The City is improving Buttonwood Park near Royal York Road and Eglinton Avenue West. The park design will be determined through community engagement and is proposed to include a shade structure, plantings, seating and pathway enhancements.
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 Nelson Paiva at 416-396-7594.
The timeline is subject to change.
This project has been classified as a Consult project based on the International Association of Public Participation (IAP2) Spectrum. This means the City will seek feedback from community members and stakeholders at key stages of the project. Public input will help inform the park improvements.
Sign up for or unsubscribe from updates related to Buttonwood Park Improvements.
In this phase, the project team collected feedback to develop a vision statement, guiding principles and big moves, which will guide the development of design options in Community Engagement Phase 2.
The vision statement is co-created with the community and describes the ideal future park. It is a big picture statement that should inspire everyone towards a common understanding of the project’s overall goals and objectives. The vision statement for the improved park is:
Buttonwood Park will be a peaceful and inclusive family-friendly space that supports the health and well-being of a growing community. The improved park will offer a natural setting for relaxation, active recreation and community connection. The park will accommodate diverse community needs through improved amenities, while maintaining and enhancing the park’s green spaces. The park will ensure accessibility and safety, and be welcoming to people of all ages, abilities and backgrounds.
Guiding principles are high-level directions that reflect the community’s most important values and ideas for how the park should look and feel. They help to clarify the vision statement and guide how the park should be designed by describing the desired outcomes. The guiding principles for the improved park are:
Protect, enhance and improve green space and plantings.
Design the park improvements with community safety and accessibility as top priorities.
Ensure that the park accommodates people of all ages and abilities, while being especially sensitive to the needs of families, children and seniors.
Enhanced recreational amenities will improve the park’s appeal and usability for people of all ages, but this must be done in a way that also preserves the park’s natural and green character.
Foster a sense of community while maintaining the peaceful nature of the park.
Take into consideration that future park improvements may include more amenities that are outside the scope of the current park improvements.
The big moves communicate the main priorities of both the community and the City for the design of the park. They are specific directions for how the physical design can achieve the vision and guiding principles. The big moves for the improved park are:
On December 16, the project team met with executive members of the Buttonwood Hill Residents Association to share information and discuss community engagement.
From November 4 to 18, community input was gathered through an interactive thought exchange activity where participants were asked to share their ideas and rate the ideas of others. 281 participants contributed 251 ideas and 4711 ratings.
Review top thoughts and themes in the November 2025 Online Thought Exchange Activity summary.
On October 20 and 31, the project team met with executive members of the Buttonwood Hill Residents Association to share information and discuss community engagement.
In this phase, the project team worked off the outcomes of Community Engagement Phase 1 to develop two design options for the park improvements. These were presented to the community for feedback. This feedback will be used to develop a preferred design for the park improvements.
This design option enhances the community gathering use of the park. Key features include:
This design option enhances the active use of the park by providing viewing areas directed towards activity on the existing field. Key features include:
From May 20 to June 10, an online survey collected feedback from 165 community members on two design options for the park improvements.
59 per cent of respondents preferred Design Option 2, while 15 per cent preferred Design Option 1. 10 per cent liked both design options and 17 per cent did not like either option.
87 per cent of respondents were satisfied that the design options achieved the vision and guiding principles for the improved park, 13 per cent were unsatisfied and one per cent were unsure or preferred not to answer.
Overall, 68 per cent of respondents were satisfied with the design options for the improved park, eight per cent were neutral and 17 per cent were unsatisfied.
Respondents shared their level of agreement with the following statements about each of the design options:
I like the perennial planting beds.
I think natural elements like boulders add pleasing structure to the park landscape.
The park design leaves space open for the addition of other amenities in the future.
The park layout and amenities are safe, welcoming and accessible.
The park design balances the introduction of new amenities while maintaining and enhancing green spaces and plantings.
The improved park supports the health and well-being of people of all ages and abilities.
I like the proposed pathways.
The park design allows for community connection.
The park design allows for quiet relaxation.
I like the location of the gathering and seating areas.
There is enough seating.
Respondents shared their level of agreement with the following statements about features specific to each design option.
Design Option 1:
Design Option 2:
Respondents selected their preferred design feature from the following options:
52 people shared additional comments, representing 36 per cent of all respondents. Themes included:
Older adults aged 65 or over are a significant demographic group in the community. Highlighting their perspectives supports a design approach that is inclusive, representative and responsive to the needs of all community members.
Respondents aged 65 or over provided feedback that aligned with the overall survey results. The group’s level of agreement with statements about the design options was generally within five per cent of the overall results. Differences above five per cent occurred only for the following statements about Design Option 2:
On May 27, an in-person pop-up event was held at Chartwell Scarlett Heights Retirement Residence located next to the park. Approximately 50 people dropped by to chat with the project team, share their feedback on two design options and respond to survey questions on display boards using dot stickers. Some participants also wrote additional comments on sticky notes.
Overall, participants preferred Design Option 2 and a majority were satisfied with the design options.
When asked to choose among different design features, participants preferred:
Participants shared their level of agreement with statements about each of the design options. Nearly all participants agreed with the following statements for both design options:
A few statements received more disagreement:
Participants wrote additional comments on sticky notes. Themes included:
In this phase, the preferred design for the park improvements will be shared with the community on this page and the project mailing list. The project will then move into the detailed design phase, where the design team will work through the technical details and plans for the construction contractor.
Buttonwood Park is a 4.3-hectare park located just south of Eglinton Avenue West, between Royal York Road and Scarlett Road in Etobicoke. The immediate area surrounding the park is undergoing new development, including a new elementary school next to the park on the south side and residential developments north of Eglinton Avenue. Chartwell Scarlett Heights retirement residence is located on the northeast side of the park.
Buttonwood Park currently includes:
Due to the project’s limited budget and timeline constraints, some amenities will not be considered for park improvements at this time. This includes but is not limited to:
However, community feedback about some of these amenities may help guide additional park improvements if opportunities arise in the future. This approach is reflected in the project’s guiding principles and big moves shared under Community Engagement Phase 1.