Southend Public Gardens gets revamp.
SYDNEY — Nia Neville reaches into a bright yellow bin filled with toys and chooses a blue ball.
She throws it to her friend Stella Burns, and the two quickly become absorbed in the game.
The nine-year-olds were two of roughly a dozen kids playing at the newly revamped Southend Public Gardens in Sydney on Wednesday afternoon.
PUBLIC RESOURCES
“It used to be kind of boring here,” said Neville. “You used to have to have to bring your own balls. But now we have these (toys) here and can come over here whenever we want.”
She’s looking forward to having a place to play with her friends after school that’s now equipped for all sorts of outdoor fun.
“This used to be the Southend Community Centre and that was destroyed during the 2016 flood,” said Southend Public Garden Society president Wayne McKay. “Our group took over the space after the flood, we wanted to help with healing and bring the community together.”
The Southend Public Garden Society has made several additions to the public greenspace after receiving wellness funds from the Central Cape Breton Community Health Board.
The gardens now feature a group of tree stumps in a circle, designated the Collective Bees space, that will soon include a small moveable fire pit; a pollinator garden, a patch of flowers and plants designed to attract bees; and two yellow bins, the Busy Bees Playbox and Helper Bees Garden Box.
The playbox, which will be kept open for public use at all times, is filled with frisbees, balls, chalk, lawn darts, bean bags, jump ropes and more. The garden box holds gloves, hand tools, kneeling pads and other items to help people volunteer at the garden space, and will be opened up by members of the volunteer group during organized events, like weeding and clean ups.
REDISCOVERING THE OUTDOORS
“With the Collective Bees space, for instance, we wanted to create a gathering space where people could meet outside,” said McKay. “Students from the school nearby use the space a lot so they can do outdoor classes here, and they can also just use the stumps for playing on.”
“It’s really encouraging people to be outside, enjoying the community and the great greenspace that we have ... It’s a great space for coming together.”
The park is located on Hillview Street in Sydney, close to Brookland School and across from the walking track on Cabot Street. The Southend Public Garden Society has seen large increases in pedestrian traffic and outdoor play since the COVID-19 pandemic began, with more people looking to spend time outside and schools eager for outdoor learning.
“This is great for families to come and have space to run and play,” said YMCA afterschool program worker April Madden, who said she takes her daughter to the park often and will use it even more now that she knows about these additions.
“The resources here are amazing, and this is great for the school itself,” said Karen Harriet, also a worker with the program. “The teachers can bring kids here in the daytime and (it’s great) for the after-school program, the pre-primary program. It’s great to know these resources are here.”
The pair said a space like this is especially important now with people staying closer to home in their own local communities.
“This is exciting news, rediscovering nature and the outdoors again,” said Madden.