*This post is sponsored by TD and the TD Common Ground Project. All opinions are my own, or that of my family.*
TD has been generously celebrating Canada’s 150th birthday – or Sesquicentennial, which is a word I now love! The TD Common Ground Project is revitalizing urban green spaces in many communities across Canada.
Here in Kingston, one of the oldest community parks, Victoria Park, got a beautiful upgrade thanks to the donation from TD . I was amazed to learn that Victoria Park turned 125 years old this July. You can read a little history on the park in this article from The Kingston Whig Standard.
My girls and I were able to take in the grand reopening ceremonies, which were held on July 30th.
Some city officials were there to celebrate. The town crier cried out for the community to gather at 11am and we heard short speeches from the mayor, Bryan Patterson, and Mark Gerretsen our MP. There was a ribbon cutting, and then the splash pad was turned on. (I think that was the highlight for my girls!)
There were a ton of things to do during the park’s grand reopening ceremony.
TD was giving away swag – we got sunglasses, sunscreen, a stress ball and a beach ball! Then the girls had to visit the TD tent so they could paint the large mural they had erected there.
Mio Gelato was giving away gelato to the first 200 folks in line, then you could buy their goods for the rest of the celebration.
There were bouncy castles for the kids to have a ball with.
And then, of course, the splash pad! Once it was officially turned on, music was played and everyone enjoyed the day.
I was surprised by the number of people who had come out. We ran into many friends and schoolmates of the girls. It’s so nice to see the city working hard to get the community together for these events.
I am very impressed by the fresh, new beauty of this community park. I spent a few years walking through Victoria Park as a student at Queen’s University and this is the most beautiful I have ever seen it.
The picnic areas have new, easy to use, barbeque pits and accessible picnic tables. We came with a picnic and I was amazed how easy it was to see both the splash pad area and the climbing structures right from the picnic table. I let my girls run off and play while I sat and watched the world go by (and took some pictures!)
We are planning to visit the park a few more times this summer. (We’re hopeful there will be a few less people so we can better enjoy the space!) The native plants in the new garden will only get better with time, and maybe I can capture a few more beautiful images with fewer people cluttering up the view!
Have you visited Victoria Park since its Grand Reopening? What did you think? Leave me a comment and share your views on the newly revitalized park space. We had a lot of fun at the opening ceremonies and we can’t wait to go back!
Be sure to visit my previous post to see just how much work really went into this project. Between the TD Common Ground project, and the City of Kingston, a lot of hard work went into getting this park ready to bring the community together! The girls and I were very happy to be a part of bringing awareness to the project.
~Jess
To learn more about the Victoria Park project, please visit:
Facebook: Facebook.com/TDCanada
Twitter: @TD_Canada
Instagram: TD_Canada
YouTube: youtube.com/user/TDCanada
#TDCommonGround
42 Comments
It looks like a fabulous park and a great way to spend family time together.
Jodie
http://www.jtouchofstyle.com
#FabFridayPost
They really did a great job on the park. I often wish we lived a bit closer to it (and had more time in our weeks!) so we could really get some great use out of it.
~Jess
This looks like so much fun, and such a great investment to grow the community!
It really is a great investment in the community. The city and TD have done a great job making the park fresh and new again!
~Jess
Haven’t been to Kingston for years! I’ll have to make the trip soon, given how close I am (Ottawa).
You totally should make the trip. They are doing a bunch of shoreline reconstruction along King st as well, so next summer is sure to be a good one!
~Jess
I love that TD gives back!!
Me too – it’s great when big corporations show their appreciation in ways like this!
~Jess
Nice post and beautiful photos!
Thanks Nathan – photography is something I’m passionate about, but I don’t make a lot of time for.
~Jess
Those water fountains are great – I bet the kids loved the swag bags too, Sarah #fabfridaypost
Swag bags are always a hit, aren’t they? The summer weather has been going strong the last few weeks, we were happy to see the city reopened all the splash parks for the kids to enjoy!
