UPDATE - 8/29@10:46PM: Note: this hasn't been 100% confirmed yet per Jacob, so stay tuned. Although, judging by reports, it does sound like the park is now open to the public.
Back in the summer of 2014 the North York community council approved plans for a new, arts-themed park in the Toronto neighborhood of Willowdale named after 2 of its most famous former residents - Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson. The Lee Lifeson Art Park is just about completed and should be open to the public very soon. Reader Grant S let me know that the perimeter fencing around the park construction has been removed and Zylyp on Facebook (who lives near the park) posted this photo last week showing the park near completion. It also sounds like there will be some kind of ceremony/dedication occurring next month according to this post on Jacob Moon's Facebook page (thanks RushFanForever):
GOOD NEWS! The Rush team have accommodated me at 12 noon so I can still do my other events AND play Subdivisions at the new 'Lee Lifeson Art Park' on Sept 17, with an interview with G&A by Strombo. EXCITED!!!
From this post, it sounds like something official (if the "Rush team" is involved) will be happening at the park on September 17th. Although all this tells us is that Moon will be there, and not necessarily Geddy Lee or Alex Lifeson. If you don't recall who Jacob Moon is, he garnered the attention of Rush and their fans when he posted a YouTube video of himself performing an impressive rooftop solo rendition of Rush's Subdivisions a few years back. The video quickly went viral, and Rush later asked Jacob to perform the song at their Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame induction ceremony back in March of 2010. Here's what Geddy Lee told the Toronto Star back in August, 2014 regarding the park:
... "I know my mom is very happy!" ... "We met with the park architects and were really impressed with the thought and plans they have for it," ... "[Willowdale] is where I met my best friend and bandmate," ... "We were humbly honoured by the suggestion to name the park after us." ... "On tour and during our travels, ... we get to visit and enjoy so many parks around the world and really appreciate having that communal green space that is so important to a vibrant city."
The idea was first put forth at a consultation meeting held on April 22, 2014 by Councillor John Fillon and was then formally recommended by the Toronto parks committee on July 17th:
... Early designs for the area include art installations, a collaborative performance space and even a small bandshell for "acoustic concerts," according to [Filion], who first hatched the tribute plan two years ago. "I was standing around one night with a fellow music lover trying to think of somebody who had grown up in Willowdale who was a famous artist or musician," Filion said. "We both came up with the name Geddy Lee almost simultaneously." The councillor contacted Lee with the idea, and he immediately got on board - albeit with one condition. "He said he was interested and honoured, but also suggested it be named after Alex Lifeson, too," Filion said. ...
You can learn more about the park on Fillon's website here.
Related Posts:
[Willowdale's Lee Lifeson Art Park set to open later this summer]
[Willowdale Lee Lifeson Art Park naming gets approval]
[Geddy Lee on the proposed Willowdale Lee Lifeson Art Park]
[Update on proposed Lee Lifeson Art Park in Toronto's Willowdale neighborhood]
[New arts park in Toronto's Willowdale community to be named after Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson]
