The North End has lost many of there trees in the past year. Some to disease, other to storms. One very tree, a 100 year old elm, lived in front of committee member Steven Roll's house and came down during a storm last fall landing on his families home. While having the tree removed from his house, Steven asked the contractors to save a few lengths of the tree in hopes that they would some day find a repurposed.
We are happy to say these lengths of 100 elm tree will find there way to the revitalised Louisa Gardens in the form of carvings. On Build Day (Sept 8), local Cape Breton chain saw artist Liam Tromans will be on hand giving a chainsaw demonstration and carving up a piece which will be incorporated into the park.
Liam, a professional pulp cutter for 20 years, now uses his self-learned chain saw technique both in his studio and at customer's properties. Liam's Studio-is located at 11211 Kempt Head Road. Trans-Canada Highway (Exit 13) between Baddeck and North Sydney near Seal Island Bridge. Visit The Cape Breton Centre for Craft and Design to find out more about Liam.
In one month we will be building a park in the Northend of Sydney, we are very excited to be doing this with all of you. Over the next moth we will be sending a number of updates with details, needs lists, and instructions which will make the build day everything everyone dreams of.
EXCITING NEWS
Back in June the Canadian University Environmental Science Network & the Canadian College Environmental Network held a conference at CBU, the theme: “LOOKING BACK ON OUR INDUSTRIAL PAST, LOOKING FORWARD TO A GREENER FUTURE”
The conference coordinators got wind of our project and decided they would make a donation of the conference profits to our Park Project. The speakers even waved their stipends. This week they sent us a cheque for $1000.
Thanks to the input of you, the community, the naming of the park has been decided. When you all come together on Sept 8, you will be gathering in... what for it... "Louisa Gardens". You will be working together to build the "Alex MacInnis Memorial Playground & Recreation Space" as well as constructing the "Robert J Morgan Memorial Butterfly Garden". We are very excited to by honoring these two gentlemen while preserving the heritage and memory of the space.
FUNDRAISING UPDATE
Our account now has nearly $16,000 in it with about 100 pounds of pennies left to roll from the change drive and another $40,000 in place and just cutting through some red tape before we get the formal OK. We look to be right on target. That doesn't mean you can relax though, every dollar counts... in fact, every dollar counts as two.
If you would like to make a donation visit our website http://www.northendpark.ltbk.ca.
There is also an opportunity to immortalize a loved one in the park. If you would like to make a memorial donation of $250 or more, we will add a plaque to the park with the name of your choice to the plans!
VOLUNTEER UPDATE
We would like to thank all the great businesses who have come forward to volunteer services and time for the Build Day or other events. And of course you our registered volunteers.
It is a big project and many hands are needed, so please encourage your family, friends and fellow co-workers to register as well.
http://www.northendpark.ltbk.ca
It is sure to be a great day.
FAQ’s
- Wavier and release form-This form will be emailed to you prior to the event, please fill it out and bring it with you on that Saturday, this will spend up the registration process and help to getting you working and making a difference quicker!
- What to wear- dress for activity, although none of the work is overly strenuous, you should be dressed for working around the “yard”, if you are painting, working on the playgrounds or any of the other types of work... you are going to get dirty and want to dress for it...please no open toe shoes or sandals, better safe than sorry. Please bring work gloves if you have them!
- What is the schedule for the day-You will receive a schedule for the day a week prior to the event and it will be posted on the web site at that time as well
- What if it rains- The project goes rain or shine...only in a case of extreme weather would we postpone...in the unlikely event that happened we would go the following Saturday
- When do we eat- Coffee will be served in the morning and bottled water will be available throughout the whole day. Lunch will be served from 11:30 am till 1 pm.
- Do we still need more help-We need all the help we can get, please come with your teams from work and wear a shirt identified with the logo or team colours or anything that represents your group...that is part of the fun!
- Any other questions, please don’t hesitate to ask just click here northendpark@gmail.com
EXCITING NEWS
Sorry we haven't sent an update in a bit but our heads have been swimming with getting quotes, approving designs, and scheduling construction meetings.
