Parks and Facility Improvements

A town constructs parks and recreation facilities so its residents can grow as a community. Investing in suitable parks and facilities ensures our town is meeting the needs of its residents now and for future generations. Every year, we update our parks, trails and natural areas. This includes current renovation, revitalization, and state-of-good-repair projects in Grimsby's green space, parks and recreation facilities. The Town of Grimsby is committed to improving playgrounds and play spaces across the town so everyone can experience the joys and benefits of play.

Grimsby’s construction and revitalization of parks and recreation facilities are guided by the Parks, Recreation and Culture Master Plan and other supporting documents.

More about the role of the Parks, Recreation and Culture Master Plan

Some of the key outcomes of the plan are:

Create a current context for the department and the Master Plan including industry trends, challenges, population and demographics, user expectations, community profile and Town spending on parks, recreation and culture.

Define the Town of Grimsby’s role in providing parks, recreation and culture services, and identify the department role specifically.
Develop a vision for the department.
Provide a baseline assessment (strengths and weaknesses) of the parks, recreation and culture service areas, including a review of departmental human resources, policies and infrastructure.
Provide a framework of priorities for future decision-making that allows staff and Council to be responsive to changing needs, trends and emerging opportunities
Create an implementation strategy for the 2028 vision that addresses each of the following areas including service level changes, capital investments and human resource needs to meet the objectives.
- Parks services
- Facility services
- Recreation program services
- Trails services
- Cultural services
- Community special events
- Community development

Facility and Community Park Improvements

Current & Ongoing

New Additions to Morrison Park

Swing Set Installation

A new swing set will be installed at Morrison Park to provide another waterfront destination for families to visit and enjoy the beautiful views. Additional comfort amenities will be added to for passive park use. Stay tuned for more details!

Improvements to the Grimsby Beach Area

Bell Park Playground Replacement

The play structure and swing set located at Bell Park will be replaced in the Spring of 2025 as it is old and outdated. The new play equipment will have a variety of elements where children of all abilities can grow, learn, and play together through physical, sensory and social experiences.

Victoria Terrace Improvements

Improvements will be made to Victoria Terrace to promote tourism, improve accessibility, and increase the capacity of the area. The addition of new amenities and nature assets will provide visitors with a destination to relax and enjoy the vista views. Stayed tuned for more details!

Casablanca Waterfront Park Design and Construction

The Town of Grimsby is excited to proceed with the Casablanca Waterfront park development. Since the beginning of the development, there has been significant interest in this area. The connectivity and accessibility along the waterfront are a top priority for the Casablanca neighbourhood. In addition, developing this area to allow for better movement and higher community involvement will subsequently benefit local residents. The Casablanca Waterfront Project is a project that all Grimsby residents can enjoy; the vision is to develop the community park and promote the area as a destination park.

The Casablanca Waterfront Project spans the waterfront area from Hunter Road to the Water Treatment plant (with the easterly Losani development area to be developed later). The park project will be completed in several phases to maintain community access to the waterfront pathway as much as possible throughout the process.

Timeline of Work

Site Analysis and Program Development

May 2021 - June 2021
Complete

Conceptual Design Development

June 2021 - September 2021
Complete

Round Two of Community Engagement

October 2021 - November 2021
Complete

Detailed Design and Costing

December 2021 - March 2022
Complete

Detailed Design Approvals

March 2022 - June 2022
Complete

Procurement and Project Tendering

June 2022 - September 2022
Canceled
May 2023 - July 2023
Complete

Park Construction of Phase One, Two and Three

Summer 2023 - Spring 2024
In Progress

Project Website

www.letstalkgrimsby.ca/casablanca-waterfront-project

Forty Mile Creek Pedestrian Bridge Replacement

The current Forty Mile Creek pedestrian bridge is a wooden bridge that crosses Forty Mile Creek. The bridge was constructed using materials such as old telephone poles through a community partnership as part of a Bruce Trail connection. The community worked together to build the bridge, which held up for many years! Unfortunately, the bridge was closed in previous years due to safety concerns with the structure. Work is in motion for removing and replacing the Forty Mile Creek Bridge; a timeline is provided below.

