Town announces opening of Bravery Park to honour Canadian soldiers

The grand opening for Orangeville’s Bravery Park is set for September 3, following years of planning and fundraising. For the Bravery Park Committee, the site off Riddell Road, represents a dream come true to honour Canadian soldiers.

The grand opening, set for 9 a.m., will include a military parade, a Snowbirds fly-by, and attendance by Canadian Forces representatives, including keynote speaker Jodi Mitic, a retired elite sniper in Afghanistan. Ontario’s Lieutenant-Governor, The Honourable Elizabeth Dowdeswell, will officially open the park with Dufferin-Caledon MP Kyle Seeback, and Solicitor General and MPP Sylvia Jones in attendance. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, capacity will be limited. Watch the Town of Orangeville’s Facebook for a live account of the ceremonies.

Bravery Park is a living testament to our Canadian soldiers. Bravery Park will promote both awareness and understanding of the sacrifices and struggles our Canadian Forces undergo to promote peace at home and worldwide. It is an educational space where the realities of war, bravery and freedom are embedded in every aspect of the park.

Significant park features include the impressive statue of two Afghan children gifting a butterfly to a Canadian soldier, with the butterfly being a symbol of peace, change and trust. The sculpture was created by local artists Donna Pascoe and Peter Turrell. A $45,000 Veterans Affairs Monument Grant helped make the piece possible. The park also features an eye-catching memorial stone, with a beautiful image by artist Danny Hahlbohm, paying tribute to all Canadian soldiers -- the fallen, those still serving, our veterans, the injured and those with PTSD. Major donors for the $13,685 stone are Rory MacKinnon of the Riddell Road McDonalds, Hear Well Be Well, and St. John’s United Church Foundation.

Bravery Park holds particular significance for Valerie and Shannon McGrady, who lost a son and brother respectively. Cpl. Matthew McCully was a member of Canada’s elite Operational Mentoring and Liaison Team, responsible for training the Afghan National forces. On May 25, 2007, while conducting a joint Afghan-Canadian foot patrol west of Kandahar, Cpl. McCully stepped on an improvised explosive device. He died not only trying to protect his country but training Afghan soldiers to protect their own. Valerie and Shannon McGrady and the Bravery Park Committee have made it their mission to ensure Canadian soldiers stay at the forefront of our minds. Matthew’s unit at the Canadian Army base in Petawawa will be represented at the opening of Bravery Park.

“As a country, we do an incredible job of honouring our fallen soldiers,” Shannon McGrady says. “Our family has continued to receive the utmost respect and support since Matthew’s passing.  However, much of Canada remains unaware of the daily sacrifices our troops make to serve Canada. They sacrifice months, even years, with loved ones to complete humanitarian and environmental missions all over the world. Some of these missions expose them to extreme poverty and danger, often having a lasting impact on their mental health.  Bravery Park will help foster a culture of support so that our soldiers know they are supported both on and off the battleground.”

The park project has grown significantly since Ms. McGrady thought about enhancing a neighbourhood park to create a tribute to Canadian soldiers. Fundraising has led to the creation of an inspiring statue with a pedestal base that forms part of a Victoria Cross, a memorial stone, benches, an accessible picnic table, interpretive plaques, a medicine garden (thanks to the Dufferin County Cultural Resource Circle), and a children’s playground (donated by the Lions Club of Amaranth).

The Bravery Park project cost approximately $200,000, covered by community and GoFundMe donations. The Town donated the land, staff assistance, and a $5,000 community matching grant. Orangeville’s Bravery Park plan was the first proposal of its kind in Canada, with a second one now developed in Prince George, British Columbia.  

About Bravery Park TM

Peter Prakke, a well-known horticulturalist from Ancaster, Ontario was inspired to have allergy-friendly parks called “Bravery Parks” as a tribute to the men and women of the Canadian Forces for their courage, their dedication to freedom and recognizing the sacrifices they make for all of us. When Peter learned of Valerie McGrady’s vision to have a park in Orangeville to honour Canadian soldiers, it made perfect sense that it would become the first Bravery Park.