If you’ve walked past Hepburn Parkette on Talbot Street lately, you might not have given it a second look. That is kind of the problem city hall wants to fix.
Tonight, city council is being asked to back a $1.6 million plan to revive the little downtown parkette at 452 Talbot Street. A staff report from Parks and Recreation Director Adrienne Lacey Griffin says the space has "experienced a decline in functionality due to the loss of key amenities" and no longer pulls its weight for downtown vitality, safety, or use.
The fix, if it goes ahead, is a full redesign: new landscaping, pathways, seating, and lighting, plus an interactive water feature, a vendor kiosk for local entrepreneurs, and a small performance space. A local partner is also working with an internationally known artist on a mural for the site, with an education piece for young local artists built in.
The design work is already done. Council approved money for it in the 2025 budget, and the project is now considered shovel-ready. The city has also lined up $100,000 in private fundraising.
What council votes on tonight is not the final go-ahead. It is whether to formally endorse the project so staff can apply for federal money through the Build Communities Strong Fund. If that funding comes through, staff are targeting a 2027 construction start, with the city’s own share confirmed through next year’s capital budget.
There is no cost to taxpayers just to apply. The real financial decision comes later, if Ottawa says yes.
Hepburn Parkette sits right on Talbot Street, the strip that already carries most of downtown’s foot traffic. A revived version of it would fit right into that stretch.
Sources: City of St. Thomas staff report PR-21-26, July 13, 2026 council agenda
Edited by Anthony Zruna · About the LocVox Newsroom