At the top end of Coquitlam's Mackin Park - the heart of the French-Canadian enclave of Maillardville, where the city was born more than 100 years ago - the view is barely recognizable.
Mackin Yard, where Coquitlam Little League plays ball, is still there but the old wading pool and tennis wall are gone.
And the 3.2 acres facing Brunette Avenue that were once under-used are now bustling with families at the new skateboard ramps, spray park and playground - many of them enjoying picnics on the surrounding green lawns.
The revamp has been several years in the making and allowed Maillardville residents - some new to the gentrifying community, others longtime homeowners with pioneering relatives - to have a say in the redevelopment of the oldest civic park in Coquitlam.
On Friday, after more than a year of construction, the city will officially reopen Mackin Park with an afternoon and evening party.
Kevan Cornes, Coquitlam's manager of facilities, operations and construction in the parks department, said the city is getting rave reviews about the renovation, the architecture for which was done by Van der Zalm and Associates.
"I think they did a great job," said Al Boire, executive director of the Place Maillardville community centre, who is on the city's Maillardville Commercial and Cultural Advisory Committee. "The city incorporated most of the objectives from the consultations and gave the park a fresh, new look."
When it came to renew the north end of the park, Cornes said the city was forced to upgrade all the servicing connections (mostly electrical), which increased the original $2.2-million budget to $2.6 million.
As well, in 2011, the city had to go back to the drawing board after Metro Vancouver said it needed access to its utility rights of way that run west to east in the north end. The regional district said it didn't want concrete poured or trees or fill covering the rights of way in case it needed to get to its water and sewer lines.
As a result, "we were really restricted with what we could do here," Cornes said during a tour on Wednesday.
Funded by city development cost charges (DCCs), infrastructure cash and a $250,000 grant from the federal government, construction for Phase 1 started last February with the plaza-style skateboard ramps and spray park; the second phase centred on the washrooms, the plaza and a playground for six- to 12-year-olds.
But what makes the park upgrade special are the French flairs: The washroom facilities are in a concrete tilt-up with stone work and dormers to resemble a French cottage; there is a French-style garden and an outlook where a few wedding photos have been snapped recently as well as wrought-iron fences and old-fashioned lamp standards; and fleur de lis symbols are incorporated underfoot.
As well, stamped in the plaza stones are the words: "Bienvenue a Parc Mackin."
The spray park also has removable pieces that can be interchanged with components at the new Galloway spray park on Burke Mountain. If taken out, the Mackin spray park can convert into a staging area for performances.
Fully accessible, the park "is built to be a gathering place for all ages and abilities," Cornes said. "And I think it's something that Coquitlam can be proud of."
The re-opening of Mackin Park (1046 Brunette Ave.) is Friday from 2 to 8 p.m. and includes free entertainment plus food and activities.
jwarren@tricitynews.com
HISTORY
Once a green space where cows grazed, the south part of Mackin Park was used in the 1930s by the Circle F baseball team, which was made up of Fraser Mills workers and their families. In September 1942, Henry James Mackin, Fraser Mills' manager, donated the field on behalf of the Canadian Western Lumber Co. to the district of Coquitlam for a civic park; he attached donation for its development and, thus, the park carries his name.
