About the park

Verners Park is park of culture in Kronoby centre that projectcoordinator Ingela Wikman develops together with the Kronoby municipality and the local inhabitants. The modell for the park comes from Helsinki, the art park that was created by the Tölölahti year 2000. An ower-grown farmning land (4,5 hectares) is sold to Kronoby municipality by the family Wikman 2002 and were planned to housing lots. About one hectare of this land of this area has the projectcoordinator rented for free 30 years to make a cultural park. An area that is unfit for any use is developed during 2005-2007 to green park and gains a cultural value as well as meeting place for the inhabitants in the centre of Kronoby. The park is called Verners Park after grandfather Verner Wikman who was a creative and honest farmer and buisnessman.

The aim is to develop the cultural life and revive the village community in centre of Kronoby. During summer is the park stage for cultural events (music, poetry, dance and theatre). The park will also serve place for recreation as well as place to go for excursion for the local inhabitants and tourist sight. It also have a teaching role, the park can be used by schools and can been taken into to education in different ways. The park has many functions as it continually changes and works like a big laboratory. Re-cycling, ecological ideology, cultural aspirations and to revive to sense of folk community is the background for the realisation of the park.

A 1,2 hectare area has been cleared with excavator during August-Octobre 2005 for developing of a green area. A pond, paths, a barbeque place has been built, 600 plants and 100 apple trees have been planted. A billboard was put up the winter 2005. Grass has been sown summer 2006 and a play ground has opened with swings and a play house. A road with electrical lights has been drawn trough the cultural part of the park. 2007 was the stage built, a place for meditation, spruces were planted and international work camp was arranged for youth during two weeks in July. During the Day of the children in July Pippi Longstocking and Little Man visited the park. An art exhibition called 7 Wonders in Verenrs Park were 7 local artists exhibited their pieces of art in July-October. Two trainees from the Art school of Nykarleby did make permanent sculptures to the park. The park was opened 24:th of August 2007 with speaches, music, coffee and cake.

Co-operation partners for the park so far is the municipality of Kronoby; the technical department and the culture and leisure department. Also the schools in Kronoby centre, plantschool Blomqvist, local companies have donated material to the park or for events as well as private person has supported the park with capital. A planning committee called Friends of Verners Park takes care of the park and planning of activities.

Finance so far: Swedish Ostrobothnian Association & Swedish Ostrobothnian Fund of Culture and different entrepreneurs and private persons in Kronoby, Jakobstad, Lepplax och Terjärv.

The founder of the park and the coordinator: Ingela Wikman, e-mail: verners.park@gmail.com.