By Barbara Rayner, Reporter, The Courier
The outdoor shelter currently under construction at Riverside Park – formerly the Day Adventure Centre – should be available for use by mid-July.
The park area, located alongside the Magaguadavic River, was renamed at April’s meeting of Eastern Charlotte Council and is undergoing a series of upgrades.
Under the initial phase of improvements, five buildings which were constructed in 1995 as part of the province’s Adventure Destination initiative, were removed from the site last year. Additional work included the renovation of the bandstand/gazebo and landscaping.
Chief Administrative Officer Jason Gaudet said the bandstand has been totally rebuilt and the only remaining building is the former tourist building which has both power and washrooms. Currently the Salty Fisher food truck is parked beside that building but it is hoped to eventually have more food trucks at the park.
Work is now under way on the 40 foot by 60 foot shelter, he said, which will eventually also have power and will be available for anything from wedding receptions to outdoor markets. It will be available for use by local organizations as well as private events.
“We are encouraging people to book it because we don’t want to have a wedding and someone wanting to have a yard sale on the same day. It should be available probably by mid-July.”
This phase of improvements also includes additional landscaping work, repairs to Adventure Lane, installation of roadway rails, improved lighting and improved areas for food truck vendors. The municipality will also be looking to expand parking at the southern area of the park to better accommodate boat trailer traffic.
Gaudet said council has budgeted about $109,000 towards this newest phase of upgrades at the park and it would be nice to have a farmers’ market at the outdoor shelter on a regular basis.
Riverside Park is one of several park spaces in Eastern Charlotte, which are operated and maintained by the municipality under a land-use agreement with the property’s owner J.D.Irving.
