Kitchener’s parks and natural areas are important spaces in our community that bring people together year-round and allow us all to enjoy the benefits of being in nature within our city’s neighbourhoods. As Kitchener has grown, our parks have as well to make sure they support what our residents and visitors need and reflect the way we all use our parks year-round.

As part of the City of Kitchener’s parks strategic plan, we have been working to improve and develop our park spaces to make sure they reflect the needs of our community. Over the last year, parks and open spaces across the city have seen improvements, and we’ve even seen the development of a brand-new type of park to create another open space Kitchener residents and visitors can enjoy. 

“Our city’s parks are a reflection of our community as a whole,” said Mayor Berry Vrbanovic. “They are spaces designed for the community and it’s wonderful to see how they grow and change to reflect our city as it evolves. From new equipment and spaces for all ages, to updates that make our parks more accessible for everyone, I’m excited for Kitchener’s residents to experience all the new things our parks have to offer!”

This year, Westchester Park, Alpine Park, Westwood Park and Shoemaker Park were all updated with various new play equipment or play spaces, updates to paths and trails, and infrastructure improvements to support the long-term health of the parks’ natural spaces. 

This summer, we also opened a new park in Downtown Kitchener that gives Kitchener residents a new place to experience the outdoors in the heart of our city. Gaukel Pocket Park is a new urban parkette that creates a space for play and relaxation, with a new sculptural play structure, benches and planters in the middle of a pedestrian street.

“When we’re planning improvements to our parks each year, we look at necessary repairs but also how each park is meeting the needs of its neighbourhood,” said Denise McGoldrick, the City’s General Manager, Infrastructure Services. “Whether we improve a single park to better reflect the people using it or look at how parks work together in a larger area, the ultimate goal is making sure we are creating the spaces our community needs and that they will enjoy.”

In our ward 2 and ward 3 neighbourhoods, we looked at clusters of neighbourhood parks as part of a network. Instead of upgrading one park at a time, we made changes across the whole network to better serve the community by building a variety of features across the greater neighbourhoods. Our ward 2 park network – which includes Kinzie, Oaten and Idlewood Parks – added new play equipment, walking trails, and landscaping to the park network, along with the City’s fifth dog park! Oaten Park is also now home to a new community garden. Wilson, Vanier and Traynor Parks in the ward 3 park network also included new play and recreation facilities, as well as the restoration and naturalization of Montgomery Creek. 

As we close out the year, we’ll be kicking off engagement for updates to the Victoria Park Master Plan and will see the culmination of the City’s Places & Spaces strategy, which will guide the vision for parks and open spaces across the city for years to come. 

Our city’s parks are a place for everyone to enjoy themselves, whether through play or to enjoy nature in our city. To explore our city’s green spaces and stay up to date on everything going on in Kitchener’s parks, visit www.kitchener.ca/parks .

 

For more information, contact:
Shawn Falcao
Manager, Corporate Communications
City of Kitchener
shawn.falcao@kitchener.ca