A St. Catharines park along the Welland Canals Parkway Trail has two new features aimed at visitors and trail users: a Peace Pole and a water bottle filling station.
The City of St. Catharines and the Rotary Club of St. Catharines Lakeshore unveiled the additions at Charles Ansell Gateway Park, with the municipal government matching the service club's initial funding amount, the City said.
The Peace Pole carries the message "May Peace Prevail on Earth" in four languages. It is part of a global movement that promotes peace and understanding, with similar poles standing in communities around the world.
The new water station will provide fresh drinking water for people visiting the park and those using the adjacent Welland Canals Parkway Trail, a popular route for walkers and cyclists in the region.
Beyond convenience, the station is intended to encourage the use of reusable bottles and reduce plastic waste.
Both projects were supported through the City's Parks Legacy Fund, a program that channels community contributions into improvements to public green space.
According to the City, the installations also reflect Rotary's twin focus on peacebuilding and environmental sustainability, two priorities the service club has long championed locally and internationally.
The Peace Pole tradition began decades ago and has spread to tens of thousands of locations worldwide, each pole carrying the same wish for peace in multiple languages. The St. Catharines installation joins others across Niagara and Ontario.
For residents and visitors exploring the parkway trail this summer, the new filling station offers a place to refill on longer outings, while the Peace Pole adds a quiet landmark to the greenspace.
The City and the Rotary Club of St. Catharines Lakeshore partnered on the projects, which are now in place at the park for the public to use.
