On Wednesday, the City of Airdrie celebrated the completion of Gwacheon Park restoration work at Nose Creek Park.
The City also refreshed the park’s landscaping and installed interpretive signs along with a Korean archway known as a Hongsalmun.
"It’s important we preserve areas like Gwacheon Park, as they not only serve as a reminder of our community’s heritage but celebrate Airdrie’s diverse culture and provide a place for the enjoyment of public art and park green space", says Mayor Peter Brown.
According to the city, Gwacheon Park was established in 2003 to recognize the historical significance of the sister-city relationship between the City of Airdrie and Gwacheon, which was established in 1997.
"The work completed at Gwacheon Park was done under the guidance of a historical scroll, which established the relationship between the City of Gwacheon and Airdrie," says Kim Harris, culture specialist at the City of Airdrie. "The butterfly symbol of Gwacheon has been incorporated into the park’s central flowerbeds, flag poles and sitting area, and the Hongsalmun is meant to represent a cultural bridge between our cities’ past and present relationships. We invite Airdrie to come celebrate the park’s rejuvenation with us and to explore the newly added interpretive signage that explains how symbols of each city’s culture have been incorporated into the park to represent our communities’ friendship."
Mayor Peter Brown and Calgary Korean Association President Tony Choi both spoke at the commemoration celebration. The occasion also featured performances by musician and composer Ben Sures and the Calgary Korean Puripae Troupe.
"The restoration plan went so much better than I could have ever imagined. It's so much different to see it in person versus seeing it on a drawing. But even with the benches and the uniqueness of every piece, you kind of have to stand and take it all in. Some of these plants represent a lot of what Korean culture is, but also represent our own rich heritage here in Alberta," explained Brown.
He explained there were a few hiccups during the restoration, but he is excited it is now all complete.
"People from all over the world are moving here, and they're feeling welcomed, as part of the community, and that's such a special thing. Airdrie is a really special place, and I think it's very unique across Canada, and just very proud of the work that all of our teams did to complete this."
In 2007, the City of Gwacheon gifted Airdrie six totem poles in honour of the 10-year anniversary of the friendship between the two cities.
Sign up to get the latest local news headlines delivered directly to your inbox every afternoon.
Send your news tips, story ideas, pictures, and videos to news@discoverairdrie.com. You can also message and follow us on Twitter: @AIR1061FM.
DiscoverAirdrie encourages you to get your news directly from your trusted source by bookmarking this page and downloading the DiscoverAirdrie app.