Flagpole standing tall for 80 years
Q: My buddies and me have breakfast every Sunday at the Market Café in Port Colborne. At the market square there is a flag pole near the cannon on Clarence Street. Above the flag there is a circular object but we are not sure what its significance is. Any insight would be appreciated.
A: The round object at the top of the flag pole in King George Memorial Park is a gyroscope.
It’s the symbol of Gyro Clubs internationally — a social organization founded in 1912 and spanning the United States and Canada.
Bob Saracino, a former Port Colborne mayor and regional councillor, said Port Colborne Gyro Club donated the 75-foot steel flagpole to the city in 1936.
A plaque at foot of the flagpole reads the donation was from the club in commemoration of Warriors Day on July 1, 1936. That was the same day the King George Memorial Park was dedicated.
Gyro International’s website says the club chose the gyroscope for its name and symbol because it’s a device that maintains its equilibrium despite many obstacles. The object has “power, poise and purpose” — three words said to be synonymous with the aims of Gyro clubs and its members.
There are almost 100 Gyro clubs with about 2,500 active members, according to the website.
In Niagara, Port Colborne’s Gyro club was chartered in 1930 and St. Catharines’ club in 1954.
Both clubs remain in operation and the Port Colborne club, which has a dozen members, is holding its District 3 convention in September in Fort Erie. The convention will bring together members from as far away as Toronto, Buffalo, Peterborough, Rochester and Syracuse, among others.
Q: Here’s a photo I took at Lakeside Park in Port Dalhousie this evening: Picnic tables not being used because they are chained up while nearby people having a picnic have to sit on the ground. What’s wrong with this picture?
A: The picnic tables stacked and locked together are used by the city of St. Catharines for special events — in this case for the Port Dalhousie Supper Market in Lakeside Park.
The market is held every Tuesday night throughout the summer.
Manager of Parks Jeffery SilcoxChilds said it’s more efficient for the city to store the tables on site, rather than take them back and forth from the works yard every week.
He said there are a number of other tables, both permanent and mobile, throughout the park for regular daily use.
Q: I live in the Coyle Creek development at Webber Road, Welland. Can you tell me what they are working on in the Gaiser Road community park?
A: A lot has happened at the new Gaiser Road Park since this question was asked in the spring.
Welland has completed most of phase two of the development, with a few minor items to come.
Peter Boyce, manager of parks, planning and maintenance, said they still have to put in a few security light. Multi-use nets for volleyball, tennis and badminton are on backorder.
As well, grass seed didn’t take because of the hot weather, so the turf will have to be redone.
The development of the park — between South Pelham Road and Clare Avenue, south of Webber Road — was broken into two phases because of budget limitations.
The first phase completed in 2014 saw the construction of playground equipment, lighting, pathways and a basketball half-court with nets that crank up and down for younger players.
Before phase two got underway, the city held a brainstorming session between city staff, Brock University’s recreation and leisure department and two representatives from the Coyle Creek Community Association. According to a report to city council in March, a concept plan was then circulated to community association representatives and after more meetings and revisions, a final plan was developed.
The second phase, mostly completed, includes a large multi-use rubber surfaced sport court to accommodate full-sized tennis or volleyball and a pavilion.
The tender was awarded in January to Anthony’s Excavating Central of Wellandport for $197,638. Phase two started excavation around May and after a lull picked up speed. Send your queries to Karena Walter by email at kwalter@postmedia.com; by Twitter @karena_ standard or through Facebook at www.facebook.com/karenawalter