St. Lawrence Park 1927
Dominion Day, July 1, 1927 One hundred years ago, the citizens of Brockville were debating the issue of purchasing one of the only pieces of undeveloped riverside properties to create a public park. It would be a long way out of town, at the western edge of what was known as “The Pines”. Both the Pines, and the “Malloch Property”, to its west, were for sale. The impetus for this acquisition by the Town Council was led by “Bill” Shearer, the secretary of the Brockville Board of Trade, and one of the town’s first real estate brokers. He was a real “Brockville Booster”and was active in most local initiatives in Brockville at the time. Shearer brokered the deal that led to the setting up of St. Lawrence Park. A bronze plaque to praise his efforts was mounted in 1909, and is still in place on a large rock outcropping near the parking lot . In July 1908 a deal was made by the Town of Brockville to purchase a 13-acres parcel of land from Alice and Dr. Archie Malloch, residents of Hamilton, Ont. The property has been owned by his father, Judge George Malloch. This is the land which now forms the majority of St. Lawrence Park. Most of the parkland which we now enjoy on the waterfront in the centre of downtown Brockville was, at that time, in private hands, from Orchard St. in the east to St. Paul St. in the
west. The factories occupying these sites were still thriving and dominated the shoreline. The new St. Lawrence Park was formed, as a last resort, west of the present Rivers Ave. and contained 630 feet of good accessible shore and beach. The purchase price was $7500, but this had to be financed by a 30-year mortgage at 5% interest which first had to be approved by a referendum of eligible ratepayers. The population of Brockville then was 8,500 and this represented a major expense. This photograph shows the typical outdoor activities that have been enjoyed by Brockvillians for the last 100 years, in this case Dominion Day, 1927. The building in the picture is the REYNOLDS BATHING & PICNIC PAVILION, built and dedicated in 1926. The cost of the building was donated by Mayor Walter B. Reynolds (1869-1949), with the support of the Rotary Club, in memory of his son, Allan W. Reynolds who passed way when only 24 years old in 1925. It still exists here in the park as a useable feature. Later, the park was further expanded by the purchase of additional land in 1958 from the Rivers family. Shortly thereafter the Town sold a portion of this land to the Public Utilities Commission who then proceeded to build a new Water Filtration Plant at the south-eastern part of the property. On the westerly side of the present park, a sign dated 1989 gives recognition to the donation of land which was for many years the property of Philips Cables Ltd. and is now used for camping.
Source: The picture is from a photograph owned by © Copyright -Doug Grant, August 2009
, Landsdowne