The North End Sydney Park Project gets ready to build a park this weekend

It’s been over a year since a group of committed volunteers began the process of re-building a park located in Sydney’s North End. The space, known as Louisa Gardens, had become derelict after years of neglect and misuse. Now, the community has reclaimed the space. They are setting out to not only revitalize the playground, but to breathe new life into the community as a whole.

From this project, a non-profit organization was born: The North End Sydney Park Project. With some key funding from various locations, one being the grassroots collective Let Them Be Kids, the group is changing the face and attitudes of the North End.

On Saturday, September 8, volunteers will be constructing the Alex MacInnis Memorial Playground and Recreation Space along with the Robert J. Morgan Memorial Butterfly Garden. With the reopening of the former tar ponds site and Ferry Street, this initiative couldn’t have come along at a better time. A practical, energetic optimism seems to be motivating all involved, and could act as a muse for other decrepit spaces around the CBRM.

Taking the idea of community to a new level, the group believes that “public spaces can benefit and be used by all members of the community”. In a recent interview with CBC, Erika Shea stated that the project’s goal is for people of all ages to use the new park for sports games, community events, family picnics, evening walks, meeting fellow neighbours and residents, and so on.

Although this project has gotten a great deal of support up until this point, The North End Sydney Park Project still needs volunteers for various aspects of the build. Contact northendpark@gmail.com to find out how you can lend a hand on September 8 and contribute to this exciting project.