Master Plan 2035: Canton’s Open Space

By Guest

By Sonja Grauds

When I moved to Canton nearly three years ago, I had no idea of the wealth of recreational opportunities and open space that the town has to offer. I knew Canton as the home of Blue Hills but not much else in the way of parks, trails, and nature reserves.

I was really drawn here by its small-town feel, great schools, and accessibility to both Boston and Providence. Since then, I have learned of our town’s many wonderful outdoor spaces from my neighbors, new friends, and through serving as a resident at-large member of Canton’s Master Plan Steering Committee. One of the reasons I joined was to get more involved in our community and to learn about the challenges and opportunities we face as Canton moves into the future. I didn’t expect to learn so much about our existing natural resources and the numerous plans for the improvement and development of new ones, but since I have, I’m even more thankful to call Canton home.

Many others who want to get out and explore, or who simply consider themselves relatively “new in town,” might lack awareness in the same way I did about some of our town’s greatest natural assets. Luckily, the Planning Department, Conservation Commission, and Recreation Department have recently produced an Open Space and Recreation Plan so that all residents can become more familiar with the parks, reserves, playgrounds, and ponds that are available for recreation. The plan also lays out the town’s philosophy and proposals for their use and preservation. There is also an Open Space and Recreation map and a Walking and Biking Trails map detailing lands that are owned by the town, the state, or privately but offering public access.

I have found these resources extremely useful and they have made my exploration of our town easier and more fun. Perhaps most importantly, they have made me aware of the dedication that town staff and citizens have to enjoying and acting as stewards of the open space we are lucky to have in abundance. You can find these documents and others relating to open space and recreation on Canton’s website at tinyurl.com/CantonOpenSpace and town.canton.ma.us/725/Documents.

Improving awareness and use of Canton’s parks and open spaces is just one aspect of the 2035 Master Plan development process. The Steering Committee wants resident input on these issues and other topics that should be incorporated into a plan for Canton’s future, and there are a variety of ways to get involved.

Please check out the Master Plan website at www.cantonmasterplan.com. Join us at one of our monthly meetings, and mark your calendar for our next Master Plan open house, which will be held on Saturday, March 9, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. in the Community Room at the Canton Public Library. (Note: This event was originally scheduled for March 2 but postponed due to snow). This drop-in style forum offers residents a chance to see the work the Steering Committee has done so far and share your opinions on what you’d like to see in our town’s future. This event is kid friendly and will have light refreshments. We want to know what you feel are Canton’s greatest strengths, weaknesses, and perhaps even its best parks!

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