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March 2022
A new activity panel that incorporates tactility, problem-solving and social play will be installed in the spring. The activity panel provides an interactive game for participants to play together, with the goal of trying to match four caps in a row in order to win. The panel does not produce loud noise.

January 2022
The park is now open.
The musical activity panel on the climber has been removed due to concerns about noise disturbance in close proximity to adjacent residences. The project team is currently exploring options for an alternative activity panel to be installed in the spring. More information will be provided here when it becomes available.
Light pole delivery and installation has been delayed due to supply chain issues.
July 2021
Playground Construction
Construction will begin July 2021 and finish December 2021.
Based on community engagement, the following playground upgrades will be installed:
Features:
- Play structures with engineered wood fiber surface
- Flat lawn and bermed lawn
- Connective asphalt pathways
- Picnic tables and benches
- New trees
- Perennial planting buffer with armourstone barrier
- Sand area
- Seatwall
- Bottle filling station and water fountain
December 2020
Community Engagement Phase 3
Phase 3 of the community engagement (final phase) included an online survey.
Online Survey
This survey introduced the proposed park and playground design and asked respondents to share final suggestions or feedback. The survey was available to complete online from November 16 to December 6, 2020. The survey received a total of 100 survey responses which included feedback from 206 people.
Download the survey feedback summary.
Design Development
Park Design

The park design includes:
- Play structures with engineered wood fibre surface (similar to wood chips) and accessible ramps so those with mobility devices can enter and use the playground.
- Grassy areas that provide shady places for socializing and play. Some areas are flat, while others have a gentle hill.
- Asphalt pathways that provide connections through the park.
- Picnic tables and benches that can be accessed by people who use mobility devices.
- New trees.
- Perennial planting beds that include pollinator plants with an armourstone barrier (a stone wall that people can sit on). This provides separation from nearby uses.
- A sand area that includes logs, boulders, and buried dinosaur bones to discover.
- Seatwall that offers seating on both sides and stamped impressions of fossils.
- Bottle filling station and fountain.
Playground Design

The playground design includes:
- A large, 10-foot swing set with two belt swings and two infant swings
- A Junior and Senior play structure
- Multiple slides
- A separate climbing structure
- One accessible swing
- A separate play structure for toddlers, which includes a slide
- A large sandplay area with buried dinosaur bones
September to October 2020
Community Engagement Phase 2
Phase 2 of the community engagement included an online survey.
Online Survey
The online survey was live from September 16 to October 4, 2020. In total, 116 survey responses were received.
Download the survey feedback summary.
Phase 2 Design Development
Three park design options were presented. Each of the three options builds off of design options from Phase 1 of the community engagement, based on the feedback received through the online survey and through emails.
Park Option 1
Design Option 1 is based on Programmatic Plan Option 1, which was presented in the last public survey.

- Programmatic Option 1, from the last public survey.
This design option responds to the following survey feedback:
- More trees and native plantings
- Improved, accessible pathways
- More seating and seating choices
- Less isolation between different spaces of the park
- Provide a working water fountain
- Have a dinosaur theme
- A non-sand playground surface

- Proposed Design Option 1.

Option 1 elements include:
- Play structures with engineered wood fibre surface, accessible ramp and safety surface.
- Flat lawn and bermed lawn Grassy areas provide shady places for casual socializing and play.
- Connective asphalt pathways. Improved connectivity with wide gently sloped pathways ensuring accessibility from multiple directions and ease of use.
- Picnic tables and benches. Accessible layout and design.
- New trees. Additional trees can be planted to supplement the existing canopy around the playground.
- Perennial planting buffer. Provides a sense of separation from the adjacent uses with tough perennials with year-round interest including pollinator plants.
- Armour stone sandpit with dinosaur bones. A life-size Alleosaurus skeleton hides beneath the sand waiting to be discovered.
- Stamped or embedded concrete with prehistoric fossils or footprints.
- Bottle filling station and fountain.
Park Option 2
Design Option 2 is also based on Programmatic Plan Option 1, which was presented in the last public survey.

