Bringing Spaces Back to Life at Base31

At Base31, our commitment to creating safe, inclusive, and engaging spaces for families and the community continues to guide everything we do. Over the past year, our Sensory Garden, Aviators Garden, and surrounding areas have undergone significant remediation and revitalization, and we are excited to share the progress made so far.
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A Garden Ready to Welcome Everyone

The Sensory Garden reopened in June following construction earlier this year. While the garden has been welcoming visitors all season, additional enhancements and beautification of the surrounding area will continue. We appreciate your patience as this beloved space continues to grow and evolve.

The garden offers a whimsical and engaging space designed to heighten the senses, including smell, sight, touch, and sound, through nature-based play. Whether you have a child to explore the space with or are simply young at heart, this permanent garden is a free and unique destination for exploration, creativity and connection with nature.

Located on the far northwest area of the site, beside Building 3 and close to the Aviators Garden, the Sensory Garden features beautiful hand-crafted signage and the vibrant art mural Exploring the Senses by artist Portia Chapman. The garden is open seven days a week for free play.

Milestones in Remediation

Over the past several months, significant progress has been made to restore the land and ensure safety in the northwest area of the site. As part of localized remediation work in this area, we also saw an opportunity to reimagine how the space could better serve the community. Through consultation meetings, we heard a desire for more recreation opportunities. In response, we partnered with Fairgrounds to install four public pickleball courts—creating new ways for the community to enjoy this revitalized space.

These efforts involved local contractors and specialists, whose expertise has been key to transforming the site. Each step represents more than construction; it is an investment in a safe, sustainable, and community-focused future for the County.

Restoring Public Art + Community Features

The pollinator hotel, public art installations, and other community features are gradually returning, enhancing the garden’s educational and recreational potential. Each restored element marks another step forward in bringing Base31 fully back to life.

Looking Ahead

We remain focused on enhancing and maintaining the outdoor spaces at Base31. Visitors can continue to enjoy these restored areas safely, knowing that every step, from soil remediation to public art restoration, has been completed with care and expertise.

With Gratitude

This progress would not be possible without the dedication of our staff, local contractors, and community partners. We extend our heartfelt thanks to Craig Vaughan Construction, Burley Excavating, Tim Dainard, and Scott Wentworth Landscaping for their work on the Pickleball courts and Sensory Garden area, as well as to Veenstra Plumbing, Rutter Bros, Alota Tile, Picton Home Hardware, Quinte Door and Hardware, Quinte Door Solutions, and Rob Wood Construction for their contributions inside Building 3.
We invite everyone to visit the Sensory Garden and surrounding spaces this fall, and to stay tuned as we continue restoring, reimagining, and celebrating the spaces that make Base31 a place for everyone.