Looks like Sept 8, our Build Day, is going to be quite the party. We have Governors Pub and Eatery supplying lunch and Seaside Sound supplying some tunes for the afternoon. Make sure you get your friends to register for build day and join in the fun and rewards of the day.
We have a great event coming up, it includes one of a kind, hand painted umbrellas being auctioned off and live music. Looks like it is going to be late August but we are still finalizing details.
Thanks to the input of you, the community, we have decided to include adult outdoor exercise equipment into the park design. With a high concentration of seniors and students in the neighborhood we thought free accessible exercise equipment would be a great addition. No more heading down to the hot sweaty gym or scraping together the money needed to pay for a membership.
FUNDRAISING UPDATE
Thanks to everyone's generosity and hard work over the past several months, our account now has nearly $16000 in it with about 100 pounds of pennies left to roll from the change drive and a few major grants which we have some commitments for but are waiting to clear the red tape on. Match that from LTBK and you have $32000. We look to be right on target. That doesn't mean you can relax though, every dollar counts... in fact, every dollar counts as two.
I know you usually would like to hear the good new but I would like to pass this on also... We applied to Imperial Oil for a grant given to communities effected but them. And they, who have 6 giant tanks scaring ar eheighbourhood and drive truck through every day, all day, have denied us a single dime.
If you would like to make a donation you can do so on this site using PayPal.
There is also an opportunity to immortalize a loved one in the park. If you would like to make a memorial donation of $250 or more, we will add a plaque to the park with the name of your choice to the plans!
VOLUNTEER UPDATE
We would like to thank all of you for registering on the site and coming forward as individuals who want to be part of this great project.
We would like to thank all the great artists who have volunteered to paint umbrellas for our auction and businesses who have come forward to volunteer services and time for the Build Day or other events.
It is a big project and many hands are needed, so please encourage your family, friends and fellow co-workers to register as well.
It is sure to be a great day.
Back in June the Canadian University Environmental Science Network & the Canadian College Environmental Network held a conference at CBU, the theme: “LOOKING BACK ON OUR INDUSTRIAL PAST, LOOKING FORWARD TO A GREENER FUTURE”
The conference coordinators got wind of our project and decided they would make a donation of the conference profits to our Park Project. The speakers even waved their stipends.
Today they delivered the cheque to us and I am please to let them know that their $1000 donation will go to good use and will actually equal $2000 when you take into account the dollar for dollar matching from LTBK.
THANK YOU
With special thanks to the students of Brookland Elementary, the children of the Northend, everyone who took place in the online Dot-Mocracy, and Let Them be Kids and their design team, I give you the new Northend Playground. This is your playground... let's make it a reality. Share this and let people know they can register to help out at the Sept 8 build day by visiting http://www.ltbk.ca/kids/index.php/community-entry/sydney/
Just wanted to say thanks to everyone who came out on Sunday to help with the Northend Change Drive and all the special people we met along the way. Many had their change ready for us, some pulled up in their cars just to drop it off, others came running down the street after us because they found another purse they forgot about. Just two hours and we have a tub filled so much we can barely lift it (total to follow).
- We have a resident who sold her old washer and is donating the proceeds to the park.
- A group at the University recently held a conference focusing on "life after industry and turning communities around and helping them move forward" decided, instead of spending the money on conference favours, they are going to give all conference profits after expenses to the park project.
- Many residents who have registered for the Great Northend Yardsale have stated they are going to donate some or all of their proceeds made that day to the park.
- Casino Nova Scotia, Sydney
- City Printers
- McKenzie College Sydney
- Wentworth Perk Coffee House
Tomorrow (Sun June 10) A group of supporters will be parading around Sydney's North End. We will be going door to door looking for volunteers interested in helping out on build day and any donations to go toward building the park (every dollar counts… in fact, every dollar counts as two). Our goal for tomorrow, $3000.
