EMBRUN – The township of Russell’s Jonathan Pitre Park is now open.
Located at 150 Sportsplex Street in Embrun, the new park is the first accessible park in the municipality with an accessible play structure, swings, boat, and senior exercise equipment. The planned tennis courts and basketball courts are still closed for construction.
While the idea for an accessible park has been brewing for several years, it became a reality when it was included as part of Phase 1 of Russell’s Recreation Complex Project. The name for the park was decided by council in December 2020 to honour former resident Jonathan Pitre, who died April 8, 2018, following a long battle with Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB). The township broke ground on the roughly $285,000 project in August 2021.
While a date has not been set yet, the township is planning to have a formal official opening ceremony. For updates on the upcoming ceremony, sign up for Russell’s email alerts through the municipal website (Russell.ca) and/or follow the township’s Facebook page.
