The City of Oshawa is looking for feedback from the community on the two proposed concepts for the Dr. Blake Parkette. The Parkette will be located at the end of Royal Street, adjacent to the Oshawa Creek Valley and just south of the Pinewood Centre.

Designed by Basterfield & Associates Inc., the two concepts can be differentiated by the following features:

• Concept A: A more traditional design that includes a curved path with semi-circular playground area, curved seat wall and an information panel about Dr. Blake at each entrance.
• Concept B: A more modern design that includes a straight path with angular playground area, straight seat walls and an information panel about Dr. Blake at each entrance.

The Oshawa community is invited to view the proposed concepts and provide feedback by:

• completing a feedback form here on Connect Oshawa or on paper at Service Oshawa, located at City Hall (50 Centre Street South); or,
• attending a workshop on Thursday, February 27 between 6:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. at the Civic Recreation Complex (99 Thornton Road South) in the Bobby Orr Room

Feedback will be received until 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, March 12 and will be considered in the recommended parkette design that will be shared with Community Services Committee.

Last year, Oshawa City Council approved at the February 19 regular Council meeting the naming of a future parkette in honour of the late Dr. Buxton George Blake, an original founder of the Pinewood Centre of Lakeridge Health in Oshawa.

Dr. Blake was a resident of Oshawa for many years until he passed away in 2018. He worked as a psychologist who specialized in helping individuals with addiction health challenges. In 2014, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award under the African Canadian Achievement Awards Program and was one of the original founders of Storytellers of Canada and founder of the Durham Folklore Storytellers.