SLNA wins funding to makeover a ‘Princess’

By Stephanie Raymond –

The neglected and overgrown space on the west side of Princess Ave. will be getting a makeover this fall thanks to $1500 in funding won by the St. Lawrence Neighbourhood Association.

The grant awarded by the city’s Clean and Beautiful Program will be used to enhance the area between The Esplanade and Front St. The work is scheduled to take place throughout September.

Dennis Glasgow, community lead for the project, said the St. Lawrence Neighbourhood Association (SLNA) chose to propose this area for renovation because they felt it would be a good starting point for working on other neglected areas in the community.

“By next spring you should see something beautiful,” said Glasgow. “Everything but the trees will come out.”

Tom Davidson, constituency assistant to Councillor Pam McConnell, said the SLNA proposal was chosen because it was well thought out, organized and met the criteria of having maximum visibility and impact to the neighbourhood, being simple in design and workload and having an able group of volunteers to help execute and maintain the project.

Davidson said “The St. Lawrence neighbourhood has a broad base of active groups with lots of great people committed to improving the community.”

The city will also be providing mulch, construction material and assisting with debris removal.

Local gardener Dan O’Leary will be designing the park. O’ Leary is the creator of the Children’s Organic Garden in Princess Park.

The Neighbourhood Beautification Program was developed in 2005 as a way of getting residents involved in restoring underutilized and neglected spaces in their communities.

The SLNA is a community membership based organization that strives to enhance the quality of life in the area. Smartliving St. Lawrence will also be involved in the renovations.