GUELPH’S RIVERSIDE PARK
by Bill Birdsell
In my opinion Guelph’s Riverside Park is the most inclusive, vibrant, innovative and equitable public space in the whole city. It is a space that brings everyone together in an inclusive fashion, where people from different groups can meet face to face and mingle in a climate otherwise characterized by social isolation, financial disparity and extreme division of opinion.
In a city, known for its natural beauty and recreational activities, Riverside Park is a large, popular green space covering about 80 acres (32 hectares). The city opened this major park in 1905, partly to increase volume for the streetcar operation. The plan proved successful for the radial railway, which operated until 1939, as a precursor to today’s Guelph Transit. According to civic records the park originally included an ice-cream building, bandstand, swings, a shooting gallery and a zoo. In addition, public swimming by both sexes was encouraged at the "Old Swimming Hole" at Simpson's Mill dam on the Speed River. Change rooms and supervised swimming lessons were provided.
The park today offers, great views of the river, controlled shallow areas where you can comfortably wade into the water, extensive walking trails, picnic spots, playgrounds, baseball diamonds and disc golf. It also hosts major city events, such as Canada Day and Labour Day picnics, fireworks and drone displays, as well as other seasonal events such as the Multi-cultural festival, Ribfest and Sparkles in the Park.
When I moved my young family to Guelph in 1990, we settled within walking distance of the park. As a result of the proximity of park pavilions, the kid’s zone play area, antique carousel and the Riverside Express miniature train, it became our favoured spot for recreational outings and affordable birthday parties for the kids.
It even possesses a historical anchor for my Architectural firm. Guelph Fire Station #2, located on the south-east corner of the park, and opened in 1964, was designed by my late partner, William R. Jarrett, Architect.
As a nod to Guelph’s agricultural heritage, The Floral Clock and Gardens date from 1954. Thousands of vibrant plants are meticulously maintained to provide beauty and colour year-round and a perfect setting for photographs of weddings anniversaries and community organization events.
Up a small rise and behind the gardens, there is a scale model of the first house built in Guelph by John Galt. Christened The Priory, it was a cabin made of laterally stacked logs and served multiple purposes. it was occupied by Galt and his family from 1827. Later, it functioned as a tavern, a post-office and, in 1887, a railway station.
The antique carousel (circa 1919) bought from Conklin traveling amusements in 1970 is one of only 148 antique wooden horse carousels still existing in Canada and the United States. It was maintained partly through the efforts of famous local artist Ken Danby until 1999, when a permanent structure was built to house it. Adjacent to the carousel pavilion is Riverside Park’s miniature train the "Riverside Express" (circa 1964), a fully operational miniature replica of a 1950s locomotive and passenger cars, riding a 650 m rounded triangular shaped track.
Adjacent to the Riverside Express lies the baseball diamond, and beyond that, the band shell.
Guelph has been a musical hot spot since 1849, when the city’s first band, The Sunley Band, played for Lord Elgin, Governor-General of Canada, who had stopped in town. It still boasts a rich musical history from early bands in the 1940s to current festivals like the Hillside Music Festival and Guelph Jazz Festival. The Riverside Park Bandstand is home to the Guelph Concert Band and its popular Summer Concerts in the Park series, as well as the music enjoyed by all the frequent festival goers.
Guelph celebrates its Black musical heritage, showcasing its evolution from formal classical roots to contemporary, multicultural sounds. Much of this heritage is given a home and support by such institutions as the River Run Centre and Guelph Youth Music Centre. The River Run is a multi-purpose performing arts venue, overlooking the picturesque Speed River in the heart of historic downtown Guelph. GYMC is located in a unique renovated mill also adjacent to the Speed River. Its program educates, enriches and fosters the development of our youth through music and the arts.
Most recently, the park has become host to the BlindSquare pilot at Riverside Park—an accessibility initiative that uses a cutting-edge GPS app to help people who are blind, deafblind, or partially sighted navigate the public space independently. Riverside Park is the first municipal park in Guelph to implement this technology. The implementation of the project was made possible by a donation from the Lions Club of Guelph, in recognition of club members David and Lois Lamble.
Just recently, I took my grandkids to the festive Christmas light display, “Sparkles in the Park,” which is open for 18 nights and is capped off by fire works on New Year’s Eve. You can walk the path and enjoy Sparky the Train or drive through in the warmth of your car but either way it’s an annual treat.
All of these special features, taken as a whole, and encompassing a space that plays host to tens of thousands of people of diverse ages, abilities and backgrounds makes Riverside Park the most inclusive place in Guelph. Riverside Park has been hosting the people of Guelph and beyond for over a century and is one of the features that make Guelph a good place to live.
Winter images by Author. Summer images courtesy of the City of Guelph.