Council Provides Direction on the Future of the Hanna Park Playground

Thank You for Your Feedback!

Thank you to everyone who took the time to participate in the Hanna Park Playground engagement process and join us for the latest Council meeting. Your stories, memories and thoughtful feedback reinforced just how much this playground means to our community and helped Council better understand what you value most about this special place.

Findings and Recommendations

One of the most common questions raised throughout the engagement process was whether the existing playground could be repaired or rebuilt.

To answer that question, the Township commissioned independent playground inspections and consulted with qualified playground manufacturers to evaluate all available options.

The assessments confirmed the playground has reached the end of its service life (see inspection update in Staff Report), and repairs are not a viable, long-term solution. They also found that a like-for-like rebuild is not feasible. Any new playground must meet today's safety and accessibility standards, requiring a different layout and design. Preliminary estimates for a custom-built replacement ranged from $750,000 to $1 million, and manufacturers advised they cannot certify or assume responsibility for a custom-built playground they did not originally design or manufacture.

Without replacement, the condition of the existing structure could require the playground to be closed as early as next summer to ensure public safety.

Council considered these inspection findings, expert recommendations, community feedback, and proposed design options before making its decision.

Council's Decision (July 29, 2026)

To support a playground that better reflects the priorities shared by the community, Council approved increasing the project budget from $261,300 to $561,300.

To fund this increase, Council approved temporarily reallocating funding from the 2026 Wharf Concrete Repair Project. The wharf project will now be considered through the 2027 Capital Budget to proceed in Spring 2027, remaining on track to be completed before the 2027 summer season (see Staff Report for more information).

With the increased budget approved, Council selected Design Option 3 as the preferred playground concept as it more closely reflects the character of the existing playground, while offering greater play value than the original concept presented during engagement.

Key features include:

  • Two timber play towers with multiple levels of play
  • Rock climbing walls and climbing nets
  • Traverse ring monkey bars
  • Multiple slides
  • Net and timber bridges connecting play structures
  • Accessible features, entrances and transfer areas
  • Sensory play elements featuring a variety of textures, forms, patterns and colours
  • A dedicated toddler play area (Tot Land)
  • More imaginative, adventurous and inclusive play opportunities for children of a wider range of ages and abilities
  • Click here to see the current draft design

Staff will continue working with Earthscape to refine the layout and determine any additional play features that can be incorporated within the approved budget.

While the new playground will not be an exact replica, it is intended to carry forward the adventurous character of the existing playground while meeting today's safety and accessibility standards. Staff will also continue exploring opportunities to retain and incorporate elements of the existing playground, including the wooden fence and family name plaques.

What's Next?

Staff will work with Earthscape to refine the playground layout and finalize the design, with an updated concept expected in the coming weeks.

The Township is also awaiting the results of current grant funding applications and will continue exploring opportunities to commemorate the existing playground and enhance Hanna Park as the project progresses.

Thank you again to everyone who participated in this process. Your input played an important role in shaping Council's decision, and we'll continue sharing updates as we move into the next chapter of Hanna Park.

Supporting Resources & Documents:

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