Burlington's Itabashi Garden wins Parks and Recreation Ontario (PRO) 2020 Award of Excellence
*Please see the media release below issued by the City of Burlington.Burlington, Ont. — Feb. 7, 2020 — The City of Burlington’s Itabashi Garden, located at the Tansley Woods Community Centre at 1996 Itabashi Way, has been named the 2020 PRO Award of Excellence for Recreational Facility (non-aquatic) or Park Design, population over 100,000.The Japanese garden, designed by Virginia Burt Designs, opened on Canada Day 2019 with the official delegation from Itabashi, Japan, members of Burlington City Council, and the Consul-General of Japan in Toronto, Takako Ito.
"We are very excited about this Award of Excellence. The success of the Itabashi Garden is a result of the collaborative efforts of City staff with Burlington Mundialization Sub-Committee members, Landscape Architect Virginia Burt and the quality construction of the garden by Environmental Design Group. The Burlington team worked closely with the team in Itabashi, Japan, which shows the authenticity of the new Japanese garden. I encourage everyone to go see it for themselves. It truly is a beautiful garden." — Allan Magi, Executive Director of Environment, Infrastructure and Community Services
QUICK FACTS:
- The PRO award will be handed out during a special ceremony on March 26, 2020 in Collingwood, Ont.
- Burlington and Itabashi, Japan have been twin cities for 30 years.
- The Japanese garden’s design was inspired by gardens of the Itabashi area and the local Burlington landscape, including the escarpment and local plants.
For more information about the Itabashi Garden, visit burlington.ca/itabashi.MAYOR MEED WARD'S TAKE:This is fantastic news and well-deserved! I helped to open this garden with Itabashi Mayor Takeshi Sakamoto when he and the Official Itabashi Delegation were here in summer 2019. This garden is an amazing space and a perfect blend of two cultures.RELATED LINKS:
- Burlington Celebrating 30-years of Twinning with Official Delegation from Itabashi, Japan with Garden Opening and Other Activities
- Overview: Itabashi, Japan Mayor and Official Delegation Visit Burlington
- Overview: Official Burlington Delegation Visits Itabashi, Japan
--*Posted by John Bkila, Mayor's Media and Digital Communications Specialist