Newmarket to open fully accessible, harvest-themed splash pad in 2020

The $1.8M project features interactive design, promotes locally grown produce and honours farming history of area

YorkRegion.com
January 29, 2019
Teresa Latchford

For Mariana Furtos, Newmarket’s newest splash pad is more than just an amenity.

The local mother of four often struggles to find activities the entire family can enjoy together since one of her children lives with special needs and requires the use of a wheelchair. But she was overjoyed to see the design for the fully accessible community splash pad to be located in the Sawmill Valley area just across the street from her home.

“The children are so excited and we will be able to enjoy the outdoors, have some fun and spend time all together just by walking across the street,” she said.

“This won’t just be great for the kids; it will be good for everyone.”

Being accessible is an important feature for her family and others in the community, but just as important is the way this splash pad will act as a gathering place.

A place for children to be active and for neighbours to get to know each other, she said.

The Town of Newmarket unveiled the concept design for the harvest-themed splash pad this month. It is to be located in Dr. Margaret Arkinstall Park on Sawmill Valley Road, surrounded by the existing playground, basketball courts and multi-use field beside Terry Fox Public School.

The proposed design, created by the same designers who laid out the Frank Stronach splash pad that opened last summer, includes an entrance from Sawmill Valley Drive into an 18-spot parking lot with three accessible spaces, landscaped buffer, walking paths, pavilion and picnic tables.

“The entire area was farm land at one time, and we wanted to honour our heritage by creating a harvest theme,” Newmarket engineering services director Rachel Prudhomme said. “We also wanted to represent local produce in the design.”

Water play will include a watering can, barn water gate, strawberry, hay bale, carrots, water maze with cycling activators, barn shade, root vegetable and vegetable slices, mushroom shade structures, cucumber mist tunnel, apple carousel and snow peas.

Construction on the $1.8-million project is expected to begin this year with the final plantings to be complete early next year and the splash pad opening in the summer of 2020. The funding for the project is included in the 2017 and 2018 budgets.

“We are well into the design phase and we are really pleased about the positive public reaction so far,” she added.

Comments from residents were collected at a public information session this month, and town staff will be reviewing and contacting those who provided comment to explain whether or not their suggestions can be incorporated.

Those comments will also be included in a report when council is asked to approve the final design.

“There has been suggestions to have washroom facilities in the design, but it would significantly increase construction and operation costs because people expect them to be clean at all times, so town staff would have to visit four times a day,” Prudhomme explained. “Most of our splash pads utilize Porta-potties.”

Ward 6 Coun. Kelly Broome has been working on getting a splash pad in the area since she was told by residents it was needed while she was canvassing in 2014. Broome is proud of the fact that it will be fully accessible.

“It will be something for everyone to use,” she said. “The whole idea of it being accessible is it is large, wide and tall so the older children will be able to use it and grandparents who want to play with their grandchildren.”

She explained that this project is part of a larger vision to have splash pads in every quadrant in town as set out in the town’s recreational playbook, a guide for sport and recreation needs.

As for the specific location, there is a portion of the land that is clay-heavy and can’t grow grass, an ongoing complaint from nearby residents. It made sense to use this land for the splash pad.

“There is a wish list of things residents would like to see at the splash pad that haven’t been included in the proposed design, like washrooms and a water fountain,” she said. “I have put forward some requests.”

But the splash pad is only the beginning of what Broome envisions for this park. In the future she plans to advocate for more revitalization, including an upgraded playground, tennis courts and more.