Eco-friendly pavilion set to open at Victoria Park
The $4.2-million Victoria Park Pavilion — a multi-use building that includes bathrooms, group space and change rooms for skaters, skiers and other park users — opens on Saturday.
Residents are invited to attend the grand opening from 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. There will be winter activities, treats, live music and free wagon rides to and from the Victoria Golf Course Clubhouse and the Victoria Oval from 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Parking will be limited close to Victoria Oval, so the city is encouraging people to park at the golf course and then take the wagon ride over to the event site.
The 3,337-square-foot pavilion was designed by Dartmouth, N.S., firm Rayleen Hill Architecture and Design. It includes several features meant to reduce energy consumption, including a rain garden to capture and absorb groundwater, and geothermal temperature control, which takes advantage of the consistent temperature below ground to heat and cool the building. It will reduce estimated electricity consumption by more than 60 per cent, the city said.
Jurors selected the Rayleen Hill submission for its elegant, straightforward design and because it works in all seasons, the city said when it was chosen in 2011.
There were 65 firms that took part in the 2011 Park Pavilion Design Competition. The firms anonymously submitted 135 proposals for five park pavilions across the city.
Victoria Park Pavilion is the last one to be completed. The city also built new pavilions at Borden, Castle Downs, Mill Woods and John Fry Sports parks.
Victoria Park Pavilion will serve as a centre for outdoor activities and skating, provide public amenities and be a gathering space in the river valley, the city said in a news release.