Gage Park, Brampton

Gage Park is an urban park in Brampton, Ontario, Canada. It is Brampton's oldest municipal park, originally opened in 1903. The park offers floral gardens, a gazebo, large trees, a fountain, trails for rollerblading and jogging, a children's play area, a wading pool, and summer evening concerts. Ice skating on the temperature-controlled skating trail is a popular wintertime activity.HistoryFor many years, Brampton survived without a public park. Public celebrations and large gatherings were either held at the Fair Grounds on Elliott Street or on the Athletic Grounds at Rosalea Park, but both were considered by residents to be far from the centre of town and lacked the shade of trees.In 1902, Sir William J. Gage (owner of Gage Publishing, a publishing house specializing in school text books) purchased a 3.25 acres (1.3 hectares) part of the gardens and lawns of the Alder Lea estate (now called Alderlea) that had been built on Main Street by Kenneth Chisolm in 1867 to 1870. (Chisholm, a merchant and founding father of Brampton, had been the Town reeve, then warden of Peel County, then MPP for Brampton and eventually, Registrar of Peel County.) Sir William donated 1.7 acres (0.7 hectares) of the property to the town, with a specific condition that it be made into a park. Citizens donated $1,054 and the town used the funds to purchase extra land to ensure a larger park.A park committee was appointed, consisting of members of the town council. Many trees were removed, gravelled walkways were prepared, all underbrush was removed and the land was levelled and seeded. W.J. Gage opened the park, the first municipal park in Brampton, on Dominion Day (Canada Day), 1903. Over the following years, a bandstand was erected and the Horticultural Society volunteered to properly label all the trees for the information of the general public.