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Many people wouldn’t know where to begin after winning a quarter of a million dollars, but the community of North Sydney, Nova Scotia knew exactly what to do.

They had a plan.

Last year Munro Park in Sydney, Nova Scotia won Kraft Heinz Project Play. Being the grand prize winner meant that Munro Park would receive $250,000 for recreational facility upgrades.

Kraft Heinz Project Play, in partnership with TSN, is helping to build a better future by building better places to play, because stronger communities start with better places to play. Project Play is a Canada wide contest wherein community members nominate their recreational facility to be selected as one of four finalists. Once a community is selected as a finalist by a panel of judges, Canadian citizens can vote for the community of their choosing to decide the winner. That year alone there were 700 communities vying for a spot in the top four.

It was Angela Hull’s nomination that landed Munro Park in the top four, and eventually the grand prize slot. “The entire experience reinforced my love of my community and the sense of pride that comes from working to improve it. Countless residents came out to volunteer during the contest and again gathered together to celebrate the park's win,” she added. “For many, the spark of volunteerism has led them to become involved in additional projects and events in the area. The Project Play contest continues to be an incredibly rewarding experience for my entire family and the community.”

(Photo courtesy The Cape Breton Post)

The Cape Breton Regional Municipality (CBRM) has acquired the appropriate supports, including the ongoing input from Dalhousie University’s Dr. Bob Daniels to ensure the funds are assigned in a way that provides Munro Park with the best possible soccer field.

Funds will be put towards the field itself. The CBRM has also been working to secure funding from additional source to focus on other additions that will improve the overall quality of the park, including benches, bleachers and playground equipment, Hull explained.

This is where Dr. Bob Daniels comes in to play. Dr. Daniels graduated from the Faculty of Agriculture in 1963 and was a professor in turf grass science from 1975-2008 when he then retired. However, he couldn’t simply retire and so he became a private turf grass consultant and also a session lecturer with the Department of Environmental Sciences.

 In the fall of 2015 an onsite assessment of the field was made. “We then met with stakeholders and advised them as to possible options for field improvements. Afterwards we wrote specifications for the project and held an information day where interested contractors could visit the site and gain info vital for bidding on the contract.  The winter of 2016 will consist of actual awarding of the contract, followed by construction which will take place in late spring, summer and fall,” Daniels explained.

Dr. Daniels goes on to mention that this is what students in the Bachelor of Technology in Landscape Architecture program can expect in their future careers.

“In essence this is an example of the type of responsibility that the graduates of the Landscape Architecture program can look forward to in their professional lives, upon graduation and after gaining some level of experience.”

“Winning Project Play has been a tremendous boost for our community. Since the contest, the renewed interest in the park has fostered a sense of community pride in this much used green space and also brought the importance of recreation for all ages into focus. The contest’s spotlight brought people near and far together in support of this tight knit community.”

Be sure to keep an eye out as we update you on the project progress throughout the year!

Please visit our Bachelor of Technology in Landscape Architecture program to learn more.