The Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake is set to spend about $300,000 replacing children’s playgrounds at Memorial Park and Simcoe Park, with work starting later this year.
The $140,000 Memorial Park project is funded through the capital levy, while $150,000 for Simcoe Park comes from the parkland dedication reserve, said Kevin Turcotte, NOTL’s parks and recreation manager.
Until Sept. 9, residents can help shape each new playground by voting between two designs for each one online or by QR code at each playground.
The town will review all feedback and select the designs with the most votes at each park, a process it expects to complete by mid-September, said Turcotte.
If the weather allows it, the Simcoe Park playground will be installed by the end of the year, while Memorial Park’s playground will be replaced in spring 2026.
Ribbon-cuttings are planned for summer 2026 at both sites, following safety inspections.
“The two designs for each park have already been vetted to ensure they are within budget, accessible and consider maintenance requirements,” said Turcotte, adding they “were based on typical playground designs.”
Key goals in the design process were: placing the equipment within its existing space, getting the most value out of the budget and playground features, building with high-quality materials, using wood fibre mulch for surfacing, keeping mats underneath swings to prevent scattering mulch and meeting accessibility standards set by the Canadian Standards Association.
This is the first opportunity for residents to weigh in on the designs.
“This has been the town’s practice in previous years regarding playground replacement or new playground installations,” said Turcotte.
Residents can review the options and vote online at jointheconversationnotl.org/playground-engagement, or by scanning QR codes posted at the parks.
