In a post on their Facebook page Friday, the volunteers who run Kivi Park in the South End announced plans to honour the late Lily and Cliff Fielding by naming the two play structures in their honour.
“It was Mrs. Fielding’s direction and intent to dedicate the eastern playground to her husband of 68 years, but she didn’t have the opportunity during her lifetime,” the post said. “With her passing, the Kivi Park volunteer team would like to fulfill her wish by naming the eastern play structure the ‘Cliff Fielding Playground.’
“We would also like to honour Mrs. Fielding by naming the western, natural wooden play structure for younger children the ‘Lily Fielding Playground.'”
The couple was focused on helping the community, had a passion for the outdoors “and (their) philanthropic vision will be united together at Kivi Park with this tribute.”
The park is inviting the public – especially young people – to a celebration of both of their lives -- and their generous donations to Kivi Park -- at a barbecue and ribbon cutting ceremony sometime this fall.
“Once a date has been set, we will notify the community,” the Facebook post said.
Lily Fielding was born in the Long Lake area and it was where she and Cliff Fielding lived, got married and raised their children.
When Long Lake Public School closed in 2012 due to budget constraints, she purchased the land and donated to Greater Sudbury. In 2016, she celebrated her 100th birthday by donating $1 million to purchase an additional 300 acres of land, which became Kivi Park. She later donated another 150 acres of land, marking a total of 450 acres, along with another donation of more than $2 million to continue to develop the park.
Kivi Park was named after Lily’s parents, Susanna and John Kivi, and the Finnish residents who originally settled in the Long Lake area of Greater Sudbury.
