The land for Nellie Lunn Park in Wollaston Township, Ont., about 250 kilometers southwest of Ottawa, was bequeathed to the township in 1981 by Boleslaw Klincewicz, who fought in World War II. Klincewicz, who was near death at the time, had two conditions on the gift. First, the 40-hectare patch of underdeveloped mixed forest and wetlands in the rocky Canadian Shield should remain a public park. Second, he should be named after Nellie Lunn, the woman he called the “love of his life.” The city council, however, voted to sell the land in order to help raise money to build a fire hall. It led to protests outside the city council office, with people urging elected officials to change their minds. “This park is a very important asset to the borough in terms of green space as it is 97 per cent of council owned green space,” said JD Fentie, who is part of a group called Friends of Nellie Lunn Park. The need for a fire department, Fentie told CBC Radio’s All In A Day, does not justify selling the park. “It was estimated that the sale was going to fetch $150,000, maybe $250,000, and a fire hall would cost about $2.5 million,” Fentie said. “Well that’s a drop in the bucket.” All in one Day 8:36 A park bequeathed to the town in memory of the woman a World War II veteran loved is now up for sale in Wollaston. We will be coming from Friends of Nellie Lunn Park
A court order was sought
CBC News tried to reach the municipality last week for comment, but did not receive a response. Friends of Nellie Lunn Park have raised concerns that if the park falls into private hands, it could lead to developments that would have ripple effects on nearby Lake Wollaston. The group asked the court for injunctive relief. Fentie said in order to “delay the decision until the judge can see the arguments from both sides.” Fentie said Lunn’s descendants have written to the council, asking them to donate the land to charity.
