Wesley Clover Parks Fires on All Cylinders During the Quarter

Community hub Wesley Clover Parks was as busy as ever over the Quarter, hosting a range of programs and events. Here are several highlights:

Camp

  • The Wesley Clover Parks Campground introduced an online reservation system this season, enabling customers to select their camp site and complete the booking process online. Demand for ‘camping in the city’ remains very strong, and the new system processed more reservations during the Quarter than the campground had over the full 2017 season.
  • The Campground also played host to a unique group of guests this Quarter, as the Kanata Seniors Home “Senior’s Games” program paid a visit. Members of the program gathered around a campfire to sing songs, roast marshmallows and drink hot chocolate. At least that’s what they said they were drinking …

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Farm

  • The Community Supported Pollination Project returned to The Parks again this year, in partnership with Gees Bees Honey Company. The Project allows people to buy a seasonal share in an active beehive, meet their bees at harvest time, and receive a year’s supply of the resulting honey. Shares sold out in record time.
  • The Parks filled flowerbeds with pollinator-friendly flowers for the honeybees and butterflies in the area. This can make a real difference in the fight against declining bee numbers, and can provide a habitat and food for the entire life-cycle of a butterfly.
  • The summer hay harvest was also a big success. The quality of the hay continues to improve each year, and the team collected more than ever during the first harvest. One more harvest will take place before the cold weather hits, and the combined hay will sustain the many horses on site throughout the winter.

Gather

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  • Wesley Clover Parks hosted the inaugural Canadian Capital Classic Car Show during the Quarter. The new event welcomed more than 600 exhibitors and their vehicles, as well as more than 3,000 eager attendees. The weather, the program, the community response all exceeded expectations and confirmed the feeling that there is demand for such alternative programs at the Parks. We are committed to growing this ‘horses-of-a-different-sort’ event moving forward.
  • The Parks was also the host site for Kanata RibFest this summer. Featuring five guest “ribbers” from Canada and the United States, the festival offered ribs and other fare to meet all tastes, including slow cooked, BBQ, chicken, pulled pork and much more. No one left unsatisfied.

Play

  • The West Ottawa Soccer Club and Ottawa Sports and Social Club took full advantage of the FIFA turf field and four grass fields at the Parks during the Quarter, hosting a very full season of soccer, flag football and other sports practices and games.
  • The West Ottawa Soccer Club was also excited to establish the new West Ottawa Soccer Club Ontario League1 Women’s Team at the site. This team is now a member of the only pro-am senior league in the province, boasting a very high level of play for athletes and spectators alike. The league serves as a key stepping-stone between youth amateur ranks and professional clubs. The primary focus is on the development of future Canadian stars in the sport, and the semi-professional opportunity is an important one for top female players throughout eastern Ontario.

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Ride

  • The Ian Millar School of Horsemanship continued to be oversubscribed during the season, and the in-house WCP Equestrian riding team was similarly busy with shows and competitions, enjoying solid success throughout.
  • The 2018 Ottawa Equestrian Tournaments (OET) were a tremendous success once again, with more than 1,500 horses and thousands of visitors attending over the course of the three-week event. Now in its fourth year, organizers were able offer the richest purses to date, and attract international competitors from the United States, Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand and other countries.
  • Live video streams of two top competitions during the OET have now been viewed by equestrian enthusiasts worldwide more than 146,000 times, and have generated nearly 1,030,000 online impressions for Wesley Clover Parks and the event. Full results, photos and videos can be found through the Parks website: wesleycloverparks.com

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