The City and the local Councillor are improving Havenbrook Park. The playground was selected by the Henry Farm neighbourhood as one of the winning projects through participatory budgeting, a system of direct democracy where residents suggest and then vote on how City funds are spent in their community. The improvements will include a new playground, lighting and upgraded seating.
This timeline is subject to change.
Sign up for updates related to the Havenbrook Park Improvements or unsubscribe from the mailing list.
The final playground components were determined using feedback from the community. The new playground will be Acessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) compliant and will include the following features:
From November 16 to December 3, 2023, feedback on multiple playground equipment and design options was collected in an online survey. The survey was promoted through paid social media ads, outreach to nearby schools, the local Councillor’s office, on-site signage and on this page. The survey received responses from a total of 175 respondents.
The design team will use this feedback to refine a final design. The final design will be available on this page in spring 2024.
When asked which playground features they liked:
When asked which playground style they liked best, 49 per cent liked natural playgrounds, 34 per cent liked traditional playgrounds and 17 per cent had no preference.
When asked which playground structure they liked best, 57 per cent liked one main structure, 31 per cent liked no main structure and 12 percent had no preference.
When asked what the three most important features to include were, 62 per cent indicated climbing structures, 52 per cent indicated a senior play structure for ages five to 12 and 27 per cent indicated stand-alone toys.
When asked what the three least important features to include were, 45 per cent indicated play panels, 30 per cent indicated motion toys and 29 per cent indicated a double slide.
When asked what features they would like more of if budget permits, 53 per cent indicated climbing structures, 38 per cent indicated a senior play structure for ages five to 12 and 35 per cent indicated stand-alone toys.
When asked what type of seating they liked:
When asked what types of colours they liked best, 44 per cent liked bright colours, like yellow, orange and purple, 31 per cent liked earthy colours and 16 per cent liked neutral colours.
Havenbrook Park is located northeast of the Leslie Street access to Highway 401. The playground is located at the centre of the park, east of Henry Farm Tennis Club.
The playground currently includes:
The playground will be redesigned using feedback from the community. The redesigned playground is proposed to include:
Improvements will only be made in the general playground area, with the exception of lighting. This will not include any new water features or improvements to other areas of the park.