My brother Steve and I decided to dedicate a park bench to our parents Ray and Joan Smith, who died in 2007 and 2009 respectively. An old railroad track has been converted into a pleasant trail along the Parry Sound waterfront with great views over what the locals call the North Channel and of Georgian Bay. In the woods just off the path is where we arranged for the bench to go.
Steve already has a great apartment on the hill behind the Town Beach. The location he chose for the bench is wonderful; about 200 paces from his front door. The bench is secluded and the view is amazing. My parents would have appreciated the serenity and the amazing sunsets. The drawback is that my brother, who is an avid hiker, biker and kayaker, gets sidetracked and spends too many minutes at the bench, delaying his daily physical activities.
We will soon have it painted or stained and a plaque with our parent's dates will be attached to the back. There is a little makeshift fire pit in front and I'm sure a great many beers will be consumed here after dark. Over time it will get marked up, but that's par for the course in my old home town. Here are some photos of the bench and others from my recent trip to the Parry Sound area.