Good news! We had a conditional offer on a house accepted on Saturday night. (Next up, finalizing the financing and getting the house inspected.) For the past two months we’ve been busy with house hunting, considering the pros and cons of the available properties and waiting for more to show up on the market. One of my criteria for living in town is being close to nature because I love to walk in the woods and want the kids to have plenty of natural spaces to play and explore, too. So as we became accustomed to living in the Owen Sound area I realized that my ideal house location was in between the library (obviously) and Harrison Park. Thankfully last week we found a house in this area that is big enough for all of us and fits our budget.

What is so great about Harrison Park? It has playgrounds, a bird sanctuary (trumpeter swans! pheasants!), a skating rink, and boat rentals. It also connects to the Bruce Trail and you can hike to the impressive Inglis Falls. Living within walking distance of Harrison Park will appease me about having a smaller backyard than the one I grew up with!

Here’s what you can learn about the history of Harrison Park from the historical plaques located there. Its origins can be traced to 1875. In that year John and Emma Harris bought a 150-acre farm including 80 acres of river bottomland, which they would develop into the park.

Backtracking a little, John Harrison was born in England in 1824 and immigrated to Canada at age six. In 1848 he and his brothers purchased a flour mill, the first industrial activity in Owen Sound. Harrison later purchased 19 acres for a saw mill.

After his purchase of the farm, Harrison’s great hobby was creating a public park. During the slow season he would send his employees from the mill to work on the park, where they cleared brush for paths, planted trees, and built outhouses and log bridges. By 1890 it was known as Harrison’s Pleasure Grounds.

After Harrison’s death his wife and children decided to donate the park to the city. In 1912, after the creation of a Parks Commission, the city was able to accept the offer, paying $5000 for the park (for legal reasons).

In 1913 the city added 9 acres to the park, made a driveway suitable for automobiles, set up riverstone entrance gates, and built a caretaker’s bungalow. Edward Brigham oversaw many improvements, such as narrowing the river from an almost swamp to a fast flowing stream, adding flowerbeds, and updating the roads and bridges. Local confectioner Charlie Thompson opened a refreshment stand, which in 1915 became a permanent pavilion, the original Harrison Park Inn. This restaurant still operates today (in a new building since fire destroyed the earlier one in 1985).

If you are ever in the Owen Sound area, I recommend visiting Harrison Park. You can take a long hike or just feed the birds and enjoy the playground. We hope to be living nearby this summer!