Not far from the noise of passing traffic and the smells of fast food burgers in Gasoline Alley is a treed park gaining in popularity.
Parkland Memorial Park on the west side of the Red Deer County commercial area is developing into a forest that everyone can enjoy, from families of deceased loved ones to travellers needing a stroll.
Opened in 2003, the park surrounds a wetland area that is home to geese, ducks and muskrat. Bridges, paths and park benches have been built.
Randi Lynn McRobbie-Johnson, funeral director for Parkland Funeral Home and Crematorium, said the park now has around 700 trees on the estimated four-acre property.
Ash, chokecherries and lilacs are the main staples, but also included are willows and rose bushes.
About 100 trees will be planted this spring.
“Some of the trees haven’t done so well because the area has a lot of salt,” said McRobbie-Johnson. “We try to replace the trees that have died.”
More than 200 of the 700 trees are available as a memorial tribute to a loved one.
“We tell people to go into the park, find a tree you like and the spot you enjoy,” McRobbie-Johnson said.
The families receive a name plaque to attach to the tree, using a twist tie, and then funeral staff nail the plaque to the post at the tree base.
Families who use the services of Parkland can choose a tree as part of their funeral service contract.
Those who have had a family member die in another part of the country, or have used another funeral home, can still choose a tree for a fee. A plaque is provided as well as an invitation to the fall dedication ceremony.
Last September, about 600 people attended.
Parkland Funeral Home looks after the tree planting and maintenance of the park. Once the park is filled with trees, it will be released over to Red Deer County control.
McRobbie-Johnson expects another 400 to 500 trees can be planted over the next several years before the park is finished.
“It will have quite a canopy on it because we’re planting the trees about six to 10 feet (1.8 to three metres) apart,” she said.
Although the trees still must mature, McRobbie-Johnson said it’s already become a prized natural area in the midst of businesses and the nearby Hwy 2.
Workers eat their lunch there, travellers stop to walk their dogs.
“I think it will be quite a busy little stop once the area gets more developed,” McRobbie-Johnson said.
ltester@www.reddeeradvocate.com