Little Norway Park

Little Norway Park is a small park in the Harbourfront area of Toronto, Ontario, Canada at the southwest corner of Bathurst Street and Queens Quay West. The park is just north of the Western Channel into Toronto Harbour.[1] It was opened in 1986.

Little Norway Park
Location of the park in Toronto
TypePublic Park
LocationToronto, Ontario, Canada
Coordinates43°38′04″N 79°23′54″W
Area2.36 ha (5.8 acres)
Created1986 (1986)
Operated byToronto Parks
WebsiteLittle Norway Park

History

The name of the park commemorates Little Norway, the exiled Royal Norwegian Air Force training base that had occupied the site during the Second World War.[2] In 1976, a 3,000 pound boulder from Norway was transported to the location to serve as a permanent monument to that time. It was unveiled by Crown Prince Harald of Norway on September 18, 1976.[3] The base's location was cleared and in the 1980s, an apartment complex was built along the western side. The rest of the former base was converted into a park and opened in 1986. The park was officially dedicated Little Norway Park on November 20, 1987, in a ceremony featuring King Olav V of Norway.[4]

Operations

Existing park facilities include a baseball diamond and soccer pitch, playground and wading pool, public washrooms, as well as landscaped gardens and art installations.[2] The park also has a wheelchair-accessible children's playground in its northwest corner.[5][6] There is a totem pole in the park near Queens Quay West.[7] A flagpole has a plaque at its base explaining the significance of the park and its history.

The park is also a meeting and protest site in downtown Toronto. In 2007, aboriginal peoples gathered at Little Norway Park to protest broken treaties.[8]

City plans to create an "off-leash" area or dog park there in 2009 have created some controversy, with residents complaining of the lack of notice or consultation and the proximity to children playing, and pointing out that there is another dog park 400 metres away.[9][10][11]

References
  1. Aerial view of the Western Channel and Billy Bishop airport, Accessed 2012-10-09.
  2. "Little Norway Park". Parks, Forestry & Recreation. City of Toronto. Retrieved January 22, 2014. Its name commemorates the World War II training base, used by the Norwegian Air Force, that once existed on the site.
  3. "Prince to Unveil Monument". Toronto Star. September 8, 1976. p. B01.
  4. Reid, Susan (November 20, 1987). "King returns to wartime 'Little Norway'". Toronto Star. p. A06.
  5. Aerial view of the park, looking southwest, Accessed 2012-10-09.
  6. Part of the wheelchair playground, Accessed 2012-10-09.
  7. Merritt, Shaun (May 31, 2009). "Dreamwork of the whales". Spacing. Retrieved June 9, 2009.
  8. Lewkowicz, Justine (June 29, 2007). "Aboriginal people gather in Little Norway Park". CFRB, Newstalk 1010. Archived from the original on June 15, 2007. Retrieved June 9, 2009.
  9. Spice, Kimberly (June 9, 2009). "Fury unleashed in Little Norway Park dogs vs. kids feud". The Bulletin. Retrieved June 9, 2009.
  10. Valliere, Leigh (April 22, 2009). "LETTER: Dogfight over Little Norway off-leash area". The Bulletin. Retrieved 2012-10-09.
  11. "Proposed Off-Leash Area in Little Norway Park and Coronation Park". Website of Toronto councillor Adam Vaughan. April 15, 2009. Archived from the original on 2009-04-18. Retrieved June 9, 2009.
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