Thousands sign petition to convert century-old prison to urban park in Guelph
A group in Guelph is calling for the land around an over century-old prison to be converted into an urban park.
In January, Guelph MP Lloyd Longfield introduced a petition to the House of Commons calling on Parks Canada to repurpose the Ontario Reformatory.
The prison was decommissioned in 2001.
“You don’t often get 1,000 acres within a municipality that is open for development,” Longfield told CTV News.
The petition was penned by Urban Park Guelph, bringing in a total of more than 3,000 signatures. The group said building a park on the property would serve many purposes, including a step towards reconciliation with Indigenous peoples.
“Most recently it was reformatory. Prior to that, where did it fit into the Indigenous communities?” Longfield said.
Urban Park Guelph spokesperson P. Brian Skerrett said if the plan is passed, the park will not only be free but will make Guelph a greener space.
“Reforesting, putting indigenous species back, native species,” Skerrett said. “Creating opportunities for Indigenous nations to repopulate species that are important to them.”
Skerrett said the plan would need support from all levels of government. Ownership of the property is currently split between the province and City of Guelph. Last year, city council pushed for parts of the site to receive cultural heritage designation to help preserve the history of the site.
“If there’s any change proposed to the property that would impact any heritage features or character on the site, there is a heritage permit process that a property owner would have to go through,” explained Melissa Aldunate, manager of policy planning and building services for the City of Guelph.
Urban Park Guelph said the proposal has yet to be presented to city council, but has gained support from dozens of local, provincial and national organizations.
“If this park gets established, the opportunities from it are boundless,” Skerrett said.
CTV News reached out to Parks Canada for comment but did not hear back by our deadline.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6976926.1721883767!/httpImage/image.png_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.png)
DEVELOPING Jasper wildfire burns buildings, while poor air quality forces some fire crews out
A fast-moving wildfire has hit Jasper, Alberta, destroying buildings and chasing some wildland firefighters away with dangerously poor air quality.
Jasper mayor says alert system to be reviewed after message 'glitch'
More than 25,000 people have been displaced from Jasper National Park since wildfires started to threaten the picturesque corner of Alberta Rockies on Monday, but the mayor of its namesake municipality says not everyone received an evacuation alert when it was sent out.
Norad intercepts Russian and Chinese bombers operating together near Alaska in apparent first
The North American Aerospace Defence Command (Norad) intercepted two Russian and two Chinese bombers flying near Alaska Wednesday in what appears to be the first time the two countries have been intercepted while operating together.
Biden explains why he ended re-election bid in Oval Office address
U.S. President Joe Biden on Wednesday delivered a solemn call to voters to defend the country's democracy as he laid out in an Oval Office address his decision to drop his bid for reelection and throw his support behind Vice President Kamala Harris.
Barrie-Innisfil MPP 'blacked-out' and crashed car into window of child care centre
Staff at a Barrie child care centre say they are frustrated by what they call a local MPP's inadequate response after a car crashed through a window in one of the toddler rooms.
Alberta calls in army to assist with wildfire situation
Alberta has called in the Canadian Armed Forces to help assist with the worsening wildfire situation in the province.
2 Canadians being 'sent home immediately,' removed from Olympic team after drone incident
An analyst and an assistant coach with Canada Soccer are being removed from the Canadian Olympic Team and 'sent home immediately,' according to the Canadian Olympic Committee.
An unwelcome attendee has joined the Paris Olympic Games: COVID-19
After a handful of Australian water polo players tested positive for COVID-19 this week, questions have emerged around how the spread of the disease will be mitigated at the Summer Olympic Games in Paris.
Vacations, meals, booze: Contractor used $100K of charity's money for personal expenses, B.C. court finds
A B.C. man who was hired to help a non-profit build a food hub but instead spent the money on personal expenses – including travel, restaurants, booze and cannabis – has been ordered to pay more than $120,000 in damages.