Coming June 1, Lakewood of Strathmore is hosting an open house and ground breaking for public attendance, announcing Lakewood’s newest park.
The idea to develop the space, being dubbed Brave Park, was initially brought before Strathmore Town Council roughly a year and a half ago.
Since then, the design of the park has seen several alterations and iterations before being finalized into the three-acre plot it will occupy upon completion.
“We are also going to be showcasing some of the new Lakewood, as we are calling it, so we have some of our new architectural controls that really helps to define the rest of Lakewood and what is to come in the future,” said Scott Silva, who spoke on behalf of Lakewood of Strathmore.
“We go into detail about our upcoming landscaping plan, which includes all of our new trees and landscaping pathways also tied to Brave Park.”
Local dignitaries, community members and potential property buyers have been invited to participate in the groundbreaking and open house to learn more about what the park will look like.
The event will be accompanied by food, refreshments and activities for everyone who decides to come out to be able to enjoy.
Once completed, the park will feature a playground, pickleball court and outdoor ice rink, as well as a large open space for future programming, as well as for local sports and recreation. Though entirely funded privately, Brave Park will be available for public use and enjoyment upon its completion.
“During COVID-19, there was a lot of supply chain issues and then cost overruns and rebudgeting; not to mention, just getting all of our ducks in a row to get the initiative going,” said Silva.
“One thing we would love to point out, is that this is a fully funded private development. We have no federal, provincial or municipal money in this program or in this park development. It is all done privately through the development group.”
The playground area will occupy roughly 4,000 square feet, and the pickleball court will be a double court, aiming to accommodate additional use for all ages.
“It has got three or four different types of playground setups within it, and then the last part of the park is a monument being designed here in town… to honour our first responders, veterans and active duty service members,” said Silva.
Construction is expected to be completed by the end of this year’s construction season, ideally before the autumn snow begins to set in, weather dependent.
If the park does not see completion before the end of this year, Silva said final landscaping will be done in early 2024, should that be required.
