Victoria_Park_Re port Final.pdf - City of Charlottetown

VICTORIA PARK COMPREHENSIVE MASTER PLAN
Final Report • June 2013
Park Vision
Victoria Park, often described as the Crown Jewel of Charlottetown, is without question
the highest profile public open space in the City. A regional destination that was
gifted to the citizens of Prince Edward Island, Victoria Park’s history and heritage are
inextricably linked to the City, and held in high esteem in the hearts and minds of the
community.
As the most prominent open space in the City, Victoria Park must continue to
demonstrate the very best of Charlottetown, in a balanced and community-centric
approach. The original program of uses contained a mixture of active and passive
uses that reflected the community needs of the day, with an eye on public recreation
and natural beauty. Moving forward, the same focus must be maintained, seeking a
balanced program of both passive and active uses that emphasize public benefit and
community desire. The park must be allowed to evolve in keeping with changing
demographics and recreational trends, so the program of uses must be adaptable and
sustainable. Victoria Park cannot be everything to everyone, so its complement of
uses must respect the community’s vision, but in a balanced and restrained approach.
Not every facility or idea will be appropriate in the park, so decisions on facilities,
infrastructure, and programs must be made in keeping with an overall intent to
maximize public good without compromising the core values of the park itself.
In the future, Victoria Park will continue to epitomize the very best of Charlottetown.
Its spaces will be of the highest quality, in terms of ecology, design, and materials.
The park will demonstrate the magic that can happen when a City comes together,
showcasing collaborative partnerships and a sense of community revolving around
a signature open space. Children will grow up playing under the leaves of the urban
forest canopy, boarding at the skate park, and swimming in the pool. Seniors will
come back to Charlottetown to enjoy the range of activities and amenities. The park’s
core values of balance, sustainability, collaboration, and adaptability will become
instilled in the Community through play, and these values will be passed along to
future generations of children, and the cycle will continue. In ten, twenty, and thirty
years, the park will change, but its role within the City and on the Island will not - it will
continue to be the Crown Jewel of Charlottetown, and a source of immense pride for
the City.
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