Shovel-wielding officials ceremoniously broke ground recently to kick off construction of a new park, playground and community garden at Woodman Park.
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The real digging will soon begin for the projects at 491 Gray St. with a scheduled opening in the fall.
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“Equal Ground Community Gardens is very excited to be breaking ground in partnership with the City of Brantford,” said Andrea Coombs, treasurer and greenhouse and learning center project lead. “This will be our first community garden site. We look forward to the gardens opening to the residents this fall and can hardly wait to offer programming to grow gardening knowledge and food sustainability in our community.”
Community gardens, tended by volunteers, grow fresh vegetables, fruit and herbs for members of the public and to donate to the Brantford Food Bank.
The new Woodman Park will include accessible playground equipment suited to different age groups, including swings on a rubber surface. The park’s design incorporates meeting spaces, games tables, paved pathways, shade structures and new trees. A “We-Go-Swing” can be used at the same time by wheelchair users and those who don’t use wheelchairs.
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The Woodman Community Garden will include accessible and raised garden beds, a variety of fruit trees, pollinator gardens, a shade structure, paved pathways, a greenhouse and a storage shed.
The greenhouse was originally planned for Earl Haig community garden. Several city councilors felt that would be the wrong location given the area could potentially be of interest to developers. Council voted last year to move the greenhouse to Woodman, with the change of plans costing about $400,000 to cover planting beds, pathways, driveway access, a storage shed and drainage work.
A news release from the City of Brantford said the community garden and park have been designed to complement the new $3.8-million Woodman Pool, set to open next month.
City council agreed to replace the 42-year-old pool, which had reached the end of its life. The pool was supposed to open last summer but the project was hampered by construction delays.
A grand opening for the pool is set for Saturday, June 1.
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