On Tuesday, June 18, Clare Recreation Services hosted the official reopening of Wentworth Park.
New Features
The event was held to celebrate recent improvements to the park, which feature a variety of accessible upgrades, including:
- The resurfacing of both parking lots.
- Resurfacing and widening of all trails.
- New accessible shelters and picnic tables.
- New accessible washrooms.
- A hammock grove by the lake.
- A new accessible kayak launch, complete with an accessible trail loop to access the launch.
- Replacement of the trail bridge with a new bridge featuring accessibility features such as width and slope.
- New swing set.
- Installation of benches for stargazing.
This improvement project was initially identified as part of the Baie Sainte-Marie Tourism Public Spaces Master Plan, which was finalized in 2021. Since then, the Municipality of Clare has been successful in securing several external funding sources to accompany its contribution to bringing the park improvements to fruition.
Project approach
This project has been carried out in three phases and is made possible by the following funding sources:
Phase I - Initial project including most of the improvements noted above:
- Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (Canadian Community Revitalization Fund): $200,000.
- Municipality of Clare: $88,755.
Phase II - Addition of stargazing benches and cement platform:
- Communauté francophone accueillante de Clare: $14,000.
Phase III - Additional accessibility features (new kayak-accessible boat launch and redevelopment and reconstruction of the pedestrian bridge on the trail)
- Province of Nova Scotia (Community ACCESS-Ability Program): $44,320.
- Municipality of Clare: $22,832.
The total amount invested in this project is $369,907.
Did you know?
Did you know that Wentworth Park has belonged to the Municipality of Clare since September 19, 1994? The ten-hectare site was the subject of a quit claim deed between Bowater Mersey Paper Company Limited and the Municipality of Clare.
Image description: an image of the quit claim deed between the Bowater Mersey Paper Company and the Municipality of Clare for the possession of Wentworth Park.
Image description: the new accessible kayak launch
Image description: the new boat launch and the new accessible kayak launch
Image description: the new accessible kayak launch
Image description: the new accessible kayak launch
Image description: one of the new picnic shelters
Image description: the new picnic shelters
Image description: the new hammock grove
Image description: the new swingset
Image description: the new accessible washrooms
