It was an emotional night in Mitchell on Sunday. More than four hundred people came out for the official opening of the Mitchell Memorial Park.

In April of 2018, Dick Penner died unexpectedly at the age of 68. He was very well known in the community for his many years of sports and volunteerism. At the time, Bernie Stahn was the Hanover Councillor for the Mitchell area. Prior to Penner's death, the two of them talked about one day creating a winter outdoor gathering area. Construction started this summer in memory of Penner.

(The late Bernie Stahn at the park in August of 2019.)Stahn played a large role in getting this project off the ground, but he was not around to take in the ribbon cutting ceremony. That is because Stahn died on Christmas Day after a battle with cancer.

"It was a beautiful evening," says Sandra Stahn, wife of the late Bernie Stahn. "Very memorable and I'm sure Bernie would have loved it."

Stahn says her husband was so passionate about getting the park started.

"I'm glad that it did happen and it's just amazing," she says. "The number of people that came, it's really overwhelming again. Thank you so much to everybody."

Brian Esau is Chair of the Local Urban District committee of Mitchell. He explains when Penner passed away, the decision was made to turn it from a skating park to a memorial park. The park was built on the arena grounds between the outdoor hockey rink and tennis courts. It consists of an outdoor pleasure skating area and in the centre is an evergreen tree, contributed by the Penner family, which will be lit each winter season at a community event. Surrounding the rink is a path with several park benches along the perimeter.

"Families could sponsor benches in remembrance of their loved ones," explains Esau.

Today, there are four benches, in memory of John D and Agnes Kornelson, Alfred and Agnes Stahn, Dick Penner and Bernie Stahn.

"We have designs for adding two more around here and then a few more down the walking path," says Esau.

And, according to Esau, this is only phase one of the project. The second phase will include a path from the tennis courts to an orchard that was started by Dick Penner.

"We have a lot of things that we'd like to do yet, we just need time to do them," says Esau.

Doreen Penner is the wife of the late Dick Penner. She says the park is very special to her because it represents the legacy that her husband left.

"How proud I am with him of how he was involved in the community," she says. "He loved the people and he just did it from his heart."