Don Boudria Park to become focal point of community life
Cumberland City Councillor Stephen Blais, joined by the Hon. Don Boudria, P.C. and members of the Boudria Family and Orléans Little League Baseball, broke ground on the largest community park in Avalon Encore.
“Don Boudria Park will quickly become the focal point of community life in Avalon Encore,” says Blais. “Ensuring vibrant parks that cater to the interests of all residents has been a primary focus for me since I was first elected.”
In addition to play structures, the 3.76 hectare Don Boudria Park will also feature a Little League size baseball field and a fully fenced dog park.
“With more interest in Little League baseball than ever before, we were thrilled to partake in an effort to bring a top tier baseball facility to Orléans. Thanks to Councillor Blais, our players will enjoy one of the best facilities in the City.” Rob Lay, President, Orléans Little League.
The dog park is the first in Cumberland Ward to be fully planned and integrated into a new park construction. With 43,000 square feet of fenced area, dogs will have ample space to run around and have fun.
In 2018, Councillor Blais was proud to propose naming the new community park after Mr. Boudria.
“From his time on Cumberland Town Council, Queen’s Park, Parliament Hill and in Cabinet, Mr. Boudria has been a tireless champion for our community,” says Councillor Blais. “The Don Boudria story is uniquely Canadian – from humble beginnings to lofty heights as a result of hard work, integrity and persistence.”
Park Amenities
- Baseball diamond (we worked with Orleans Little League Baseball on the field size to accommodate the younger players (9-12 years of age).
- Also includes two accessible blenches, and fenced warm-up areas on either side of the diamond.
- Fenced dog park with decomposed granite paving
- We have also included adjacent to the dog park an underground waste collection system to address dog waste collection and reduce the maintenance work associated with servicing a regular waste receptacle.
- Multi-purpose court/boarded rink
- Permanent rink shack
- Puddle rink for leisure skating
- Play structure equipment including junior and senior structure along with five swings (2 belts, 2 buckets and 1 accessible seat)
- Sand play area
- Shade shelter with seating area
- Benches throughout the park
- Parking lot
View the plans as a pdf here.
[ngg src=”galleries” ids=”2″ display=”basic_thumbnail”]
THE HONOURABLE DON BOUDRIA, P.C.
The Honourable Don Boudria was born in Hull, Quebec in 1949. Not long after, the family returned to Sarsfield where Don still resides to this day. A proud resident of the former Township of Cumberland, Don Boudria served his community as Councillor (1976-1981), Member of the Provincial Parliament for Prescott-Russell (1981-1984) and Member of Parliament for Glengarry-Prescott-Russell (1984-2006).
During his storied parliamentary career, he was Minister for International Cooperation, Minister responsible for La Francophonie, Minister of Public Works and Government Services and Receiver General for Canada as well as Leader of the Government in the House of Commons. He also served as Chief Government Whip. In total, he was elected ten consecutive times, and at all three levels of Government.
He and his wife Mary Ann have two children, Daniel and Julie, and 5 grandchildren. He served as a member of the Cumberland Township recreational committee and was founding vice-president of the Sarsfield Optimist Club, founding member of the Sarsfield Knights of Columbus, founding president of the Cumberland Township Non-profit Housing Corporation. He is the sponsor of the annual Honourable Don Boudria scholarship for studying Canadian history at the University of Ottawa.