some TLC, being upgraded to a multi-sport court for tennis, pickleball, ball hockey, basketball and handball.”
Construction is targeted to kick off in spring 2022, Sendzik added, “expanding recreational opportunities and ensuring we remain a city where everyone can play.”
(Photo of Mattea Gandola, Walter Sendzik and Callum McDonald, as well Bogart Park Splash Pad courtesy of St Catharines)
