Official Name:

KAY DRAGE PARK

Location: along the Chedoke Expressway north of King St. W. and west of Dundurn - Ward 1

Survey Descriptions: 80 Macklin St. N.: Plan 115; Registered Plan 62R6018, Parts 1 to 4; 74 Macklin St. N.: Plan 115, part of Lot 321 to part of Lot 328

Size: 12.74 hectares (31.48 acres)

Official Naming Date: November 24, 1981; also November 24, 1987

Features: soccer fields, ball fields, benches, walkways, parking

History

The park site was once a swamp and then was used as a dump from the mid 1950's until 1974. This land was originally known as the West Hamilton Landfill site.

In September of 1981 the sports field was completed. Later that year Kay Drage Park was named in memory of Kay Drage (1925 - 1978), a former city alderman who died from cancer. Kay Drage was well respected and known for her dedication to her work. She was devoted to improving and maintaining the City's parks. She was well-known for getting the landfill site converted into a park. The site was officially named again on November 24, 1987.

There was much talk about Kay Drage Park being environmentally unsafe, however, all testing has concluded that any chemical concentrations found have been well below the Ministry of Environment guidelines.

References:
1. Clipping File. Hamilton - Parks - Kay Drage Park. Special Collections, HPL.
2. Corporation of the City of Hamilton, Department of Public Works and Traffic, Parks Division, Park Development Section. Parks Master Plan database, 1996.
3. Pollution and the Environment Scrapbook. vol. 2. p. 118. Special Collections, HPL.
4. Transportation in Hamilton Scrapbook. vol. 6. p. 30. Special Collections, HPL.
5. West Hamilton Journal. February 19, 1986. p. 3.