HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1980-02-14, Page 30Pose ion
Few projects in recent years
have caught fire quite like the
Kinsmen involvement in "Par- -
ticiparks".
Across the country, dozens
of these fitness parks have
been springing up on land
adjoining rivers, existing rec
reational activities an in unu-
sed parkland.
Behind the effort stand the
Kinsmen working hand in hand
with Participaction, the feder-
al fitness campaign group.
Participactign supplies the
----know-how3and-Kinsmen-across.
the country find appropriate
land, raise the required funds
and in most cases, get their
exercise early by hoisting
shovels, saws, hammers and
wheelbarrows.
FOR THE FAMILY
When they finish, their com-
munity is left with a fitness
trail designed for family use,
usually on a year-round basis.
The first participark showed
up in British. Columbia when
the Port Coquitlam Kinsmen
clbu led the bandwagon. Two
years later, the Kinsmen Club
of Foothills City, Calgary,
opened No. 5Q, At that stage,
the.national Kinsmen club led
the bandwagon. Two years
later, the Kinsmen Club of
Foothills City, Calgary, op-
ened No. 50. At that stage, the
national Kinsmen club estima-
•
paction, says it's the Kinsmen-
Participavtion name for a
fitness trail popular in Europe
and normally known as a "vita
parcours".
- Kinsmen got together with
Participaction a little over
three years ago on the project
and Participaction came up
with the design for a' fitness
trail wiurir'specific exercise
stations. ,)
"We designed Participark
and wrote up the constrtfction
guide which is provided to any
—Kinsrnen=•-Glubn.terested=stn-.
considering the idea," said
Woods.
Later, the Sun Life Insurnce,
company got involved by fin-
ancing Participark promotion
and brochures, construction
guides and so on. Sun Life also
underwrite the cost of special
Participark signs installed in 1
every park.'
NO COST TO YOU
"The beauty of the idea is
that it doesn't cost the taxpay-
er any money and it doesn't
have to cost the Kinsmen
anything. In many cases, they
build it themselves and always
on municipal or public land for
the purpose."
Woods estimated if the aver-
age community was going to
install its own fitness trail, the
project would cost between
$20,000 and $30,000. Because of
ted there were -50 or 460 --the three-part involvementand
participarks either in the-` because it's always a local
planning o_ r development community project, the com-
stage. ', _•riunity gets an "interesting
- What's--•a4-Participant afid-met-ivatire-facility for.no
Norm Woods, -director. of initial cost..•
national projects' for Partici- Parks are -normally -turned
PARTICIPARKS ARE ALL THE RAGE
... nearly 100 in Canada today
over to the community for
ongoing maintenance.
Woods said the fitness trail
concept would simply not have
developed to anywhere near
the extent it has without the
involvement of the Kinsmen
club.
"It's not a high priority for
the average parks and recrea-
tion department," he said.
"And most of these are in
-smaller communities which
would not undertake such a
project without someone else's
help. '
"From our standpoint, we're
-• a promotional and educational
agency, so as Much as we liked
the concept, it wasn't until the
Kinsmmen carne looking"' for a
project with��national emphasis
that we could even consider
the idea."
P By sometime ,this year, the
Kinsmen •estimate 100 parks.
wilt be open and the national
organization isn't stopping An
rest on itsiaurels.
"Gerry Allen,national direc-
.:tor, in an issue of Kin
Magazine,. challenged each of
the more than 500 Kinsmen
clubs across. the country to get
involved,
• He 'challenged Kinsmen
clubs to have a look at their
community and find' some
obvious spot where a partici-.
park can be located.
Allen said: jhe old and young
benefit. He noted the parks are
inexpensive and require little
manpower to construct while
providing a facility for 'a great
number of people.
He also urged dubs not to
stop when their parks are
'built:
"Select an energetic .chair -
I rnan and organize competi-
tions between school grades,
school rivals, other service
groups . . but make sure we
e:i-rt—`;e-c-ouId all-do_withMthe
exercise and it's inexpensive
fun as well."
" As if to prove Allen's point,
the Calgary park's opening
was attended by thousands
who jammed Glenmore Park
for—the occasion. By the time
the. 50th park was opened,
every province of Canada was
involved.
half the estimated total cost._
Remaining funds were
sought in fund canvasses an
special projects.
BEAUTIFUL PARK SITE
In. Truro, n.S., the Kinsmen
club gat permission to estab-
'lish their participark in fain-
ous Victoria Par . Their par-
ticipark is dedicated to• Dr.
Jim Vibert, arominent Truro:.
surgeon killed while jogging.
The surgeon's wife cut the
ribbon in a cereipony which;
attracted 1,500 participants.
The Truro ;project posed
several unusual challenges
due to.a variation of .150,.feet, "in
the terrain, A nearby brook
had to be crossed twice by
bridges and the same. brook
had to be diverted to .prevent
flooding,
The result was a pi
:cturesque
course for the jogger or skier.
.,pr for a family walk in an
otherwise vacant area.
The Kinsmenpresence wast
already evident in Victoria.
Park: The Victoria park
Swimming Pool -and, the Kins-
men Adventure and Wading .
Pool "are Kin projects where
,...Kinsmmen.-and ..K-4(...pa.erate---.,�
children's programs each
summer.
The participark built by the
St. Catharines Kinsmen club
took 850 man-hours and some
$5,000 to complete. .
The park was built in seven
weeks to run parallel to 12 -Mile
Creek in a wooded valley. The
park includes nine exercise
-"Stations adjoining a two -kil-
ometre jogging trail.
In Caledonia, Ont., Kinsmen
-had .to get involved — very
involved — in their participark
pbroject.
Club members cleared and
thinned a forested area adj-
30 ACRE SITE
in Mississauga, Ont., the
Kinsmen participark- became
an.integral element in a plan to
expand and develop 30 acres of
belonging to the school board
and the municipality.
The project is to include a
track, three soccer pitches, a
joint football -soccer field, an
environmental playground and
a rest area with benches and
picnic tables in addition to -the
fitness park.
The project was in the
talking stages for three years
before the Kinsmen were
approached and took over the
financial end of the plan. The
club applied for provincial -
funds and recel,nd--$45.000,
Club members cleared and
thinned a forested area adja-
cent to Kinsmen Park on the
Grand River. Then, they col-
lected cedar logs for the park.
. The project was tied in with
a new dam and expansion of
the Kinsmen Park in co-opera-
tion with • the Grand River
Conservation Authority and
Canada Works. It was part of
a bel itificatio1Fplan for the"` - ` --
river area, -
4
•
FITNESS PARKS ARE DESIGNED FOR FAMILY USE
...and most are used all year round
Compliments of
BEATTIE
FURNITURE FUNERAL HOME
18 Albert Street, Clinton
482-9521
55Rattenbury St., bast
•-482-9521
Serving Clinton and area since 1934
4
KINSMEN CLUB OPENS 50TH-PARTICIPARK
... for fitness buffs in Calgary, Alberta
Continued
Success
AA
The First Canadian Bank
Bank...of, Montreal
Main Corner, Clinton
482-341'9