Wyman W. Jacques probably would have loved the beautiful Autumn afternoon in his happy place: Sunnidale Park.
Under brilliant blue skies, trees ablaze with fall colours and nestled amid a bright yellow bed of mums, a plaque bearing Jacques' name and story was unveiled on Tuesday afternoon.
The Sunnidale Arboretum is now dedicated to the long-time Barrie Horticultural Society volunteer and 13-year Arboretum Committee Chairman who spent countless hours managing, maintaining and promoting the Arboretum.
"He tended the gardens and trees in the 12-acre Arboretum six days a week and assisted families who wished to dedicate a memorial to a loved one, often by helping them to select a tree and having a plaque engraved. Often digging a hole and continuing to water and care for that sapling for years," said Mayor Jeff Lehman, who also read several comments the city received about Jacques in support of the naming.
"Everybody loved him," one citizen wrote. "Everybody knew him. He was a fixture in that park and his memory should live on."
Lehman and City Councillor Barry Ward were joined by Mr. Jacques' family and friends for the dedication ceremony.
Jacques taught environmental and other sciences at Barrie North for 29 years before he retired in 1990.
He passed away in 2016 at the age of 86.
His two sons Keith and Brett and their families attended the ceremony and Brett spoke on the family's behalf.
The South Simcoe Police Canine Unit officer thanked the City of Barrie and said the plaque location was perfect because it was placed where his father would enter the park.
"His true passion was this Arboretum and he was a very humble man who very quietly went about his volunteer work," said Brett.
"For him it was a piece of sanctuary. He prided himself in making this park look spectacular and it was a never ending job. His greatest pleasure was devoting his time to the flowers and trees and watching them grow."
Brett noted that in 1974 the now towering trees in the park were just seven feet tall with a 2-inch diameter.
He joked he was often 'voluntold' as a boy to help his father with the grass cutting and watering.
A bride and her wedding party cut through the small crowd towards another area of the park to take photos as the Mayor was speaking.
A fitting moment, according to Lehman, and further evidence of the special nature of the Arboretum.
"There are many places in here that have special significance for people. If you think about all those homes in Simcoe County and especially in Barrie that have a photo sitting in the living room, kitchen, bedroom or dining room - somewhere - and the backdrop of that photo is the Arboretum because this was where they came for their special moment. That's a legacy that will live on in photos and family memories for many generations."