What is this project about?
The Killaloe Pathways Park is all about re-connecting people with nature through, education, physical activity, adventure, arts, culture, and play.
Originally created out of a need to a create more vibrant community green spaces during the pandemic, this project has evolved from a simple idea, to having multiple phases and support from 15 different community organizations!
This project will transform 3 acres of previously unused public land, into a vibrant and unique community space for everyone to enjoy! Located adjacent to a wetland, this project seeks to preserve the environment while also allowing for the community and visitors to find peace and inspiration from its natural beauty and splendor.
We are extremely excited and proud to share our project with you! Here are the three phases of the KPP project:
Phase One (Pathways) : includes a Reading Trail(.6km) with eighteen reading stations which will include two locally sourced climbing art structures. A FIT trail(.4 km) with ten low impact stations with benches, picnic tables, recycling bins, compost bins, a dog waste disposal unit, and interpretive signage along the trails.
Phase Two (Gardens) : includes a Butterfly Garden, Aboriginal Healing Garden, Sensory Garden, Cancer Survivors Garden, Community Garden, fruit bearing trees and green house.
Phase Three (Community Centre) : will include refurbishment of the barn that sits on the property as a much needed community gathering space and creative arts/culture hub which will help launch future developments on the property.
Currently we are looking for support with Phase One, which is already underway via the construction of the trail systems and FIT Stations, thanks to a very generous donation of $30,000 from the Government of Canada through the Canada Healthy Communities Initiative!
Why is this project important to the community?
Like all matters of the heart, this project is a labor of love, bringing together multiple community organizations to help create a truly community minded project that is not only thoughtful in the ways that it supports the community but also in the ways that it supports nature.
Our slogan for our municipality, Killaloe, Hagarty and Richards is "Naturally Spirited." It means that we care deeply for the environment but it also means that we have a lot of passion and spirit for our community, especially for a small, rural area.
As you will see from letters of support sent by many of our community partners, the need for this type of project is great, while the community support generated from this project is very strong.
Planning from our ongoing community consultation has ensured that each component of our project will be maintained by one or more community partners. Not only to ensure its immediate success, but also to ensure it is maintained for generations to come. Our community cares deeply about this project, and we want to see it be successful as there is a true need for this type of project in our community!
We have very limited greenspace in our only local park in the Village which is an old railway corridor called Station Park, which has nowhere near the space this growing community needs at just under (.5) of an acre. The pandemic has highlighted a true need for a proper community green space where everyone can access nature, to heal, to reflect, to learn and to be inspired.
One can see looking at their own community growing up or where they live currently, projects that today may seem impossible. However, looking at the history, it was likely a very dedicated core group of community partners working together for a common goal and a common good. A project where the right people, right timing and right idea created what can only be summed up as magic. Well, let me tell you, there is magic in Killaloe.
We have assembled a large group of community partners who feel very passionately that the Killaloe Pathways Park will be a multi-generational project that will continue to develop well beyond the initial three phases outlined.
Our project will benefit all members of our community, surrounding communities and visitors in the following ways:
1) the wetlands, which contain endangered species and are home to many other animals and birds, will be more accessible via pathways and seating that will allow quiet observation.
2) the Killaloe Reading Trail will offer families a (.6 km) forest walk with eighteen reading stations encouraging outdoor activity and literacy skills, ecological learning and creative art.
3) The Killaloe Fit Trail (.4 km) will help people of all ages improve their physical and mental health via 10 safe, low impact exercise stations designed to be fully accessible.
4) Benches, picnic tables, recycling bins, a dog waste disposal unit, compost bin and interpretive signage will encourage outdoor gathering.
5.) It will also provide an much needed economic stimulus to the area. Having been by-passed in the creation of Highway 60, the Killaloe Pathways Park is located directly beside the highway but also connects to our main street. This new attraction will provide a direct route into the village to provide much needed economic stimulus from hungry and curious visitors who would have otherwise flown by on the highway.
It's fair to say this project is very important to our community, and with your help, completing this first phase will provide a foundation for not only the developments outlined but also for future projects around this truly unique community development!