- Proposed Design Option 2.
Option 2 elements are the same as those in Park Option 1.
Park Option 3

- Programmatic Option 2, from the last public survey.
This design option responds to the following survey feedback:
- More trees and native plantings
- Improved, accessible pathways
- More seating and seating choices
- Less isolation between different spaces of the park
- Provide a working water fountain
- Open sight-lines to the streets on each side of the park
- Reduced fencing/fencing only at the playground
- A non-sand playground surface.

- Proposed Design Option 3.

Option 3 elements include:
- Play structures with engineered wood fibre surface: Accessible ramp and safety surface.
- Flat lawn and bermed lawn: Grassy areas provide shady places for casual socializing and play.
- Connective asphalt pathways: Improved connectivity with wide gently sloped pathways ensuring accessibility from multiple directions and ease of use.
- Picnic tables and benches: Accessible layout and design.
- New trees: Additional trees can be planted to supplement the existing canopy around the playground.
- Perennial planting buffer: Provides a sense of separation from the adjacent uses with tough perennials with year-round interest including pollinator plants.
- Sandbox: A flush concrete curb encloses a sandbox with a possible water tap.
- Seatwall: Long concrete seatwall offers seating on both sides and stamped impressions of fossils to discover.
- Bottle filling station and fountain.
Playground Options
Four playground design options were presented. Each of the four options builds off of design options from Phase 1 of the community engagement, based on the feedback received through the online survey and through emails.
Playground Option 1

Playground Option 1 includes:
- Shaded rope climbers
- Structures for separate age groups
- One senior structure
- One junior structure
- Swings
- One accessible swing
- One junior swing
- Two senior swings
Playground Option 2

Playground Option 2 includes:
- Traditional style and a rope climber
- Structures for mixed age groups
- One senior and junior structure (combined)
- Rope climber
- Balance steps
- Activity panels
- Swings
- One accessible swing
- One junior swing
- Two senior swings
Playground Option 3

Playground Option 3 includes:
- Modern Style
- Structures for separate age groups
- One senior structure
- One junior structure
- Swings
- One accessible swing
- One junior swing
- Two senior swings
- Exercise bars
- Seesaw and spring toy
Playground Option 4

Playground Option 4 includes:
- A rope climber and rope spinner
- Structures for mixed age groups
- A pyramid rope climber with slide
- A small spinning rope climber
- Swings
January to July 2020
Phase 1 of the community engagement included two online surveys (A and B).
Online Survey B
The survey was available to complete online from July 11 to July 27, 2020. In total, the survey received 31 responses.
Download the survey feedback summary.
Phase 1 Design Development
A design team has been hired to lead the design development and consultation process. They developed a site analysis report. Based on this report and the feedback from the January 2020 online survey, they produced three high-level preliminary layout options for the park. These contain different ideas for play and passive recreation areas, pathways and buffer zones.
Online Survey A
To begin the community engagement process for this project, in January 2020 an online survey was completed by 32 residents. Participants shared what they liked, disliked, and wanted to see changed in Joseph Burr Tyrrell Park. The results of this survey are summarised below:
- Most respondents would prefer a rubberized play surface, to improve playground accessibility.
- Most respondents would like park entrance fencing removed and softer landscaping at park entrances (e.g. grass and greenery instead of pavement).
- Most respondents would like the swings to remain and be improved.
- Most respondents would like the tether-ball pole to be removed for other play options.
- Most respondents would like to see more shade in the park, through the planting of trees.
- Most respondents would like a water fountain and bottle fill station.
- Many respondents said that adding a large or small sandbox would balance the removal of sand as a play surface.
- Many respondents would like to see improved park lighting, as long as the lights were not disruptive to neighbouring homes.
- Respondents were fairly split on whether to keep or remove the existing play structures, though slightly more preferred to keep the play structures.
- Respondents were split on whether to include a water feature or a splash pad in the park.