Waverley Park (Thunder Bay) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Waverly Park |
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Autumn foliage in the park.
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| Location | Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada |
| Area | 2.39 hectares (5.9 acres) |
| Operated by | City of Thunder Bay, Parks Division |
Waverley Park is a public park located in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. It is one of the oldest city parks in Ontario. The park is at the heart of a special area called the Waverley Park Heritage Conservation District. This area has many historic homes, churches, and schools.
The land for the park was first set aside in 1871. It was given to the city of Port Arthur in 1907. The city promised to keep it as a park. They also agreed not to build anything on it except city buildings.
Waverley Park is famous for its giant Eastern cottonwood trees. Some of these trees stand as tall as 40 meters! Sadly, many have been removed recently because they were very old or sick. Other cool things in the park include a fountain, a cenotaph (a monument for soldiers), and a bandshell. The park is located between Waverley Street and Red River Road. It sits between two old schools: Port Arthur Collegiate Institute and Port Arthur Central School. The old Central School is now home to the Magnus Theatre.
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Hogarth Fountain
The Hogarth Fountain is a beautiful centerpiece in Waverley Park. It was a gift from the wife of a famous soldier and politician, Major General Donald McDonald Hogarth.
This special fountain came all the way from the Luton Hoo Mansion in England. Its base is made of ten tonnes of Portland stone. This stone dates back to 1790! The fountain was bought and shipped to Waverley Park in 1964. It was officially opened on June 5, 1965.
The fountain has statues of children in a renaissance style. It also features bundles of wheat and garlands of flowers. Water pours from the mouths of lions. These lions are mounted above leaves, which guide the water into the pool.
Rotary Thundershell
The Rotary Thundershell is a large wooden bandshell. It is located in the west corner of the park. This bandshell was built in 1984. For many years, it hosted weekly "Summer in the Parks" concerts.
Local groups and companies helped pay for its construction. Their names are on a plaque at the bandshell. In 2018, a new multipurpose pavilion replaced the bandshell. This new building was paid for by funds raised by The Coalition For Waverley Park.
Port Arthur Cenotaph
The Port Arthur Cenotaph is a monument built to remember soldiers. It was first built for local soldiers who died in World War I. Later, it was updated to include those who died in World War II and the Korean War.
The monument was put up in 1925. The Women's Canadian Club worked hard to raise the money for it. It cost $8,000 to build. The cenotaph has a simple but strong design. It looks the same from both sides.
The words on the monument say:
ERECTED IN COMMEMORATION OF THE MEN AND WOMEN OF THIS CITY WHO DIED ON THE FIELD OF HONOUR IN WAR THAT CANADA MIGHT MAINTAIN HER HERITAGE OF FREEDOM
Below this message are the dates for World War I, World War II, and the Korean War.
Magnus Theatre
Magnus Theatre started in 1971. In 2001, it moved into the old Port Arthur Central School building. This building is 123 years old! It was expanded in 1999 to make space for the theatre.
After the renovations, the area around the theatre was designed to fit in with Waverley Park. The grounds of Magnus Theatre have a special memorial garden. This garden is shaped like the school's old baseball diamond. There are also lighted pathways and many trees and shrubs.
Memorial Garden
The memorial garden has stones laid out like a baseball diamond. The bases and home plate are cubic stones with messages on them. A large, uneven rock in the middle represents the pitcher's mound. It has a plaque that says:
FIELD OF DREAMS
CENTRAL SCHOOL BASEBALL DIAMOND
IN MEMORY OF VISIONARIES
Jim Griffis
Wilda Lowcock
Clark MacDonald
Bones McCormack
John Fancy
THE COALITION FOR WAVERLEY PARK
2003
Each of the stones that represent the baseball plates has a special message:
Home: A JEWEL IN THE HEART OF THE CITY
First: WE DREAMED OF THIS SPECIAL PLACE
Second: FOR YOU AND YOUR CHILDREN TO SHARE
Third: THE PEACE BENEATH THE TREES
Port Arthur Collegiate Institute
At the western end of Waverley Park is the former Port Arthur Collegiate Institute. This was the oldest high school west of Toronto. The building looks like a large castle. It was built in 1909-1910 using Simpson Island sandstone. It has architectural styles from the Middle Ages and Flanders.
Because it's on a hill, the school looks very grand when seen from the park below. A landscape architect named Frederick Todd chose its location. The architects were Young and Simpson from Toronto.
The hill where the school stands was once the shore of a glacial lake. This lake existed before Lake Superior. The hill is mostly made of beach sand.
