After one year of construction, Taylor Park’s makeover is complete.
Councillors, town staff and a federal representative were all on hand for the official reopening of Taylor Park at Walker Avenue and Line 6 on Tuesday evening.
Thanks in part to a $256,835 grant from the federal government, Taylor Park began an $850,000 transformation in June 2022, which now includes: an accessible playground, updated play equipment, basketball courts, a community garden, a shade structure, 60 tree plantings and a multi-use trail that extends through the wooded lot to the west and connects to Simcoe Road.
In addition, Taylor Park is now also home to the tennis courts which were displaced from the Bradford and District Community Centre as part of the ongoing work on the County of Simcoe’s 50-unit affordable housing project next door.
Deputy Mayor Raj Sandhu opened the event by thanking everyone in attendance and acknowledging the residents already enjoying the play equipment and basketball courts on a sunny evening.
“Of course this project would have not been possible without the incredible contribution of $256,835 towards this project through the federal government's Canada Community Revitalization Fund,” he said before introducing Newmarket—Aurora MP Tony Van Bynen.
“I thank you for the warm welcome that I always receive over here in Bradford West Gwillimbury. We’re very close neighbours and we enjoy good contact on an ongoing basis,” he said.
Van Bynen attended the event on behalf of Filomena Tassi, MP for Hamilton West—Ancaster—Dundas, and the minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario.
“We know that communities flourish when they have infrastructure to promote social interaction and physical activity. Community infrastructure makes our lives better and our communities stronger. ... I’m confident that these improvements into this space will have a lasting impact on your community for a long time,” he said.
Sandhu thanked Van Bynen for his support and acknowledged the importance of physical activity.
“These grants are helping to keep these kids out on the playground rather than staying at home and playing on TikTok,” he said.
Sandhu also thanked the entire parks team for their hard work and the councillors in attendance who helped to make the upgrades possible, including Ward 7 Coun. Peter Dykie, Ward 3 Coun. Ben Verkaik, Ward 4 Coun. Joseph Giordano and Ward 2 Coun. Jonathan Scott — the latter of whom shared his personal connection to the park.
“I’m so thrilled we’re finally able to open this park. About 20 to 25 years ago when it first opened, my baby sister thought it was named after her because she’s named Taylor too, and so I suppose this has always had a bit of a special place in my heart. ... This is the site of a lot of great activity that we’re trying to see in our older neighbourhoods and a perfect example of revitalizing Bradford,” Scott said.
He added that the grant allowed all of the work on the park to be completed in a single phase rather than two and noted that the town’s revitalization efforts also include repaving all roads and sidewalks in the neighbourhood in recent years.
After the speeches, a group of kids playing basketball stopped to help cut the ribbon and officially reopen the park.
