Public pitches in to plan Victoria Park revamp

About 75 people attended a public meeting at Lakecrest school in St. John's on Saturday afternoon to discuss how one of the city's oldest parks should be redesigned.

Rather than hearing from city planners, residents showed up to share their suggestions for a new and revamped Victoria Park.

Last May, the west-end park received $1-million a 50/50 split between the city and the province to put towards a major overhaul.

• Victoria Park in for facelift la Bowring, Bannerman

Marlys Tilley, who lives in the area, said she's seen quite a number of changes over the years.

"If they're going to make changes, I would simply like the rose garden or a public garden or the paddling pool for the children back," said Tilley.

"A little skating in the winter would also be nice."

Others, like softball player Adrian Collins, came with a specific purpose in mind: to protect the ball field.

"It's one of the most popular ball fields in St. John's and the problem is, if you get rid of something like that, you're going to have to put it somewhere else, and there's nowhere for it to go," said Collins.

Tract Consulting has been hired to redesign the park.

The company is collecting public feedback and will eventually develop a design for city council to vote on.