Then when you get the sexy time, then you get the family.
When the McGuinty government introduced Family Day to Ontario in 2008, many families were thrilled and embraced the opportunity to spend time together. It gave busy parents the opportunity to have some wintertime fun with the young ones. The day also provided those without children to relax, catch up with friends, or take a quick getaway. This year, we were invited by two families to join in on their outdoor excursion to Hog’s Back and Vincent Massey Park on Family Day 2012. We took in the beauty of nature within the city, and were surprised by sustainable design in the middle of Vincent Massey Park.
Vincent Massey Park is a great site for community gatherings, company picnics and family reunions. The park has quiet, wooded walking paths, rolling meadows, scenic vistas and open grassy areas for playing sports. With its picnic tables, electrical hook-ups and barbecue [BBQ] pits, Vincent Massey Park has all the amenities for an enjoyable picnic, large or small. There is one softball diamond and a bandstand at Vincent Massey Park. The Capital’s recreational paths also pass through the Park, making it an excellent place start exploring the Capital by bike. ~ [NCC]
Vincent Massey Park’s carbon neutral pavilion
Rather than simply “fixing up” the aging infrastructure at Ottawa’s Vincent Massey Park, the
NCC built a new service pavilion that incorporates several sustainable construction practices.
Designed in-house, the structure incorporates features such as low-flow toilets and waterless
urinals to reduce water consumption, as well as rainwater harvesting technology, which will
meet 90 percent of the pavilion’s water needs. Through the use of 27 solar panels, renewable
energy is being generated and fed back into the provincial power grid to fully offset any
energy consumed by the pavilion. It all results in net-zero energy consumption and a carbon
neutral building.
The work at Vincent Massey Park and the 30 solar panels installed at the Hog’s Back Park
pavilion represent the first projects to generate revenue for the NCC via the Ontario Power
Authority’s microFIT Program. The new service pavilion is expected to yield $5,000 in annual
