ST. JOHN'S — Tears ran down Kelly Hickey’s face Monday as she and her beagle Daisy set feet and paws on the gravel paths of Bannerman Park in St. John’s for the first time since March.
“Honestly as I was on the corner and I saw the chains were gone and people were in the park, I started to cry … it was so hard not having this space,” said Hickey, who welled up again as she described her relief.
Living downtown, her four-year-old Violet has always played in the park and Hickey was unsure what her reaction would be at not being able to use the still forbidden playground equipment when her daughter returns to Bannerman.
“As a family you don’t know what is reasonable to ask a four-year-old,” Hickey said, though she noted how adaptable children are, and they can find a way to run and play without getting close.
When Bannerman and all the other city parks were ordered closed down March 24, it was like a punch in the chest, said Hickey, who despite toughness of restrictions was totally supportive of the actions taken by the provincial and federal governments.
She was not alone in her tears of joy Monday.
Any other spring and a walk in the park would not be news, would not so seem special.
But there was an emotional feeling for many who entered public parks for the first time after some of the darkest days of the COVID-19 crisis shuttered them with what was — back in March — no idea how long the bleak times would continue to last or how much worse they might get.
But as the province shifted into Alert Level Four Monday, parks were among the places springing to life and it felt more normal, more hopeful.
People were chilly but cheerful. Dogs were smiling. Joggers sprinted with a bouncier gate.
Bicycles built for two glided through Bowring Park while toddlers peddled their tiny two wheelers in Bannerman Park.
The little skater girl statue in Bannerman Park’s The Loop seemed to have a brighter expression after the past lonely months while the Peter Pan statue in Bowring Park continued to play its pan flute silently to a waterfowl-only audience as the duck pond remained closed to the public, cordoned off by snow fencing and no trespassing signs.
Early morning Monday the parks were spotless, park staff putting the finishing touches on cordoned off areas, like skateboard ramps and playground equipment and fenced off picnic tables. Washrooms were open and being cleaned twice a day. (Pools and splash pads, among other sensitive areas are to remain closed).
There was some confusion as people arrived between 7:30 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. and chains were still on the gates and barricades in the parking lot at Bowring Park, but they were all gone by mid-morning, except the lot nearest the east duck pond.
But the directional signs and social-distancing instructions were all ready to go first thing — narrow paths one way and wider paths with two way traffic six metres apart.
Other parks didn’t have any signs yet and one east-end park confused some playground users until staff arrived to cordon off the equipment.
Some park staff remained a bit apprehensive of how much the public would obey the rules as the parks become more crowded, the weather nicer.
Equipment in all 136 playgrounds was cordoned off with either snow fencing or caution tape several weeks ago when parks were closed, but weather conditions and vandalism have required that staff reinstall closure devices occasionally, a city spokeswoman said
The majority of the picnic tables have been wrapped in snow fencing or caution tape, with closed signs attached. The remaining will be addressed today.
As for directional signs, they are only required where paths are too narrow to provide two-metre separation for two-way travel. Bannerman Park is one example of an open area with no restrictions in trail width and signs are not required, the city said.
Some items made ready last week were also affected by weather and other events over the weekend that required repair work Monday morning.
At Bowring Park Monday morning Ed Hartling, took a morning walk with his greyhounds, Doctor, Deano and Strax, each sporting a winter tartan coat.
Before the lockdown they might walk there sometimes twice a day and while they walked the streets during the park closures it wasn’t the same, he said.
“They like the grassy areas. There’s more to smell. They’re used to this route,” Hartling said.
And social distancing on a sidewalk is a bit tricky with three dogs.
“Very carefully,” Hartling said of how that’s done. “You have to keep crossing the street.”
The UPS employee also enjoyed stretching his legs in the park for a nice change.
“Oh God, it’s been busier than Christmas,” he said, adding his company has been on top of cleanliness and personal protective equipment.
Ed Donovan of Mount Pearl was eager to get into Bowring Park and see the familiar morning regulars and find out how they made out after so much time away.
“The old crowd … I may not know their names,” he said. “But there’s face recognition.”
Anita Fowlow walks an hour and a half a day, taking turns at places like Bowring, Manuel’s River and Signal Hill and she was missing the scenery.
“I’m absolutely excited,” she said.
For Gloria Rodgers, a walk in the park Monday was bittersweet, but she clapped her hands and cheered.
“I am so happy,” she said.
Rodgers’ husband died 16 months ago and she was attending a bereavement group and met someone who had lost his wife.
They would walk together in the park and were about to start their life together when Ken Williams died suddenly in November.
Coming back to the park Monday, Rodgers visited favourite spots such as benches they would sit on and the memories flooded back. But still there was joy she could return to a beloved space.
She’d walked past the park heading for the St. John’s waterfront while Bowring was closed.
“It was hard to pass by here and not come in. It was a very emotional time. But I love it here,” Rodgers said.
Meanwhile, at Bannerman park, two-year-old Fintan Parfrey said, ‘Oh, oh,” as he strolled by the cordoned off playground equipment with his dad, Kevin.
He seemed content to walk and run around and his father was happy to give him the room.
“Will people start coming out and start utilizing the green space? I hope so,” Kevin said as the park steadily began to gather people.
“It’s fabulous,” said Gord Kelland, who was walking with Pam Tobin.
They were enjoying the peace and quiet away from traffic.
John Hennebury was walking his daughter’s dog, Turkish, who was busy sniffing the shrubs for the first time since March.
“I am absolutely unbelievably satisfied that we are allowed back,” said Hennebury, who grew up in a family of 10 in the Queen’s Road area and played there as a boy.
His children and wife took swimming lessons at the pool. He has seen the park go through rough times, and seen it improve one thousand per cent.
This year will be different and the large gatherings will be absent — no folk festival, no-after Pride parade promenade. But Bannerman will live on.
“I never take this park for granted … But I don’t know how to describe how it felt to have missed it. I appreciate it that much more” Hennebury said.
“The people who take care of this place should be given medals. They don’t just take care of it, they take pride … Bowring Park has got nice rivers but this has got a community.
Twitter: @BarbSweetTweets
