Glenayr Park Playground Renovation

Update - July 18

Great news for our community's park! The clear stone is in place, asphalt path has been freshly repaved, concrete curbs, ramps, and a bench pad are installed, and the exciting new playground structure is currently being built, with construction wrapping up by July 23, though the sod will need a few weeks to settle after restoration before we reopen the playground. We are so grateful for your patience and can't wait for everyone to enjoy this wonderful space soon!

Update - June 20

Both play pods have been graded and given a new armour stone seat wall, so you can relax in a shade on a sunny day. New curbs in a swings' play pod will be installed next week in addition to a concrete pad allowing children of all abilities to engage in meaningful play in a brand new sand play area.

Update - June 6

The swings' play pod as well as the sand play area are being constructed and given a new shape. They will soon have their own drainage system and will be ready to be equipped with a brand new set of swings and accessible sand play for your enjoyment. The amour stone has arrived and will be used to form additional seat walls around the playground area.

Construction is scheduled to begin in late May 2025 at Glenayr Park.

This renewal project will replace aging playground equipment and improve accessibility throughout the play area. Planned improvements include:

• Installation of new playground equipment which promotes inclusive play, supports physical and social development, and ensures children and caregivers of all abilities can play together.
• Engineered wood fibre surfacing for improved safety and accessibility.
• Addition of a sand play area to provide sensory play opportunities that support tactile exploration and developmental learning.
• Armor stone seat walls for improved amenity space.
• Planting of new shade trees to enhance comfort and aesthetics.

We appreciate your patience during construction and look forward to welcoming families back to an improved and inclusive play space in early July, pending favorable weather and site construction progress.

Check back for construction updates and for confirmation on when the space will reopen for community enjoyment.

Past Community Engagement

Community engagement took place between July 4 -24, 2023 where local residents were invited to complete a survey to share feedback on the playground equipment and to provide general comments on the proposed concept plan. Feedback collected helped inform the selection of the playground equipment.

Planning Background

The Town has four different Park classifications including Town, District, Local and Parkette; all of which serve a different function and contain different park elements and amenities.

A Town Park has major facilities and contains community centres, arenas, swimming pools and lighted athletic fields and is intended to serve the recreational needs of the whole community.

A District Park is designed to serve the recreational needs of a larger neighbourhood or series of neighbourhoods. They are for primarily active recreational uses including lighted athletic fields, playgrounds, courts and parking areas. Various sports user groups rely on District Parks to undertake the various sports programming for youth minor sports across the community.

Local Parks such as Glenayr Park and smaller Parkettes are intended to serve the recreational needs of the immediate neighbourhood for active and passive recreational uses. Local Parks contain sports fields, playgrounds, courts, walkways and in some cases splash pads. Smaller Parkettes normally contain playgrounds, seating areas and walkways.

The Town's Official Plan and several Council approved guiding documents help direct the development of our parks. These include the Culture, Parks, Recreation and Open Space Plan (CPROS) and the Sports Facility Strategy. Both of these studies account for trends, demographics, current inventory and service levels.