~Jess
Looks like a beautiful place and a great day out x
#FabFridayPost
Just returning again to say thank you for linking up with #FamilyFunLinky x
Thanks Alana – as I replied to Sarah earlier – apologies as I didn’t realize I linked up the same post twice!
~Jess
Thanks Alana – it really is a beautiful park!
~Jess
It’s brilliant when the community gets behind a outdoor space for the community. We’ve just had that where my mum lives and the grand opening was great to see everyone come and join in. A lovely day.. Thank you for linking up to the #familyfunlinky
It’s amazing to see the city and/or community coming together. Outdoor spaces are so important. Cities need to ensure there are naturalized areas for families to get out and enjoy nature. Thanks for the comment Karen!
~Jess
I love when communities do this sort of thing. What a fun way to celebrate history AND the future!
So true Lydia! Thanks for the comment. 🙂
~Jess
I’m returning from #fabfridaypost Sarah
Thanks Sarah – I didn’t realize I linked up twice – sorry about that!
~Jess
What a fabulous park! Looks like you all had an amazing time love spending quality time out as a family. Mandy xxx #ExplorerKids
We sure did Mandy! The weather has been so beautiful everyone has been enjoying the park for 2 months now! They just turned the splash parks off this week. (That’s unheard of for October in Ontario, Canada!)
~Jess
The event sounds as though it was a fun packed day! Lots for the children to do too. You came prepared with a packed lunch rather than relying on food being served there.
It was a great day! I love bringing our own food – but I can be flexible and buy something sweet afterward!
~Jess
Looks like a wonderful park and event. I don’t have children myself and tend to shy away from crowds, but I would gladly encourage families to attend. Thanks for sharing!
It’s a very family friendly park – and not always jam packed with people. There’s plenty of space to enjoy on a “normal” day at Victoria Park!
~Jess
What a great park. I know the history of Kingston, and how they do still embrace the past. I am glad the weather co-operated, winter can come early up north.
It was such a lovely day! Getting the community out for these events is so amazing!
~Jess
Hi Jessica. I’ve only been to Kingston once and it was a snowstormy day, so I haven’t had a really good look at the city and have not been to Victoria Park. Would love to return some day during summer!
You should definitely visit us in the summer! The city is so beautiful during the warm seasons.
~Jess
Sesquicentennial – Wow! What a beautiful word. I won’t even attempt to pronounce it. It’s too beautiful – I might just ruin it. lol! & Wow! What a historic moment. I’m impressed that the park still stands – most parks now-a-day turned into flats and factories. It’s really sad. I’m glad they can carry and made it a tradition to celebrate such park with lots of great activities for younger generations.
Thank you Jess for linking up with us on #ExplorerKids xx
Our town is very proud of it’s history. Being Canada’s first capital (if just for a short time) gives Kingston a rich past. I’m glad we have many beautiful historic areas for everyone to enjoy.
~Jess
Ah you got some great pics of the opening ceremony! We had such a fun time there, sad we didn’t cross paths! So excited about this renewed community space!
It’ll be amazing next summer – and it’s so great the weather was warm for so long this year!
~Jess
Looks like a wonderful park Jessica! I’m in Oregon so won’t be visiting anytime soon, but it’s still nice to learn about such nice places. I enjoy parks and any time spent outdoors, in fact, I live on the edge of a national forest and take advantage of the open areas and hiking trails every chance I get. Thanks so much for sharing!
It must be beautiful living next to a national forest. I’m a little jealous Marquita! We try to get outside as much as possible as well, so having a revitalized park helps us do that!
~Jess
Love family affairs like this Grand Opening! You really painted a picture of everything there is to enjoy and take in there. Makes me want to schedule a trip to Canada to see it in person!
It really was lovely. I think it would be great if the city threw a bash like this more often for the communities. But regardless, it’ll be a great park to visit a few times every summer. 🙂
~Jess
Considering that it’s in Canada I will definitely not be attending. Sounds like fun for families.
It was a lot of fun. 🙂
~Jess