Go play outside. Help, too.
That's the message in Coquitlam, whose parks managers this week introduced a new program called Park Spark: Bring Coquitlam Parks Alive!, a push to get more people to use the city's green spaces and to take ownership of parks.
The move is aimed at making Coquitlam's parks more fun by allowing community groups, businesses, schools and churches to host performances such as flash mobs and sing-a-longs, for example. And they will be permitted to put their own mark on civic events such as the Christmas light display at Lafarge Lake.
The city is also encouraging organizations to make a lasting legacy at parks. At Monday's council-in-committee meeting, staff cited last year's success stories: the Fortis BC dig at the Inspiration Garden and the Mundy Park construction project by students at Dr. Charles Best secondary and Hillcrest middle.
Due to be launched June 6, Park Spark will also serve as a rebrand of the traditional Adopt-A-Park program, which staff say has "limited appeal for many residents." Instead, Park Spark "will attract a new generation of volunteers" eager to maintain the city's 80 parks and natural areas at no cost.
Park Spark is being implemented in advance of the BC Seniors Games and the city's 125th birthday celebrations in 2016.
