I would like to add my family’s collective voice to the growing list of community members who oppose the Lambden proposal to redevelop and rename St. George’s Park. While we have been and will continue to be sensitive to and supportive of this family’s loss, our support will remain in the personal venue, not in a community forum.
The proposal we have seen makes many assumptions. It assumes that St. George’s Park does not serve the community in its present form and requires redevelopment. The plan assumes this small park can sustain higher density use not only of its currently unstructured green space but of surrounding side streets for required parking. The plan assumes the already run-down washroom building will suffice for an influx of users. It assumes the city will have a budget for maintenance and policing if more structured building takes place. And it assumes the St. George’s Park community wants those changes to be forever associated with the tragic loss of one of our neighbourhood children.
It is my hope that the diversity of Guelph is recognized and that the unique nature of our many neighbourhoods is respected. While the size and personality of St. George’s Park does not suit the current dream of the Lambden’s memorial vision, perhaps there is a more appropriate memorial to Nicholas for this location or a more perfect location for this dream.
People who have chosen to live in this community have done so because we value this older, historic, quiet area of the city. We have chosen to live where there are no large sports fields or play grounds, where traffic is quieter, where trees mask the sounds of traffic, where we can walk our dogs and chat with neighbours in the park. Had we been asked before this proposal had progressed so far, we would have been pleased to have worked along side the Lambdens to create a process to serve both the memory of Nick and the children of our community now and into the future. KE