From February 2022 to June 2025, Joyce Trimmer Park is closed to the public for construction.

The City is building a new multi-use Community Recreation and Child Care Centre in Scarborough’s Joyce Trimmer Park. The facility will be the City’s first Net Zero Energy and Emissions Community Recreation Facility, and will feature a 25 lane swimming pool and leisure pool, a full size gymnasium that is large enough to accommodate an indoor Cricket pitch, Child Care Centre, and more. The park will be upgraded with various outdoor amenities, including the addition of a skateboard park and multiple outdoor play spaces.

  • May 2018 to December 2020: Design and approvals
  • January 2021 to January 2022: Pre-qualification, tender and contract award
  • February 2022: Construction starts
  • June 2025: Construction complete
  • December 2025: Community Recreation and Child Care Centre opens to the public

The timeline is subject to change.

March 2024

Construction Update

Construction is progressing and is approximately 63 per cent complete. The contractor is working on:

  • mechanical and electrical rough-ins
  • structural steel installation at mechanical screen and main stairs
  • curtain wall glazing at Level 2
  • exterior framing and infill
  • steel decking on the roof level
  • concrete columns at the gymnasium
  • setting pool pumps and filters

Image showing the construction progress for the new community recreation centre taken at ground-level showing the exterior of the structure with two enclosed levels with concrete walls and tall steel framing and beams on the roof. The area around the community recreation centre is flat with gravel.

December 2023

Construction Update

Construction is progressing and is approximately 54 per cent complete. The contractor is working on

  • mechanical and electrical rough-ins and masonry work at the Lower Level, Level 1, and Level 2
  • curtain wall glazing at Level 1
  • interior wall framing at Level 1 and Level 2
  • structural steel installation at the gymnasium

Image showing the construction progress for the new community recreation centre taken at a distant birds-eye view showing the exterior of the structure with two levels enclosed with concrete walls, large window cut-outs, and steel framing on the roof.

November 2023

Construction Update

Construction is progressing and is approximately 45 per cent complete. The contractor is working on

  • mechanical and electrical rough-ins and masonry work at the Lower Level and Level 1
  • structural steel above Level 2
  • protective wall work
  • civil services below ground level
  • grading for the parking lot and skate park

Construction progress for the new community recreation centre taken at a distance showing the exterior of the structure. A two-level concrete structure with concrete walls and large window cut-outs.

August 2023

Construction Update

Construction is progressing and is approximately 40 per cent complete. The contractor is working on mechanical and electrical rough-ins at Level 1, and the masonry and structural steel components. The contractor will also be advancing the structure to support future solar panels.

January 2023

Construction Update

Construction is progressing and is approximately 25 per cent complete. The contractor is working on the pool foundation, walls, waterproofing, and weeping tiles (porous drainage pipe surrounding the exterior of the foundation), and Level 1 scaffolding. The contractor has also started to backfill the southwest corner of the construction site.

December 2022

Construction Update

Construction is progressing and is approximately 22 per cent complete. The contractor has completed excavation and is working on the pool foundation, walls, waterproofing, and weeping tiles (porous drainage pipe surrounding the exterior of the foundation).

A photograph of the construction site at North East Scarborough Community Centre, which shows below-ground excavation work, including a partially complete concrete foundation wall, crane, and construction material.

September 2022

Construction Update

Due to recent labour strikes and unforeseen site conditions, construction for the new Community Recreation and Child Care Centre has been extended to June 2025. Joyce Trimmer Park will continue to be closed during construction.

February 2022

Construction Starts

Construction for the new Community Recreation and Child Care Centre starts. Joyce Trimmer Park will be closed to the public until December 2024.

July to November 2021

Tender and Contract Award

Pre-qualified contractors with experience in net-zero energy and emissions building construction submitted bids for the project. A contractor will be awarded a construction contract and construction is anticipated to start by November 2021.

May 2020

Detail Design

The design team completed the detailed design in May 2020. The design calls for a building footprint of approximately 84,000 square feet and includes the Community Recreation and Child Care Centre. The new facility will be constructed in Joyce Trimmer Park, which will also be upgraded with the addition of a skate park. The plans are being reviewed by City Planning as part of the Site Plan Approval process and are subject to change.

November 2019

Public Meeting

On November 21, 2019, a public meeting was held at Alvin Curling Public School to present the schematic design. The concept design was developed based on needs surveys, environmental scans, community consultation events and feedback from the City’s Design Review Panel. Feedback from this meeting was collected and next steps were discussed.

The presentation deck and summary report for this meeting are not in an accessible format so cannot be posted publicly at this time. If you would like to view these files, please contact the Senior Project Coordinator.

