Blantyre Park Improvements

• Winter 2019: Community engagement
• Late Spring 2022: Hire a design consultant
• Summer/Fall 2022: Site investigations
• Winter/Spring 2023: Schematic design
• Spring to Winter 2023: Community engagement
• Spring to Early Fall 2024: Design development and detailed design
• December 2024: Hire a construction team
• Fall 2025: Construction starts, park and outdoor pool close
• Spring 2026: Park reopens
• Summer 2027: Outdoor pool reopens

This timeline is subject to change.

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November 2024

Design development is complete, and the construction contract is expected to be awarded in early winter 2025. Blantyre Park will be closed to the public beginning in September 2025 when construction for the park improvements starts. The park will partially reopen in spring 2026, except for the new outdoor pool and pool building, which will open in summer 2027.

The preferred design, developed based on feedback from Community Engagement Phase 2, will be refined after Community Engagement Phase 3. The project team will then proceed to detailed design and construction. The play court and game table will feature pickleball and ping pong, as they were the most popular choices among survey respondents in Phase 3.

1. Existing baseball diamond – to remain
2. New accessible park pathways
3. New playground and splash pad
4. Area for new adult fitness equipment
5. New multi-use play court area – refer to options
6. Pathway connection to the sidewalk at Blantyre Avenue
7. New sidewalk along Clonmore Drive
8. Existing trees – to be protected
9. New sidewalk along Fallingbrook Road
10. Pathway connection to the sidewalk at Fallingbrook Road
11. Existing lawn slope for tobogganing – to be maintained
12. Existing washroom building – to be maintained
13. Existing bike share station
14. New accessible picnic table on concrete pad
15. New accessible bench on concrete pad
16. New deciduous tree planting
17. New accessible pathway to washroom and parking lot

The scope of this engagement does not include the outdoor pool, change room or washroom facilities.

Based on the feedback collected from the previous engagement, pickleball and basketball emerged as the most popular choices for the multi-use court area. Therefore, the project team is presenting two options for the community to share their feedback in Community Engagement Phase 3.

The project team will be removing the existing horseshoe pit as a response to safety issues with the exposed stakes (metal rods that are angled into the ground or a wooden platform and serve as the target for the horseshoes).

Pool and Pool Building

The project will involve replacing the existing outdoor pool and pool building with a new facility compliant with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). The improvements will include:

• A new changeroom building
• A new five-lane lap pool with a shallow (three-foot (approximately one metre) deep) family side pool
• An accessible ramp leading to the pool deck
• A stepped-down wading pool entrance area

The new pool building will be positioned in the same orientation but will have a larger footprint and improved amenities.

During this phase of the community engagement process, the City will work with residents and stakeholders to define overall design priorities for the park, which will guide the development of design options in Phase 2.

Anticipated Community Engagement Activities in this phase:

• In-Person Public Meetings
• Park Pop-Up Event

November 2019

Public Meeting

On November 19, 2019, a public meeting took place at Blantyre Public School, with the local Councillor in attendance. The project team presented a series of panels that summarized key feedback to-date from previous community engagement activities. The meeting focused on potential park programming and priorities for the available park space.

• Park Vision Objectives
• Park Programming Options

August 2019

Park Pop-Up Event

On August 9, 2019, the project team hosted a pop-up event at Blantyre Park where approximately 20 community members shared how they use the park and provided feedback on the park improvements.

May 2019

Public Meeting

On May 23, 2019, a public meeting took place at Blantyre Public School, with the local Councillor in attendance. The project team collected information from community members to better understand how the park is being used, the likes and dislikes of the existing park and to identify challenges and opportunities for future improvements. More than 90 people attended the meeting and provided feedback.

Find out What We Heard So Far.

In this phase of the community engagement process, the City and the design consultant worked off the outcomes of Phase 1 to develop design options, called concept options, for the park improvements. These were presented to the community for feedback, with the input collected used to develop a preferred design for the park.

Community Engagement Activities in this phase:

• Online Survey
• Classroom Workshops
• Virtual Public Information Meeting

The design team is moving forward with developing a single preferred design option using community feedback collected during this phase of engagement, in consideration of budget and site conditions, as well as operational requirements. The final program for the multi-purpose court will be determined as part of Community Engagement Phase 3.

June 2023

Online Survey

From May 25 to June 11, 2023, over 966 community members responded to an online survey. The feedback collected in this survey will help shape the development of a preferred design option.

Playground area

• 43 per cent preferred Option A
• 35 per cent preferred Option B
• 22 per cent had no preference
• 36 per cent liked aqua blue, 29 percent liked light greens, 24 per cent liked dark greens and 11 per cent liked reds when asked what their preferred colour family was for the equipment and surfacing.

Additional feedback included removing the sand and water bucket features, providing lots of swings including belt, toddler and accessibility swings, ensuring an accessible playground surface, shaded seating and providing play features for ages two to five years.

Splash pad area

• 43 per cent preferred Option A Tree Theme
• 46 per cent preferred Option B Aquatic Theme
• 10 per cent had no preference

Additional feedback included an accessible and non-slip surface, adding fountain-style jets or a bucket water dump feature, shaded seating areas and deterring off-leash dogs.

