The City is planning improvements to the playground in Willowdale Park. These improvements are part of an ongoing city-wide program to ensure playgrounds provide safe and accessible fun for many years to come!

While we aim to provide fully accessible content, there is no text alternative available for some of the content on this site. If you require alternate formats or need assistance understanding our maps, drawings, or any other content, please contact Kaila Johnson at 416-338-0620.

  • Early Summer 2021: Community engagement (online survey)
  • Summer 2023: Hire a design team
  • Fall 2024: Community engagement
  • December 2024: Detailed design
  • Fall 2025: Construction starts
  • Spring 2026: Construction complete

The timeline is subject to change.

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August 2021

Online Survey

Feedback on the community’s preferences for the future playground design was collected in an online survey from July 16 to August 8, 2021. The design team will use this feedback to develop multiple playground design options. The survey received a total of 581 responses, which included feedback from 1,279 participants of various ages.

Download the August 2021 survey summary.

March 30, 2021

Virtual Public Meeting

The public was invited to a virtual public meeting to learn more about the project and share their vision for the playground improvements.

Willowdale Park is located at 75 Hollywood Ave., near Sheppard Avenue East and Doris Avenue. The children’s playground is located at the centre of the park, south of Hollywood Avenue and East of Doris Avenue.

The playground currently includes:

  • Three swing sets with:
    • Four swings for ages two to five
    • Two swings for ages five and up
  • A medium-sized play structure with:
    • A spiral slide (blue structure)
    • A straight slide (blue structure)
    • One set of stairs and one ramp to the play structure
    • Wood panels, some with windows
  • A wood structure with:
    • Watermill wheel (yellow structure)
    • Wood channels with various platforms
  • A junior shed play structure with:
    • One swing (red)
    • Four black tires
  • Sand under all play areas
  • Three benches and one picnic table

A photograph of the playground taken on a sunny winter day. The playground has post chain fencing on one side parallel to the three swing sets on top of sand play surfacing.

A photograph of the small stand-alone wood structure in the playground with a water mill and wooden channel. Two benches face the play structure. The area is covered in wet sand with some large puddles of water.

The playground will be redesigned using feedback from the community. The redesigned playground is proposed to include:

  • Accessible junior and senior play equipment for ages two to thirteen. This means that people of all abilities will be able to play at this playground
  • An accessible pathway to the playground
  • New play

Improvements will only be made in the general playground area. This will not include any new lighting features or improvements to other areas of the park.