Legion Park & Arboretum
This little gem is tucked away, surrounded by residences on all sides. It is a public park but must be accessed from one of the alleys. Crescent Lake Road to the east, York Street to the north, Ayr Street to the south and Montreal Avenue to the west. Established as a Children’s Play Park by the Canadian Legion as a Centennial Project, it was renewed as a Millennium Project in 2000. Many trees were planted, several identified by species and variety, and many given as living memorials celebrating the lives of family members or friends. An enclosed area with swings and slides and room to run, it provides a great spot for young families and children from the Day Care. Benches, or the grass to lie on while contemplating the clouds and birds, makes it a perfect place to relax or enjoy a little picnic.
This designated green area along Crescent Lake Road is found at the end of Commercial Street and includes the Saltcoats and District War Memorial that honours those from the community who enlisted in the wars 1914-1918, 1939-1945. It is a place to remember our debt to many and to renew our commitment to peace and justice in the world. Every year visitors stop to read the names on the monument. Here is a place from which to look out on Anderson Lake and the attractive poplar, aspen and other native trees and shrubs on the opposite shore. A wrought iron tree is adorned with hanging baskets of petunias. Moveable planters will this year give way to a small bed of mixed perennial and annual flowers. Grassed area and trees are provided with picnic benches where many choose to have a midday lunch in shade or sunshine. The Park is named for George Gunn, a man who, with his wife, Mabel, gave years of service to the community, a man who believed in the community, its people and its future. The fine stone wall, a decorative feature of the park, provides a great background for special event pictures. The wall was, for the most part, the creation of Cliff Erratt, a local man and community builder with a love for the pattern and texture of rock.
