Facilities_Panel_FNL Variously known as Horseshow Park, McClelland Park, Kiwanis Park and Donegan Park, it had a baseball diamond, a dancing platform and a horse track and was later used for the annual Horse Shows. Today it still serves as the site for a variety of sporting events. Victoria Park was assembled piece by piece by the Town. By 1899 it had begun to take on the form that is recognized today. At that time trees and flowering shrubs were planted, with ball grounds and tennis courts coming the following year. Soon it was extended to the waterfront, and in 1907 the Lawn Bowling Club received permission to operate at the corner of Queen and Church Streets. Over time, the Town acquired the lands of the Arlington and Chateau Hotels and Lakeview House, bringing the park to its present King Street frontage. At one time there were popular clay tennis courts located next to the bowling greens, but these were damaged by Hurricane Hazel in 1954 and never replaced. The softball diamond, used since softball had been introduced to Cobourg, was removed following the 2003 season. As of 2016, aside from some Frisbee tossing and such, sporting activities at Victoria Park are limited to lawn bowling at the Club and the annual Highland Games. Design & layout by Quench Design & Communications Inc. | Port Hope | www.quenchme.ca Cobourg's Sporting Facilities Where We Play(ed) Cobourg's sports and recreational sites are a source of pride for the Town, are used by citizens and visitors young and old and, as always, are the source of complaints by a few. OUTDOOR Ten of the parks in Cobourg currently have recreational facilities. There are 14 baseball and softball diamonds, 9 soccer fields, 6 tennis courts and 1 basketball court. It has taken over 100 years of acquisition to create the park system we know today. Typically, Cobourg's parks began as private properties made available by their owners for public use. Donegan Park, for instance, was purchased by formed Cobourg resident, D. F. Donegan. "One day he happened to be in Boulton's Woods gathering beech nuts to take home to his children in California. He was so impressed with the beauty of the place that he decided to purchase the woods as a gift to the Corporation of Cobourg to be used as a park. This was Cobourg's first park formally opened in 1894" Cobourg World Memoral Rink under construction - c1953 Photo courtesy of the Northumberland County Archives Donegan Park from the south - c1962 Photo courtesy of the Cobourg Public Library Rotary Waterfront Park Photo courtesy of the Cobourg Public Library