Lakeview Park is a beautiful space in Oshawa, Canada. It’s a classic community park that has been around for many years. In the past few years, there have been plans to renovate and redevelop Lakeview Park with new amenities. There are two ways of looking at this development: some people believe it will be beneficial to both the local community and the natural environment, while others worry about how this redevelopment will change what they love about Lakeview Park.
After some time, the park’s plans of redevelopment have been fully realized and locals and visitors alike are enjoying the changes. The new facilities have been built with a modern look that brings it up to date without losing its charm. There is now more green space, better parking, outdoor sports courts, an off-leash dog area, sand volleyball court (and soon basketball), splash park for kids of all ages and public washrooms. New things are coming to the park all of the time, and many people love to come back often just for that reason. There is always something new here: some successful event like a farmers market or music festival happening in one part of it while another section might have more activities geared towards young children with their parents around.
Some locals worry about how this redevelopment will change what they loved so much about Lakeview Park before but most seem happy with how it has turned out. The water quality was getting too degraded from human impact before so even if there’s nothing else on offer at the revamped area, locals like knowing that when they visit – no matter which season- they’re not going to be doing any harm by being there.
Lakeview Park in Oshawa is currently undergoing a redevelopment plan and the playground cannot be used. The splash pad is closed as well since both are being upgraded. Mitchell Wiskel, the senior manager of the city’s Parks, Planning and Development department, says the play structure will be removed because it’s one of the oldest in the city and replaced with something more modern.
“When it’s finished, it will be the city’s largest playground in the city,” Wiskel said. Unlike the older structure that had multiple play areas, there will be designated areas for both juniors and seniors. The junior play area will also be fully accessible, and rubber will be used in the safety surfacing. Despite the engineered wood fibers, he says the play area will still be easily accessible for people with disabilities.
Several features and challenges will be available for children of all ages on the playground, according to him. Wiskel explained that the multi-leveled structure would include a central climbing structure. “Our swings will be large and diverse ranging from swings for young children to swings for toddlers to swings for older children. There will also be swings that are accessible.”
Additionally, there will be something unique about the new playground. “We are also building a double zipline, which is something quite spectacular,” said Wiskel. “Zip lines are not common in Ontario, so we’ll be one of the lucky parks to have one.” Several spray features will be located on the ground as well as an elevated spray jet, as well as a bucket for dumping water. Some of the playground’s newer ground elements may be saved and reused later, says Whiskel. The old play structure will be disposed of, but there is still the old play structure to dispose of. On or before Canada Day in 2021, the project will be completed.
Oshawa is also renovating three other parks this year. At Radio Park, four new pickleball courts are being added and the tennis courts are being remodeled. It’s also redeveloping the northwest entrance to Kinsmen Valleyview Park at Sherwood Park while replacing a playground and pathway. It is expected that these three parks will be finished by the end of the year. According to Wiskel, a handful of the city’s parks are also being replaced with engineered wood fibre, which is why some have been completely enclosed.
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