The Town wants to hear from residents about plans for a new parkette in Georgetown.
The proposed Halton Hills Drive Parkette will be located on a 0.45-hectare piece of land, near a new development on Humberstone and Halton Hills Drives. It will be a stone's throw away from Town Hall.
Two concepts are being offered by staff for locals to consider. Concept A envisions a traditional park with a playground, paved pathways and a terraced overlook. Concept B will be more modern in style. Fitness features, a wooden deck overlook and concrete seat walls, among other things, will be part of that design.
Both concepts speak about incorporating and respecting the nearby pioneer cemetery. Staff say that the grounds will be clearly marked with commemorative features such as interpretive signage like plaques and pavers. No active recreational features will be on the burial site.
"The Town is working with the Bereavement Authority of Ontario (BAO) to get it registered with them as a cemetery, to ensure that is protected in perpetuity," Director of Parks and Open Space Kevin Okimi said in a statement to HaltonHillsToday.
The Town expects to have the cemetery registered with the BAO in 2024.
It's not uncommon for municipalities to incorporate historic cemeteries into parks. Locally, the Acton Pioneer Cemetery can be found in Prospect Park.
Further afield, Toronto's Victoria Square Park is another such example. The Strachan Avenue Military Burying Ground can be found in the city's Garrison Common, near Fort York. Parkview Cemetery is part of Waterloo's Bechtel Park and Pioneer Park in Peterborough contains an old Methodist graveyard.
Those interested in letting the Town know what they think can do so in an online survey, which will run until Jan. 5.
That survey and more information can be found on LetsTalkHaltonHills.ca.
