Celebrating new green space opening in downtown Listowel

North Perth, July 3, 2024 — The Municipality of North Perth was excited to host a ribbon cutting ceremony for the grand opening of the new parkette located in the downtown core of Listowel. The goal of the project was to promote local business by bringing people together in the downtown to an inviting, beautiful space that accommodates outdoor dining, events and gathering.  The new parkette and dining space is already being enjoyed by community members and visitors.

At today’s ribbon-cutting, the parkette’s new name ‘Character Square’ was announced. The new name will acknowledge and foster the role of this gathering space and character qualities in building belonging and welcoming to visitors and residents. Upcoming initiatives, including public art and signage, will utilize this name to guide the vision and use of the space. 

The new parkette is located on the municipally owned parking lot along Main Street East, between the TD Bank and Ward and Uptigrove building. Construction costs were well below the planned budget of $179,620. The Municipality of North Perth accepted funding support from the Listowel Business Improvement Area (BIA) and Libro Credit Union to purchase outdoor furnishings including tables, benches, and bike racks.

"Along with Council, I'm thrilled with the introduction of Character Square, a new parkette right on Listowel's Main Street. I have advocated, through my entire mayorship, for more beauty to be created in our public spaces, and have been engaged in this development from its origination to today. The need for places in our downtown to sit, chat, eat outdoors and play is met in part by this wonderful new spot, which I trust will serve us well now and into the future. My special thanks to Libro and the Listowel BIA for sharing our vision in this initiative!" said Todd Kasenberg, Mayor of the Municipality of North Perth.

"I’m excited with the addition of the downtown parkette to Listowel. By providing a space for people to gather, linger, and enjoy, we’re not just enhancing public seating, but also bolstering our local businesses. This parkette will undoubtedly attract more footfall, translating into increased opportunities for our business community," said Alyssa Kuepfer, Coordinator of the Listowel BIA.

Breanne Stafford, Regional Manager at Libro Credit Union, is thrilled about this partnership: “We’re excited to be investing in this thriving local community and look forward to seeing how this gathering space will come to life for local businesses and families.”

The Municipality of North Perth looks forward to the positive impact this space will bring to the community.

For more information, please visit www.northperth.ca or contact:

Kimberley Kowch, Economic Development Officer

Municipality of North Perth

T: (519) 292-2043

E: kkowch@northperth.ca