Centennial Garden Renewal. Restoring a Village landmark. Together. 

The renewal of Rockcliffe’s Centennial Garden is moving forward. The City has given the green light to begin detailed construction drawings. Once finalized and approved, the project will move into the tendering stage, and from there, into construction.

This milestone comes after strong community engagement. Both the in-person consultation hosted by Councillor King and the City’s online consultation (which drew close to 300 visits) reflected broad support for the restoration of this historic garden - and for a renewal that’s accessible, resilient, and built to serve future generations. Those values have shaped this project from day one.

This project itself has been shaped by more than a decade of neighbourly care, collaboration, and dedication. It’s moving forward today thanks to that continued engagement and generosity.

The Rockcliffe Park Foundation and the Rockcliffe Park Residents Association (RPRA) continue to work closely with the City as part of the Centennial Garden Working Group, alongside the Centennial Garden Committee and City planners.

The Foundation also provides contractual and financial oversight of the project on behalf of the community, helping to ensure transparency and accountability throughout the process.

What’s Coming

If the timeline holds, construction could begin as early as Fall 2025. The renewed Garden will include (see link below for the concept drawings):

  • Restored stonework

  • Improved accessibility and climate resilience

  • New plantings and benches

  • An additional boulder recognizing the creation of Nunavut

This phase of the project was made possible by the leadership of the Centennial Garden Committee, with:

  • Honourary Chairs: Adrian Burns, Gordon Cudney, and Peter Nicholson

  • Chair: Marilyn Collette

The Foundation is proud to support this thoughtful, neighbour-led renewal of a much-loved greenspace and historic garden - a restoration that honours the past and invests in the future.

Greenspaces like this don’t just happen. They’re sustained by neighbours who care. Thank you to everyone who’s played a part so far - and to those helping shape what comes next.

See the Concept Drawings for the Centennial Garden restoration (prepared by CSW Landscape Architects, April 2025) here.

This community project is made possible through partnership with the City of Ottawa.