The City is improving the playground and adding a new basketball court at Rowena Park. The playground upgrades are part of an ongoing program to enhance play spaces. The new basketball court will be built in the park’s northeast area as part of the Parks and Recreation Facilities Plan.

  • Summer 2025: Hire a design team
  • Fall 2025: Concept design
  • Winter 2026: Community engagement
  • Spring to Summer 2026: Detailed design and hire a construction team
  • Fall 2026: Construction starts, playground closes
  • Winter 2026: Construction complete, playground reopens

The timeline is subject to change.

Online Survey

January 2026

An online survey will be posted on this page in January. The survey will ask for feedback and preferences on playground options. The design team will use this community feedback to develop the final playground design.

The results of the survey will also be shared on this page.

Level of Engagement

This project has been classified as a Consult project based on the International Association for Public Participation Spectrum. This means we collect and consider public feedback on proposed design options to inform the development of a final playground design.

Rowena Park is located near the intersection of Ellesmere Road and Victoria Park Avenue. The playground is in the northwest area of the park and is divided into two sections by a pathway.

The playground currently includes:

  • two swing sets with:
    • two swings for ages two to five
    • two swings for ages five and up
  • one junior play structure with:
    • one double slide
    • two climbing options
    • one tunnel bridge
    • one playhouse
    • two play panels
  • one senior play structure with:
    • one curved slide
    • three overhead climbing options
    • four climbing options
    • one play panel
  • one seesaw
  • one talk tube set
  • sand under all play areas

The playground will be redesigned using community feedback and is proposed to include:

  • playground equipment for ages five to 12
  • additional seating
  • engineered wood fibre surfacing
  • an accessible pathway from the sidewalk to the playground area

The play equipment and pathway connecting to the playground area will comply with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). Learn more about how playgrounds are made accessible.

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