Shane Baker, Commissioner of Community Services presented Council with an Award of Excellence received from Parks and Recreation Ontario (PRO) in recognition of Alias Grace Park. This award is presented for excellence in design of recreation and/or park facilities intended for public use. It recognizes a park, recreation and/or cultural facility that has demonstrated high standards of planning, design, community involvement, operation and maintenance, quality of aesthetics, usability, accessibility and versatility. Alias Grace Park, located between Aladdin Crescent and Ridgestone Drive, was built to provide historical reference to early settlement in Richmond Hill and celebrate the wealth and quality of Canadian literature through the interpretation of renowned Canadian author Ms. Margaret Atwood’s novel Alias Grace. The design makes use of imagery and symbolism present in the novel which is set in Richmond Hill during the mid 1800’s. The park’s layout and various site elements provide historical cues to early rural settlement in the area. Within this framework a sequence of diverse landscape spaces offer the park user a variety of recreational opportunities. The PRO Awards Program honours individuals, volunteers, and/or organizations that foster co-operative approaches for the further advancement of sport, recreation and leisure. Town staff accepted the award at the Parks and Recreation Ontario Educational Forum in Niagara Falls on April 7, 2010.
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