The fences surrounding the Rotary Club of Barrie’s COVID Heroes and Memorial Garden have finally been removed, offering a chance to mark its official opening to the public.
That milestone was observed Wednesday morning with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the newly completed outdoor space, located on the east side of Sunnidale Park.
“This is incredible. It’s so heartwarming. Through the whole time of building this out and the challenges, the ups and downs and trying to get a good deal, because it’s all done with volunteer money, the community has been so supportive,” Rotary Club volunteer Debbie Decaire said.
“We have had people come walking and have their gardening gloves, and help weed, mow the lawn … just to help get things going. To have this done now is spectacular," she added.
The garden, which was conceived and initiated by the Rotary Club of Barrie in co-operation with city staff and members of council, has seven planting areas and an open plaza in its design.
In addition to planting areas, all of which contain some “mild symbolism,” the park includes several benches as well as a 47,000-pound boulder, which, according to the club's website, is meant to serve as a lasting tribute to the challenges the community overcame together.
Although the park is named the COVID Heroes and Memorial Garden, Decaire says the goal is not to focus just on the sorrow that accompanied the massive loss felt by the community as a result of the global pandemic.
“The community was resilient. They supported each other and there were a lot of strengths that came through,” she said. “We also want to recognize the hardships, so we have the wave garden, which signifies that challenges go up and down. The hardwood trees (are) a bit of light symbolism as to how hard it was during those times.”
Decaire is hopeful the park can also serve as a spot for celebration in the future, as well as for the community to come, remember and have a nice quiet place to contemplate while knowing they are honouring all those who have been challenged and who suffered.
Sarah Ingram, the executive director of Barrie Community Foundation, which helped the local Rotary club obtain a federal grant toward the cost of the park, was also on hand for the ribbon cutting.
“(The club has) created in this passive park a space where people can enjoy, breathe and to be. I drive past here every day. It’s on our way to carpool with another child for school, so we watched the Rotary tulips in the spring," she said. "We’ve watched the fences be up, and up, and up … and last week when the fences came down as soon as we made the turn both kids (cheered) that the fences were down.
“We are so delighted to support this and so excited that it’s open," Ingram added.
Looking back to the ground-breaking last fall, Barrie Mayor Alex Nuttall said he was impressed to see how it all came together.
“What a beautiful space this is for families and people to take a moment to reflect. COVID was a very difficult time for everybody, no matter who you were in society, but coming out of it and remembering those who literally put their lives on the line, specifically right at the beginning, and honouring that is a beautiful thing,” he said prior to cutting the large red ribbon with oversized scissors.
“I used to run through here with my kids when they were infants, and I’d run past this (spot) and it was kind of lost," the mayor added. "Now it’s programmed and it’s a beautiful symbol.”
The cost of constructing the park would have been around $350,000, Decarire said, but between the grant, money raised through community donations, as well as the generous contributions of local businesses for supplies and community members of their time, the final price tag was more than cut in half.
“When I tallied it up, we were essentially paying about $126,000 for this garden," she added. "If it had been full price for everything, it would have been approximately $350,000. It really makes an impact with what the city and the community can do.”
With the leaves soon to be gone from the trees and snow expected to cover the park in the not so distant future, Decaire said the club intends to host “a big unveiling” of the park in the spring.
