WTS – What the Surrey #24: Holland Park and Surrey's Spirit Square for BC150

This morning I was reminded on Keira’s post about BC150, the celebration around the Province in honor of its 150th birthday. A big part of the festivities includes the dedication of Spirit Squares.

These squares will celebrate our heritage and achievements – past, present and future – and leave a legacy for current and future generations to enjoy.

Spirit Squares will reflect the unique character, diversity, cultural and First Nations heritage and history of our communities, sharing that richness with residents and visitors alike. [Spirit Squares]

Through Paul’s new CivicSurrey blog, I also found out that the latest Spirit Square will be built in Surrey’s Holland Park.

Photo Credit: Paul Hillsdon on Flickr

Surrey applied last year for Spirit Squares at Holland Park in Whalley, in Newton near the Wave Pool, and in Downtown Cloverdale. Apparently, the City has received the approval of a square in Holland Park. No word on whether the other two will proceed.

Holland Park is currently undergoing a painstakingly slow upgrade to become Surrey’s first “urban park”. It is one of the few “major projects” that the City has actually funded in an effort to revive the City Centre area. [CivicSurrey]

Other Spirit Squares around BC include (but are not limited to): Revelstoke, Maple Ridge, Merritt, Williams Lake, West Vancouver, Langley (Township), Lytton, Quesnel, Castlegar, Coquitlam, Village of Cumberland, Sechelt, Campbell River, and Victoria.

I’m glad Holland Park is getting the rejuvenation it needs after being clearcut over the last few years and I must admit I love going to community events back in Surrey.

Photo Credit: Paul Hillsdon on Flickr

Speaking of such, there will be a Grand Opening celebration for Holland Park taking place May 24th from 11:00am to 4:00pm that will mark the completion of the entire project. This is a free event with activities for the entire family.