anada is looking out for The Lookout, the Hastings Highlands site that offers a scenic view of Kamaniskeg Lake.
Hastings Highlands recently received a federal grant to revitalize the site, known formally as Lookout Park. The municipality says it is one of its most popular tourist attractions.
The grant, from the Federal Economic Development Agency, was for $162,500. It has allowed the municipality to add a new gazebo with seating and enhance the landscape with granite installations.
The Lookout site is just off Hwy. 62, in the northeast corner of Hastings Highlands.
Hastings Highlands Mayor Tony Fitzgerald says the municipality is “thrilled” to receive the federal grant, as it’s intended to boost tourism and drive economic growth.
Plaque to honour land donor installed
Also, Hastings Highlands has installed a new plaque at the park to honour the man who made the public viewing site possible.
Wesley Bennett Oram donated the land to the municipality in 1967, before his death in 1974.
A plaque that once honoured him went missing, but a new one is now up.
It was installed during a ceremony earlier this month.
Fitzgerald says, “it’s unfortunate that the original plaque has gone missing. Nonetheless it’s important that residents and visitors alike be made aware of how these lands came to be and given the opportunity to bask in the breathtaking view provided by these lands.”