Peanut Park gets new lease on life

A 109-year-old park in Winnipeg's Crescentwood neighbourhood has been reborn, thanks to a group of locals who reclaimed it from graffiti, drug deals, and neglect.

Enderton Park, or Peanut Park as it is more commonly known, was established in 1902 when real estate agent Chas H. Endertoncreated Crescentwood.

What started out as a manicured English garden tucked amongelegant homes had faded, in more recent years, into a weed-laden eyesore with dying trees, an overgrown walking path,chained-down and broken benches and a playground scarred with scorch marksfrom matches and lighters.

Fiveyears ago, area residents decided enough was enough.

They formed Friends of Peanut Park (FPP) andadopted the green space through the city's adopt-a-park program and begansoliciting donations and grants, organizing volunteers, landcaping, planting, levelling, replacing dilapidated play equipment and park benches.

Now, a new crushed limestonewalking path circles the park's lush lawn, guiding visitors past new flowerbeds and new trees and shrubs, includingmaples, lilacs and crabapples.

And rather than taking a wide berth around the park, people are going into it and staying, and playing.

"Yesterday, I walked the dog and there were about 10 girls sitting around on the new sod that we have there playing Crazy Eights [card game]on the grass," said Barbara Parke, an FPP member.

Friends of Peanut Park have raised and contributed more than $80,000 to the park's beautification while Manitoba Hydro has contributed $16,000 for trees, the City of Winnipeg has allocated $110,000, and The Manitoba Community Services Council has approved a grant of over $14,000.

In 2009, the city installed a catch basin to drain thesouthwest corner, endingyears of flooding.

Other improvements include:

• Demolition of the old play structuresand construction of new ones.
• Installation of underground watering system.
• Newly-sodded areas wheregrass was damaged.
• Installation of new benches and picnic tables.

Abarbecueto celebrate the park's renewal is scheduled for Sept. 7. Peanut Park is bordered byHarvard and Yale avenues, Ruskin Row and Avonherst Street.