North River community park a beehive of activity a week after completion

IN LOVING MEMORY
North River community park a beehive of activity a week after completion

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— Alice Murphy  is consoled during a moving ceremony on the grounds of All Hallows Elementary in North River on Saturday, June 8. A new community park was named in honour of her son, Cpl. Jamie Murphy, who was killed in action in Afghanistan in January 2004. Pictured with her are Sgt. James Butler of the Royal Canadian Regiment, and Lt.Gov. Frank F. Fagan. Coming around the corner to the rear of All Hallows Elementary in North River on a weekday afternoon last week, the scene that greets you is truly uplifting. The children of All Hallows Elementary had been waiting all day for the chance to use the new pieces of play equipment. When they finally got the chance to do so, they exploded in a scene of energetic chaos as they scrambled to use everything at their disposal. Looking up, you can see children zipping around the new Corporal Jamie Brendan Murphy Community Park, bouncing from one play structure to the other.
Each child carries with them a smile as wide as an ocean. They are shouting to their friends to come try this one, or join them in a rousing game of tag, or some other children’s pastime. These are the sounds of children being children, something that was restored when the impressive park was completed on June 8 in a moving display of communities coming together.“It’s just amazing,” Grade 4 student Andrew Tuck said on Wednesday evening, a smile lighting up his face. Andrew’s favourite new piece of equipment is the impressive and very unique rope dome, or what has been locally dubbed “The Cod Trap,” said to be the first of its kind in the province. It takes a village In a show of community spirit and pride that some say was unprecedented and heartwarming, more than 600 adults, students and special guests assembled on the school grounds June 8 for “build day,” a day-long process that felt just as much like a festival as it did a construction project. It was the climax of many months of fundraising and planning by a core group of some 20 parent volunteers and school staff members, led by co-chairs and parent volunteers Eddie Russell of Clarke’s Beach and Vincent Dawson of Cupids. Activities begin around 8 a.m., with hundreds of people donning special t-shirts and heading to the worksite (adults) to collect a shovel,
rake, wheelbarrow or wrench, while many dozens of children made their way to the soccer field for a day of activities.
Article rank 18 Jun 2013 The Compass BY NICHOLAS MERCER AND TERRY ROBERTS THE COMPASS
PhotobyNicholas Mercer/theCompass