Christine Roy loved to walk along Highway 209 in Port Greville until she was almost struck by a vehicle.
She knew there had to be a better way for Port Greville area residents to stay physically active without having to risk their lives walking along the only highway that connects Parrsboro to Advocate Harbour in Cumberland County.
“I was walking on the highway back in 2019 when I almost got clipped. When I got home I was talking to some friends about how dangerous it was to walk along the road. Some people also have difficulty walking on the beach because is so steep and the surface is very gravelly,” Christine Roy, chair of the Greville Bay Citizens for Health and Fitness Society, said.
While the park has been open and used for more than a year on the Parsons Road, society and community members came together on Saturday, June 29, to celebrate the park. Municipality of Cumberland Mayor Murray Scott and District 8 Coun. Carrie Goodwin were in attendance along with Cumberland Colchester MP Stephen Ellis and Cumberland South MLA and Natural Resources and Renewables Minister Tory Rushton.
The concept for Greville Bay Fitness Park was born with land donated by Vickery and funding from the federal, provincial and municipal levels of government as well as from the community along the Parrsboro Shore.
The effort was hindered by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021, but the park was eventually completed with a walking trail, several pieces of outdoor exercise equipment, picnic tables, children’s games and plenty of room for expansion.
“It has taken a while and COVID didn’t help,” Roy said. “Last year, one side of the track started to get overgrown so we had to get someone to skim the top layer and redo it last summer.
“I’m so happy to see it completed and was very happy with the number of people who came out from the community to help us celebrate the opening. There were people from Advocate and Diligent River associations and that means so much because everyone worked so hard to make this a reality.”
Bruce Lantz, who is a member of the society, said the park is very much a community endeavour. He said the park offers something for everyone and includes a full-service washroom.
“People saw a need in the community, Kim and Steve Vickery donated the land and it all came together into something the whole community can use, from children to seniors,” said Lantz. “It was refreshing to see how many people came out to help us celebrate this accomplishment. On Canada Day weekend there’s a lot going on pulling people in different directions, but we had more than a hundred people come out including our MP, the MLA, the mayor and our local councillor.”
Lantz said the committee will continue to look for ways to improve the park and expects to host events there in future.
“It’s centrally located and along the highway. It’s a great opportunity for people to come to the park for whatever reason,” Lantz said. “People want and need to walk but it’s dangerous to walk along the highway and people with health concerns can’t use the beach. I think one day we’ll see more of these parks in different locations. It’s great to use and there’s no cost. You don’t have to pay to exercise. You can stop by and work out for as long as you want.”
Mayor Scott said the park is an example of what can be accomplished when the community puts its minds to something.
“The people deserve so much credit. It’s a small community that doesn’t have a lot of business to approach for sponsorships, so they have to approach government and do fundraising on their own,” the mayor said. “They’ve done a fabulous job with some excellent exercise equipment and an accessible walking track. It’s safe and it’s accessible. I’m so happy the municipality was able to support it in the way we were.”