Fitness equipment

Fitness equipment area ranked from favourite (1) to least favourite (4):

1. Pull up bars (29 per cent)
2. Exercise bench (25 per cent)
3. Climbing cargo net (21 per cent)
4. Fitness hurdles (20 per cent)

Other (five per cent) responses included a tight rope, hanging rings, balance beam, overhead ladder and a bottle filling station.

Play court area

• 33 per cent preferred pickleball and tennis
• 25 per cent preferred basketball
• 15 per cent preferred pickleball
• 11 per cent preferred tennis
• Six per cent did not know/preferred not to answer

Other (10 per cent) included a horseshoe pit, ice rink in the winter, skate park and ball hockey.

Game tables

• 55 per cent preferred ping pong
• 22 per cent preferred chess/mancala
• 17 per cent did not know

Other (six per cent) responses included none of the above.

Classroom Workshops

In June 2023, the project team held workshops with students in grades five and six at Blantyre Public School. Students participated in a group design activity, with the input collected used to develop a preferred design for the park.

• Students preferred the playground option with more climbing features and the inclusion of a disc swing
• Students preferred the aquatic-themed splash pad, but recommend the addition of an overhead water feature
• Students were split between the inclusion of a pickleball court and a basketball court, noting that both play court options are not available nearby
• Students preferred the inclusion of a ping pong table

Virtual Public Information Meeting

On June 20, 2023, the project team held a public information meeting to review the results of Phase 2 engagement, highlighting feedback received from the survey and the classroom workshops. In addition to the local Councillor and project team, over 20 community members participated in the meeting.

Download the public meeting presentation.

In this phase of the community engagement process, the City shared the preferred design option with the community. When the preferred design is confirmed, the project will move into the detail design phase, where the design team will finalize the preferred design by working through the technical details and developing detailed plans and drawings to be used by the construction contractor.

The anticipated outcome of this phase is a refined preferred design.

December 2023

Online Survey

From November 30 to December 14, a survey collected feedback on the preferred design for the park improvements, which was informed by feedback collected in Phase 1 and 2. The survey received 289 responses. Overall, the preferred design was well received by community members and feedback collected will be considered in the final park design.

Regarding the playground:

• 70 per cent liked the playground a lot or a little
• 23 per cent were neutral or unsure about the playground
• Seven per cent disliked the playground a lot or a little

Suggestions to improve the playground. The total number of responses are in parentheses:

• Offer a choice between a rubberized ground or a sandbox for the children who enjoy playing with sand (10).
• Increase the shade in the playground by planting more trees or adding covered structures. Select neutral colours and eco-friendly materials for the design (eight).
• Enhance the play features to suit different ages and abilities, such as adding a merry-go-round or a rope bridge. Eliminate the play panels that are not used by the children (14).
• Improve the safety and accessibility of the playground by lowering the monkey bars, installing ramps and providing a soft cushion flooring. Enforce the rule of keeping dogs on a leash and locate adequate garbage bins around the playground (nine).

Regarding the splash pad:

• 77 per cent liked the splash pad a lot or a little
• 15 per cent were neutral or unsure about the splash pad
• Seven per cent disliked the splash pad a lot or a little

Suggestions to improve the splash pad. The total number of responses are in parentheses:

• Replace the current surface with a non-slip material to avoid injuries and ensure proper maintenance (five).
• Increase the shade for the splash pad by adding trees (13).
• Enhance the features of the splash pad by adding a drinking fountain and more ways to activate water sprays (11).
• Distribute the spray features evenly across the space to avoid clustering and maximize the use of the area (one).
• Balance the colour preferences of the respondents, as some wanted a more vibrant colour, while others liked a blue colour family (three).
• Enclose the splash pad and playground with a fence to keep the dogs out and ensure the safety of the children (two).
• Locate garbage cans close to the splash pad to facilitate disposal (two).
• Provide more picnic tables nearby for the visitors to enjoy (two).

Regarding the two play court options:

• 44 per cent liked the pickleball and ping pong table
• 33 per cent liked the basketball and ping pong table
• 13 per cent liked both options equally
• 10 per cent disliked both options
• One per cent didn’t know or preferred not to answer

The team will be progressing with the pickleball and ping pong table option, as it received the highest percentage of preference from the respondents (44 per cent).

Suggestions to improve the play court and game table (in parentheses are the number of respondents who contributed to the feedback):

• Consider the feasibility of a court that can accommodate both pickleball and basketball, as some respondents prefer one over the other (six).
• Fence the play court and game table area to reduce noise, control wind and prevent dogs from entering (six).
• Consider alternative options for the game table, such as horseshoes or tennis, as some respondents are not interested in ping pong. However, the team has decided to exclude those options, because the tennis court requires more space than is available and the horseshoe stakes pose a safety risk (five).
• Supply the equipment needed for games, such as paddles, balls and nets, or have a way to sign them out (one).
• Plant more trees around the play court and game table area to create more shade and natural beauty (one).

Overall suggestions for the park improvements:

• Consider an off-leash dog area or some fences and signs to keep off-leash dogs away from the splash pad and playground.
• Increase the shade in the park, as some respondents complained about the full sun.
• Some respondents expressed their satisfaction and appreciation for the upgrade.
• Provide garbage bins to improve cleanliness.
• Avoid placing a picnic table near the baseball diamond, as one respondent warned that it would attract unwanted activities at night.
• Some respondents commented on the condition of the pool. This feedback will be shared with relevant staff; however, this engagement process focuses on the park improvements.