Ground broken for new Bolton Peace Park

August 29, 2013 · 0 Comments

By Bill Rea
Peace Parks are opening in communities all over the country, and Caledon is about to become one of them.
The Town, in partnership with the Rotary Club of Bolton, Toronto and Region Conservation Authority, Bolton Community Action Site and the Bolton and District Horticultural Society, is working on such a project, and ground was broken for it Monday at Dick’s Dam Park.
Rotarian Aldo Villanovich said the location of the Peace Park is very appropriate.
“This place is getting more and more utilized, especially in the mornings,” he observed.
There will be various plantings in the garden, along with five flags on display: Canada’s, Ontario’s, the Town’s, United Nations’ (UN) and Rotary’s. As well, he said there will be benches set up, painted blue and gold (the colours of Rotary).
Peace Parks have been developed in tribute to UN peacekeeping missions, and Villanovich said Rotary has been involved in quite a few of them throughout the world.
“People need to be aware,” he said, explaining the need for a Peace Park. “It talks about the equality and tolerance.”
“That’s what Rotary’s all about,” he added. “We don’t discriminate on religion or background or nationality.”
The project is expected to cost $70,000, and Villanovich said $20,000 of that is to come from the Town, as part of its park development program. Another $19,000 will be coming through a grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation and Rotary will be picking up the rest.
He also said the development of the Peace Park shouldn’t take long, observing the flag poles and benches should be in place within a month.
“In the next couple of weeks, we’ll have quite a lot done,” he said.

Bolton is about to get a Peace Garden, owing to the cooperation of a number of groups. The ground for the garden was broken Monday at Dick’s Dam Park. On hand were Rotary Club of Bolton President Bruce Forbes, Rotarian Aldo Villanovich, Vicky McGarath of Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA), Anne Dick or James Dick Construction, Rotarians Ross Gray, Tom Kitamura and Bob Palmateer, Rotary District Governor Mike Gauthier, Richard Hunt of the Bolton District Horticultural Society, Councillor Rob Mezzapelli, Jae Truesdell of TRCA, Councillor Patti Foley and Brian Baird of the Town of Caledon.