Nellie Breen Park - Calgary, Alberta
Posted by: Groundspeak Regular Member wildwoodke
N 51° 02.453 W 114° 01.644
11U E 708383 N 5658576
This playground is located in Nellie Breen Park in the community of Inglewood in southeast Calgary, Alberta.
Waymark Code: WMGNCM
Location: Alberta, Canada
Date Posted: 03/23/2013
Published By:Groundspeak Premium Member Lord Elwood
Views: 1

This small park has a wonderful gazebo, comfortable seating areas and a large play area for the kids. There are several pieces of play equipment and a number of access points if you are walking up or parking.

Although the playground is fantastic, one of the best aspects of this playground and park is the gazebo with its tiled wall mosaics shows great participation from the community. Many of the children and families that would use the playground also make the gazebo one of their stopping points. A story about the gazebo is contained in the following article:

Gazebo, Nellie Breen Park

Calgary Herald
Published: Friday, June 18, 2010

The circle of words reads: dew, stir, sun, grow, leaf, rest, snow and sleep. Seen as a straight list, they lack a certain resonance perhaps, but ringing the vibrant sunburst tile at the apex of the gazebo in Nellie Breen Park, the words embody growth and potential.

Flanked by mature trees and a lively new park (reopened and renamed in honour of Inglewood legend Nellie Breen in 2009), the gazebo is a 'hood hub. Everyone from rumpled teens to grizzled granddads gathers amid the glittering tiles and fragrant wood.

The brainchild of artist Corinne Dickson-- who was also the impetus behind the mural adjacent to Crown Surplus--it refects as well the passion of the area's residents, who were determined to see the park reborn. "It's a beautiful testament to the community spirit in Inglewood," says Dickson.

In addition to the crowning sunburst, the once weary gazebo was resuscitated with 297 mosaic tiles, each one created by an Inglewood resident. Lining the walls of the gazebo inside and out. the mosaics reveal a range of interests, depicting everything from birds to horses to the yin-yang symbol.

Carmen Marquis and Adrienne Weare have lived next door to the park since 1998. For many of those years when they gazed at the gazebo they saw an empty and dilapidated structure. Now, however, their glance takes in squealing kids, indulgent moms and awkward teens enjoying the park. They also see a lot of people showing off their tiles to their pals. "You can really see relationships and community being developed here," Weare says. "People who might not connect otherwise form friendships."

Even tweens, bored with the mall, dump their skateboards at the entrance and slump onto the wooden benches. But, unlike other public spaces, the gazebo isn't covered in grafitti or awash in litter. (There is one small red tag scrawled on a beam, but that's it.) With its broad appeal, one might expect it to beckon late-night boozing, but there are no empty bottles or cigarette butts strewn around, just a sprinkling of blossoms from the apple tree.

Dickson would like to see the gazebo host more formal events along the lines of poetry readings and jazz jams. It would be a fitting use for the rejuvenated structure--just as long as the good people of Inglewood schedule their get-togethers sometime in the sun-grow-leaf period of the year and stay indoors during the rest-snow-sleep phase.

"

See: http://www2.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/swerve/story.html?id=55fdda24-d7a9-4fe7-9e9e-512d87a3dd6b

Park Entrance: N 51° 02.458 W 114° 01.635

Hours of Operation: From: 7:00 AM To: 11:00 PM

Seasonal?: no

Restrooms Available: no

Recommended for travelers?: yes

Business?: no

Entrance Fee: 0.00 (listed in local currency)

Playground Owned/Managed By:
City of Calgary Parks and Recreation


Playground Web Page: Not listed

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