Charles Simmonds Park Renewal
PROJECT UPDATE 2024
McKernan's Charles Simmonds Park Renewal is scheduled to begin this summer (2024) with the construction of the pathway, benches, picnic tables, gazebo and the playground! The Park Renewal team has worked diligently on fundraising and has had good support from community members ($8,850 worth) - plus contributions of $7,500 each from McKernan and Belgravia Community Leagues, and a further contribution from a large-scale developer building in the community.
Sponsor a commemorative bench
The City of Edmonton Benchmark Program was established to offer individuals and groups the opportunity to honour loved ones or to celebrate special occasions through the placement of a commemorative plaque on a bench in City parks and open spaces. You can have a commemorative plaque on one of the four new benches in Charles Simmonds Park. Your donation of $2500 includes the cost of the bench, individualized bronze plaque, and related maintenance over a 10-year period.
Contact Gail Fraser-Steffler at gfs@shaw.ca if you are interested in purchasing a bench.
Project overview
Charles Simmonds Park lies at the west edge of McKernan, at 115 St. and 79 Ave. It has not been upgraded in many years and needs attention to make it more usable for residents in both the McKernan and Belgravia communities.
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If you are interested in helping out or contributing, contact the Charles Simmonds Park Renewal Committee at charlessimmondspark@gmail.com
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We are fundraising with TruEarth eco-friendly cleaning products. The park project earns 20% profit on every sale! Use this link to see the cool products available: https://fundraising.tru.earth/mckernancommunity
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Location and vision
Because the park is located in the McKernan Hip (the section adjacent to Belgravia), the project will primarily be under the auspices of the McKernan Community League. However, the Belgravia Community League will also be an important part of the process. A committee with members from both the McKernan and Belgravia communities is looking at what the park would need to make it more welcoming to everyone who uses the park, including families, seniors, students and all other potential park users.
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Process
The park redevelopment is being done under the City's Neighbourhood Park Development Program, which has five phases of work: strategy, concept, design, build and operate. Community groups work with a team of City staff through all phases of the project. NPDP projects are funded through a combination of City NPDP matching grants and community dollars. The committee Neighbourhood Park Development Process is shown below.
NOTE: The NPD program has been ended in Edmonton; although Charles Simmonds Park will be completed, new park redevelopments will be completed under a different system.
Strategy and Concept phases
The Strategy and Concept Phases have been completed. The first significant community consultation was the Needs Assessment Survey that was completed in the 2021/22 fall and winter. The graphic below shows the desirable features that were identified in the survey. The most significant finding was that the community would like to maintain open space in the park. A summary of the results is available here.
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Where we are: Design Plan
The Design Plan is being finalized and construction is scheduled to begin in 2024.
Updated February 2024