The dismantling or sacrifice of designated parks as a source of revenue for allocation elsewhere has a deeper significance than may be initially recognized.
Robert C. Sibley in his book ‘A Rumour Of God, Rekindling Belief in An Age of Disenchantment’ writes that:
“The landmarks of our lives–our streets, and parks, our shops and churches–serve to ground us, both as individuals and as a community. They are the symbolic objects through which we maintain coherence and order amidst changing circumstances and the ebb and flow of events. Our landscapes, our streets and our neighborhoods–our places– are the markers of our daily lives, the objective reality that helps stabalize our often unstable everyday lives. The things by which we know our place, whether in memory or present day living, provide at all three levels of being–physical, psychological and spiritaul–a sense of belonging and coherence.”
Although not usually thought of as ‘Heritage’ I would like to propose that we give consideration to the fact that our parks are a natural component of our neighborhood tradition, of our sense of place, an element with a historical significance passed from preceding generations to the next. I propose that we consider our parks as a natural inheritance with a significance equal to that of our River and the well being of the collective whole of our community.
When a designated park space has been named for a person from our history, that Person has been honoured, their name, the memory of their contribution to the community becomes our collective ‘ Heritage ‘ as well. I submit that the well being of the community is nurtured by continued recognition and honouring of this person. We move forward upon the shoulders of those who have preceded us.
Thank You,
Karen Hirst