Timeline of Work

Procurement for Engineering Design

June 2022 - September 2022
Complete

Design Work for Bridge Replacement

September 2022 - January 2023
Complete

Council Presentation of Design

March 2023
Complete

Budget Approval (Removal and Replacement)

April 2023
Complete

Construction Documentation and Detailed Drawings

May 2023 - August 2023
Complete

Procurement Process for Construction Work

August 2023 - September 2023
Complete

Budget Amendment Request

October 11th Finance Meeting
Complete
October 16 Council Meeting
Deferred

Construction Period for Removal and Replacement

To Be Determined
Deferred

Grand Oak Park

Work is being undertaken at the park to build on what was already done by local citizens to plant native species. In preparation for creating a butterfly garden, invasive species, such as Japanese Knotweed, Multiflora Rose and Black Locust, are being controlled physically and chemically to make way for new plantings. This will support biodiversity and make the park more beautiful and educational for visitors.

Timeline of Work

Removal of Invasive Plants through the use of Spray and Machine

Fall 2022 and Spring 2023
Complete

Cutting/Tarping/Mulching Large Oval Wildflower Garden

Fall 2022
Complete

Design Plans for Wildflower Garden

Winter/Spring 2023
Complete

Plant Small Round Wildflower Garden

Fall 2023
Complete

Peach King Centre Expansion and Renovation

In 2019, a citizen-driven Parks, Recreation and Culture Master Plan identified the need to improve opportunities for community recreation and access to indoor facility space in Grimsby. To achieve this, one of the top recommendations was to work towards a multi-use recreation facility on the Peach King Centre Grounds. This goal was further supported by Town Council's Strategic Priorities for 2019-22, identifying the need to "provide adequate and quality amenities to serve Grimsby's growing population."

In late August 2019, federal and provincial funding opportunities were announced and Council approved an expedited preparation of a concept plan for a Peach King Centre Expansion. On July 8th 2021, the project was selected for approval through the Ontario Government's Strategic Priorities Infrastructure Fund (SPIF), with the province contributing a grant of $16 million towards the total project cost of $21 Million. The Town of Grimsby is responsible for funding the remain $5.84 million and all facility operating costs.

Timeline of Work

Announcement of Project Funding

Summer 2021
Complete

Confirmed Commitment and Funding Strategy by Council

Winter 2022
Complete

SPIF Agreement Finalized

Spring 2022
Complete

Project Management Firm Selection

Summer 2022
Complete

Council Presentation

Winter 2022
Complete

Design Consultant Onboarded

Draft Stage 1 Archaeological Assessment
Functional Program and Site Plan
Planning Pre-Consultation
Spring 2023
Complete

Schematic Design

Award of Construction Manager
Capital Campaign Proposal and Ideas
Summer 2023
On Track

Project Website

www.letstalkgrimsby.ca/grimsby-peach-king-centre-expansion-project

Recreational Trails Master Plan

The Town of Grimsby is excited to start the development of a Town-wide Recreational Trails Master Plan. The purpose of the plan will be to prepare a long-range strategy that:

Serves as the blueprint for trail planning, design, and implementation over the next 20 years.
Promotes a shift to embrace the areas of natural and cultural significance Town-wide.
Integrates trails into the future growth of the Town of Grimsby.
Learns from past successes and lessons from the Town and other comparable municipalities; and
Supports trail planning, design, and construction by Town staff and partners.

For this project, Trails include primarily off-road links that support walking, cycling, and other active recreation. It not only includes the Bruce Trail but also will include park pathways, trails in natural areas, hydro corridors and long rail connections, pathway access to the waterfront, and multi-use pathways in place of a sidewalk. The plan is not meant to address active transportation routes and facilities found on-road such as bike lanes but may connect to some of these previously identified or exiting links.