EG celebrates the opening of Children of Peace Park and Sharon Village Trail Connection

The Town of East Gwillimbury celebrated the official opening of Children of Peace Park and Sharon Village trail connection, which marks its eighth opening event of the summer. The new 5.7-acre park is located next to the East Gwillimbury Civic Centre, and Sharon Temple National Historic Site and Museum, and is connected to the Sharon Village trail network.

The location, name and design elements incorporated into the Children of Peace Park design were intentionally created to celebrate the history of the Sharon Temple. A large public art sculpture is planned for the park and the community is invited to provide input on design choices through the Town’s “Which art in the park?” campaign. To vote, visit the Arts and Culture page.

Park visitors will enjoy walking paths, beautiful gardens, shade structure, seating areas, and banner flags featuring the Character and Community attributes. The park will also be the venue for music nights for the community to enjoy.

“East Gwillimbury has a very rich history and I’m so glad that it is reflected in this beautiful new park,” said Mayor Virginia Hackson. “Creating spaces for our community to gather, enjoy the outdoors is key to building a complete community. With this park, we are providing important amenities for outdoor recreation and celebrate our cultural heritage.”

The Town partnered with the Sharon Temple and its Board on the name, banner flags, and large annual flower display in the park. Their input helped to develop some unique historical design features like a garden with landscaping stone shaped like the footprint of the David Willson House.

Construction of the park and trail connection took place over a 12-month period and cost $1.3 million to build. Both projects were funded entirely through development charges, which play an important role in our community by funding the infrastructure and amenities we use every day.

Residents are invited to join the Town for its Summer of Parks celebrations throughout EG. To find information on upcoming park and trail openings, visit the Parks page.