The British troops withdrew to Europe in 1853 to train for the Crimean War, but their barracks were used to house escaped slaves from the United States, as one of the end stations of the Underground Railway.

It is believed that the decision to hire Miller was strongly influenced by William Saunders' visit to the exposition grounds in 1876.

[3] While the park once housed elaborate fountains and a lilypond, there are no water features remaining today.

This includes a suitable number of Eco-Stations (the place where attendees dispose of waste) and all food and beverage containers are required to be either recyclable or compostable.

Home County Folk Festival had the added initiative of offering reusable metal dishes, available on deposit which is repaid at the Eco-Stations, to eliminate one time use disposables altogether.

The number and frequency of events has been a concern for the park with the resulting damage to the foliage, prompting some partial rescheduling to minimize the wear.

Near the bandshell is the Women's Memorial for the victims of the École Polytechnique massacre in Montreal, built in 1994.