KINGSTON – The jewel in Kingston's waterfront park system is shining bright again.
Breakwater Park officially re-opened Thursday after being closed for almost two years for a $6.6-million renovation.
The renovated park now features a new sand beach, a pebble wading beach, a multiuse pathway and a pedestrian bridge connecting the mainland to the newly named Gord Edgar Downie Pier.
Naming the pier after Downie was a special tribute to one of Kingston's most famous resident.
Pat Downie said including their father's name Edgar in the name of the pier was a fitting tribute to his legacy and that of his brother's.
The redesign of the park was first proposed in 2012.
The rebuild of the park was first approved in 2013, when the budget was set at $4.2 million.
When city council finally signed off on the project, in March 2017, the cost had risen to $5.4 million but the budget increase was partly offset by a $1 million Canada 150 grant and $500,000 from the W. Garfield Weston Foundation that contributed through Swim Drink Fish Canada's Great Lakes Challenge.
Record high water and an unexpectedly large amount of contaminated soil that had to be removed pushed the final budget to $6.6 million.