Waterdown’s Public Backyard

Waterdown’s Public Backyard. . Waterdown Memorial Park was established on the outskirts of the village in 1946 by the Waterdown Amateur Athletic Association, the Waterdown Women's Institute, and the Waterdown Board of Trade as a memorial to World War II (1939-1945) veterans and a place for community recreation and events. Land belonging to the Anderson family, the site of Anderson's Sand and Gravel Pit, was purchased by these founding groups. Citizens loaned equipment, volunteered, and provided monetary donations. The park was completed in 1947, equipped with floodlights, dressing rooms, bleachers, and baseball diamonds. To ensure ongoing funding and maintenance, ownership of the park was transferred by donation in 1949 to the Village of Waterdown. The donation was made on the "understanding that such land and park property be maintained as a Community Park for the use of the Community as a whole.", Since 1949 the park has hosted countless events, including the Waterdown Farmers' Market, annual Agricultural Society Fall Fair, and the Oh Canada Ribfest. Important gathering spaces have been added to the park, including the skatepark in 2006 and the Waterdown Memorial Skate Loop in 2016. The park has become the site of memorials, including a Red Maple tree to commemorate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II and the Queen's Bench (unveiled by Lt. Governor Elizabeth Dowdeswell) to commemorate Elizabeth II as the longest reigning monarch in Canadian history., The recreational features in the park, along with its size help define local character. The park's location links it historically and visually to Main Street North, and the landscape of the gravel pit connects the location to its former industrial use. Waterdown Memorial Park is a significant heritage landscape due to its community value and historical integrity.