A group of citizens trying to stop a school board's proposal to use a piece of parkland as a playground say their neighbours are "devastated at the prospect of losing a portion of the John Kennedy Memorial Park" in the Pinewood area of the city.
See: Fight to protect park prompts petition
"The John Kennedy Memorial Park was deeded to the City of North Bay by John Kennedy, the developer of the Pinewood Village Subdivision in 1959," say Murray Neil, Sandy O’Grady and Margie Howard of the Friends of John Kennedy Memorial Park.
"This arrangement is called a covenant so that the land was donated in perpetuity.in lieu of curbs, gutters, storm sewers and sidewalks. North Bay City Council and Mayor Vic Fedeli reconfirmed this covenant at the park’s dedication ceremony in the summer of 2004. The parkland was to remain as passive open space to be enjoyed by all citizens of North Bay as a linear parkway."
The group says the neighbourhood was shocked to learn on February 10, that the Near North District School Board was eyeing John Kennedy Memorial Park as a source of playground space for its students, and have started a petition to stop it. More than 250 have signed it.
"However, concerned neighbourhood residents have located site plan drawings dated June 4, 2014 in the School Board’s final submission to the Ministry of Education for its approval of funding. These documents clearly illustrate the School Board’s intent to use a large portion of the wooded parkland as an active playground.
"Should any portion of this park be altered, it would be a betrayal and a breach of trust by the City of North Bay to its citizens and the Kennedy Family."
See the Open House invitation and Near North plans for the Kennedy Park.