September 2019

Design Review Panel Meeting 2

On September 19, 2019, the project team returned to the Design Review Panel with a redesign. In response to the feedback on May 30, 2019, the design strategy now focused on maintaining a functional park while achieving the programming needs for the community recreation centre. The Panel provided very positive feedback about the redesigned building.

May 2019

Design Review Panel Meeting 1

On May 30, 2019, an initial schematic design was presented to the City’s Design Review Panel. The design strategy was a traditional two-storey community centre model with a larger footprint that took more space from the existing park. The Panel voted for a redesign, recommended changes to the site layout, the orientation of the building, and landscaping.

June 2018

Public Meeting

On June 18, 2018, the project team discussed visioning and the project’s guiding principles of community building, placemaking and measuring success.

The presentation deck and summary report for this meeting is not in an accessible format so cannot be posted publicly at this time. If you would like to view these files, please contact the Senior Project Coordinator.

June 2018

Community and Family Fun Day

On June 15, 2018, a drop-in community event was organized in Joyce Trimmer Park to get feedback from the community on what programming they would like to see in the new facility.

December 2016 to March 2017

Demographic Survey

The project team conducted an environmental scan and demographic survey of the North East Scarborough Community. The results were used as recommendations for programming in preparation for the schematic design and future community consultations.

January 2017

Public Meeting

On January 12, 2017, the project team discussed the budget, design process and schedule, the community consultation process and needs survey. This was the first public meeting after hiring the project architect. The community was highly engaged and showed interest in the project.

The presentation deck and summary report for this meeting are not in an accessible format so cannot be posted publicly at this time. If you would like to view these files, please contact the Senior Project Coordinator.

June 2016

Public Meeting

On June 27, 2016, the project team presented an overview of the project and discussed recreation programming from the Community Recreation and Child Care Centre. Feedback from this meeting was collected and next steps were discussed.

The presentation deck and summary report for this meeting are not in an accessible format so cannot be posted publicly at this time. If you would like to view these files, please contact the Senior Project Coordinator.

The new North East Scarborough Community Recreation Centre is located within the Rouge Valley watershed and is surrounded by parks and natural areas, including Joyce Trimmer Park. In response to the community’s desire maximize the surrounding park space, the Community Recreation and Child Care Centre’s design incorporates the following components in a unique multi-level stacked facility:

  • Gymnasium large enough to accommodate an indoor cricket and running track
  • Multi-purpose space, teaching kitchen, fitness/dance studios
  • 25-metre indoor lap pool and leisure pool with change rooms
  • Public/Administrative Support Space
  • Biodiverse green roof terrace

The new Child Care Centre is designed as an inclusive play environment that maximizes opportunities for all children to engage with a naturally stimulating environment. The Child Care Centre will include the following components:

  • Five playrooms (one infant Playroom/Sleep Room, two Toddler, two Preschool)
  • Children support space
  • Administrative support space
  • Three separate playgrounds that are designed to meet program requirements for infant, toddler, and preschool outdoor play

The Community Recreation and Child Care Centre’s unique stacked design reduces the building’s overall footprint and maximizes the surrounding park space, which includes a landscaped front plaza that can be animated for special events and a multi-functional parking area. This project will include the addition of the following components:

  • Garden with viewing deck
  • Tree-lined promenade
  • Tree shaded seating area
  • Linear skate park
  • Basketball court
  • Mini soccer field
  • Splash pad
  • Playground

The facility will be the City’s first Net Zero Energy and Emissions Community Recreation Centre, and the first in Ontario aiming to achieve Zero Carbon Building Certification. The building’s ambitious and leading edge design employs innovative strategies to reduce overall energy consumption and incorporate on-site renewable energy systems.

Key features include:

  • 100 per cent electricity powered (no fossil fuels)
  • Rooftop Solar Photovoltaic (PV) thermal hybrid panels that generate both heat and electricity simultaneously
  • Bifacial Solar PV parking lot canopy that feature PV modules on both sides, capturing both overhead sunlight and reflected light from beneath the panels
  • Building integrated photovoltaic Spandrel panels on facade
  • Air-source heat pumps that use the outdoor air as a source of thermal energy in heating mode, and as a sink to reject energy when in cooling mode
  • Air handling units that can improve heat recovery efficiency by 85 per cent
  • High performance building envelope design and an air tightness testing process

In 2004, Council adopted the City of Toronto Recreation Facilities Report, which identified North East Scarborough as an area having unmet community needs with respect to parks and recreation facilities. It is recommended that this area be a priority for a Community Centre project.

The Community Recreation and Child Care Centre will be located in Joyce Trimmer Park. The park will be revitalized and include features that will complement the overall design of the facility. Feedback from the community was heavily considered throughout the process and included needs surveys, environmental scans and multiple community consultation events.

Project Renderings

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