The stories behind our park names

River Park South

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 12/07/2023 (1119 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The L-shaped green space that occupies the area to the north and east of École George-McDowell on Paddington Road is known as Hal Rogers Park. It’s 2.37 hectares of outdoor space that is used 12 months of year for recreational and competitive sports, by all ages and from all over River Park South. Named for the founder of the Kinsmen and Kinette Clubs of Canada, it also includes a play structure, which was officially opened on June 13, 1996.

While the play structure has undergone several iterations as portions were repaired or replaced, it continues to be well used all year, even as original sections have been removed or dismantled. It remains part of one of the area’s largest spaces in the community named for an individual of note.

To the south, at the end of Paddington, is Malala Park, named after Malala Yousafzai, co-winner of the Nobel Peace Prize for 2014. Smaller, but no less inviting and with a front row seat to the south Perimeter Highway and the ongoing construction, it is a much newer addition to the area.

Across Winnipeg there are hundreds of parks named for individuals, a mapped list of which is accessible interactively at parkmaps.winnipeg.ca. It’s an interesting way to discover the background and history of the parks and spaces throughout the city. It doesn’t, however, explain why the park named for real estate developer Charles Enderton, in the Crescentwood area, is better known as Peanut Park.

I’m also curious about Grimsby Park, located next to Grimsby Place and on Paddington across from Hal Rogers Park. If you know anything, I’d love to be enlightened.

In my last column, I wondered out loud about an entire nest of duck eggs that disappeared from our yard overnight and without a trace. Denise Gray reached out to share a similar story, suggesting that the eggs hatched, Mama duck ate the calcium and mineral rich shells, and then led her brood to water and safety. I like this idea, which means they are all safe somewhere.

Summer is here. I hope July and August are everything you need and want them to be, including restful and relaxing.