Benches may be donated to any City of Ottawa park provided there is an accessible pathway and room to add a new bench as determined by City staff. The bench becomes part of the City’s inventory and is maintained by the City for the life of the bench. The cost estimate is $3,100 to $3,500 including HST depending on site conditions and the size of the commemorative plaque. Due to many previous donations, there are three parks which are considered full: Andrew Haydon Park, the peninsula at Dick Bell Park (Nepean Sailing Club), and Playfair Park. Also, NCC owned parks are not eligible for City of Ottawa bench commemorations.
An interactive map of City of Ottawa parks can be found online at ottawa.ca (it takes a moment to load). If you are interested in proceeding, please send the name of the City of Ottawa park you have in mind to the city contact listed below.
In the meantime, another step in the process is to send the wording you would like on the plaque. It is best to keep it short as the more text, the larger and more expensive the plaque becomes. The City will review and translate the plaque wording and send you a Letter of Agreement requesting a $500 deposit. We will obtain a quote and plaque mock-up from our supplier for your review and approval. Once a location has been selected, and you have approved the quote and plaque mock-up, and we have received the $500 deposit and Letter of Agreement, the bench and plaque can be ordered.
Some items to note:
- The bench must be located on an accessible pathway as per provincial AODA requirements.
- A plaque cannot be added to an existing bench.
- The commemorative park bench program does not include lifecycle replacement of existing benches. If there is a concern regarding an existing park bench that is in poor condition, please report it through the 311 system which will be directed to Park Operations for their review and action.
CONTACT
Warren Bedford (ENG) at 613-580-2424, ext. 25144 or via e-mail at warren.bedford@ottawa.ca .
