Some trails now open, and plans for a winter carnival are in the works

Snowshoeing enthusiasts, from left, Carol, Joanne and Sue, were at Kivi Park on Thursday morning for some exercise. Photo by Arron Pickard

1 / 1 Snowshoeing enthusiasts, from left, Carol, Joanne and Sue, were at Kivi Park on Thursday morning for some exercise. Photo by Arron Pickard

With a small army of volunteers behind it, plans for Kivi Park are progressing well, said the park's developer.

Melissa Sheridan, president of CRCS Recreation, which developed the DJ Hancock Memorial Park, said a three-kilometre trail is now open for people who want to go snowshoeing, hiking, walking, fatbiking and dog walking.

“The machines pulled out just before Christmas, so we opened the trails,” Sheridan said. “Some are starting to be groomed, and with the snow expected just after New Years, we are going to be grooming the cross-country ski trails.”

Kivi Park is being developed on land where Long Lake Public School once stood. Sudburian Lily Fielding donated land to the city this past summer. At 300 acres, Kivi Park is the city's largest park — 23 times larger than Bell Park.

The park provides public access to Crown land leading to three lakes – Crowley Lake, Linton Lake and Camp Lake – and provides a city connection to Killarney Provincial Park.

The park is named in memory of Fielding’s parents, and in honour of the Finnish immigrants who settled the Long Lake area of Greater Sudbury decades ago.

“Since Christmas Eve, even with the freezing rain, there is always vehicles there,” Sheridan said. “It's really great to see. And as more trails open, and more activities are offered, it's only going to get busier.”

The group is pushing to have a seven-kilometre trail open very soon, she said. Different trails have different degrees of difficulty, but all trails are clearly marked.

The skating rink is also open to the public, and renovations are being done to the rink shack to put in a canteen.

For snowmobilers, Sheridan said the trail that ran through the park has been relocated to the front of the property, running adjacent to Long Lake Road – there are no motorized vehicles allowed on the trails in Kivi Park

Volunteers are also busy planning the park's first winter carnival, which will have sleigh rides, a bon fire, pony rides, face painting and more.

“Years ago, there was the Long Lake Carnival, and it was a big event, and many residents loved it,” Sheridan said.

One of the requests when signing up volunteers for Kivi Park was to look at bringing back a winter carnival, she said. It will be held March 4.

“With the amazing trails we have in the back, there is plenty of room for a carnival. We had a summer party there, so I think it's only logical we have a winter party, too.”

The next day, on March 5, the Northern Cancer Foundation will host a fundraising showshoeing event at the park.

Then, starting in February, the park's fundraising committee will be hosting Parents Nights Out, where parents can drop off their children from 6-8:30 p.m. for skating, movies and popcorn and crafts, and parents can go do whatever they need to do for that two and a half hours, Sheridan said.

All the money generated from these fundraising events will go toward building the Lily Fielding Pavilion in the park. It will be a gathering place with flower beds and beautiful scenery located near the soccer field.

“It will be a great area for people to sit and watch a soccer game or to have a picnic or to just sit and enjoy what's going on,” Sheridan said. “The pavilion is a way for residents to thank Mrs. Fielding for everything she has given to the park.”

In the spring, the front 12 acres of the park will undergo a massive upgrade with renovations being done to the soccer field and the redevelopment of the baseball diamond. A mini ice pad was recently put in on the grounds, but it will be extended and a basketball court put in, so there will be skating in the winter and basketball in the summer, she said.

There will be volleyball courts, tennis courts and a state-of-the-art playground put in. There will be slack lines, fitness equipment, picnic areas and much more, and that only Phase 1 of the transformation of Kivi Park, Sheridan said.

“The park will always be growing, and becoming bigger and better,” she said. “The whole idea is to create a family atmosphere to bring people back to the park.”

Kivi Park will also be looking at developing a summer sports program that will teach children the basics of sports, Sheridan said. It won't be overly competitive, but it will give them a feel for the sport in which they choose to participate.

There will be a lot more foliage added to the park over the next year, as well.

“We had to clear a lot of trees to make the trails, but this past fall, we had a transport load of trees come in, and we planted those back in the park,” Sheridan said. “Over 2017, there will be thousands more planted in the park. We want to keep it that natural setting.”



