2022 Completed Park Projects
Come out for a day of community building, habitat restoration, nature connection, outdoor exercise and an all-around great time! Join the Lower Mainland Green Team in removing invasive plants from MacLean Park in Pitt Meadows from 9:45am-1pm on Saturday, May 28, 2022. This activity will run rain or shine. For more information or to register visit the Lower Mainland Green Team. This activity is being run in partnership with Green Teams of Canada and the City of Pitt Meadows.
“An invasive species can be any kind of living organism—an amphibian (like the cane toad), plant, insect, fish, fungus, bacteria, or even an organism’s seeds or eggs—that is not native to an ecosystem and causes harm. They can harm the environment, the economy, or even human health. Species that grow and reproduce quickly, and spread aggressively, with potential to cause harm, are given the label invasive.” – National Wildlife Federation
With the increased use of parks, trails and outdoor spaces the collection of utilization data is needed. Counters will be installed at key locations throughout parks and trails in Pitt Meadows, and the data collected will assist staff in planning for infrastructure and other park and trail improvements. These counters will be installed throughout May.
Mitchell Park Community Tree Planting April 21 & 22 - (in celebration of Earth Day)
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Every year, the City of Pitt Meadows Parks team plants new trees in various locations. This year, 43+ trees were planted in our Parks and boulevards. To celebrate Earth Day, Parks staff invited the community to join them in planting 15 trees at Mitchell Park.
Why Mitchell Park? Pitt Meadows urban forests play an important role in contributing to both human and environmental health and well-being. Mitchell Park is a 7-acre, lightly treed neighbourhood park that provides close-to-home recreational opportunities for nearby residents. The landscape sits on a flood plain and for many months out of the year, the grass areas can become unusable due to the poor drainage and wet ground conditions. Over time, the new trees will help increase our urban canopy cover and improve drainage.
A special thank you to community participants that came out to celebrate Earth Day with our Parks team and plant new trees on April 21 and 22!
Every year, the City of Pitt Meadows Parks team plants new trees in various locations. This year, we will be planting 43+ trees in our Parks and boulevards.
Stop by these locations to see the new trees!
- Mitchell Park
- Somerset Park
- North Bonson Park
- Shoreline Park
- South Bonson Community Center
- Joyner Place
Harris Road Playground Replacement (Dec 2021 - Early 2022)
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May 20 Update - Phase 2:
The Konnection Swing is the final piece of the Harris Road Park Installation. The installation is scheduled to take place, next week, May 24 to 27. The existing playground is open for use. The installation area will be fenced off until the project is complete. For safety, park users are reminded to avoid the fenced area.For more details or questions, please reach out to our parks team.
Jan. 19 Update:
The City would like to offer sincere thanks to the group of parents who met with staff and shared experiences, requirements, and considerations for accessibility-related to playground design. As a result, new pieces of equipment have been ordered and reviewed with parents – most notably the large play structure known as ‘the boat’ (shown in the post images), as well as other important accessible elements.
In 2022, a resident Advisory Committee will be formed that will provide recommendations and will assist the City with prioritizing projects. This will include a position that will hold accessibility knowledge.
The Harris Road Park replacement project was beginning the initial installation phase when staff met with parents. The accessible equipment ordered as a result of that meeting will arrive in the second installation phase that has an estimated delivery window of two months.
The City is excited to announce that the first phase of the playground opens tomorrow Thurs. Jan. 20 and is ready for the community to enjoy. We are grateful to the parents who worked collaboratively with the City to improve play for all children. The City is committed to making changes to how we design and purchase playgrounds for future projects.
Further details on the Parks, Recreation and Culture Advisory Committee will be coming soon.
The City of Pitt Meadows is committed to creating play spaces that are inclusive and accessible to all children.
Under the Canadian Playground Standards, “accessible” is used when speaking to the surfacing, and “inclusive” is used when speaking to the play features.
The following features make this playground accessible:
- The selected surface of the new playground is engineered wood fibre, and is considered “accessible” according to the Canadian playground safety standards.
- Rubber surfacing was considered, however due to the heavily treed location of this playground this type of surface would become a slip hazard.
- The site will be excavated against existing pathways on the west side, which will allow for a smooth transition from the asphalt onto the playground surfacing.
- The playground will not include any curbing, so it will be open from all directions.
Inclusive elements, which provide physical, visual, cognitive and special elements for varying abilities including sensory needs, will include.
- “Volito swing”- this is designed for children of all abilities, and allows for easy transfer from a chair. It’s a saucer style swing that will fit multiple members of the family.
- “Volta saucer” – often referred to as a spinner, has a high back for support to sit comfortable and safely, and allows for easy transfer from a chair.
- “Discovery Stations” – multiple stations can be found throughout the playground that include sensory features.
Additional features
- “Tot lot activity area”- portion designed for ages 2-5 has 2 discovery stations at ground level for children of all capabilities to access.
- The existing swings will remain, with a new coat of paint to match the new playground.
About the Vendor
Suttle Recreation was selected for this project as they promote inclusive play, and apply the 7 principles of Inclusive Playground Design, to generate play spaces that are a safe and a fun environment for all users:1-Be Fair: The play environment promotes equitable use by persons of all abilities. It encourages
multigenerational play and supports the participation of individuals with diverse abilities, needs, and interests.
2-Be Included: The play space offers flexibility of use and accommodates everyone’s right to play.
3- Be Smart: the design is simple and intuitive, with visual clues that make it easy to understand and use, helping individuals to gain confidence through play.
4- Be Independent: The design offers perceptible information and allows persons to interact, explore and participate in sensory rich play.
5- Be Safe: The play environment is tolerant of error by meeting safety standards, considering unintentional actions and promoting emotional security for personal development.
6- Be Active: The play space offers diverse opportunities for children to engage in sustained, healthy physical activity fostering social participation and cooperation.
7-Be Comfortable: Appropriate size and space is provided for approach and use so the play environment is comfortable for individuals with diverse sensory, physical, and emotional needs.They also strive to integrate the six elements of physical play (balancing, climbing, swinging, brachiating, sliding and spinning) to create active play spaces that engage the whole body.
Public engagement
Engagement with playground users was performed for the Harris Road Park replacement. During the summer program staff performed an onsite survey over a two week period with playground users and their parents/caregiver to find out what type of play features were most important to them. This information was used during the selection process. We recognize that due to diverse abilities this community park may not meet everyone’s requirements.All of the feedback received from the public will be shared with Suttle Recreation, to see if there are additional features that can be added to the Harris Road Playground as a second phase. We encourage parents with additional comments, concerns or questions to please reach out to our parks team at parksandrec@pittmeadows.ca.
Shoreline Park Improvements - March 2022
May 20, 2022 – As part of the Shoreline Park improvements, the west viewing platform will be closed for repair from May 24-27. For safety, park users are reminded to avoid the area and stay behind the barricades. The area will be closed until the project is complete. The work is scheduled to be completed by the end of the week, weather permitting.
Timeline (weather permitting):
The Shoreline viewing platform repairs are scheduled from May 24 to May 27, 2022.Safety Message:
- This is an active worksite, the west Shoreline Park viewing platform will be closed until the project is complete.
- We are asking park users to avoid the area and be mindful that it is an active worksite.
We encourage park users with additional comments, concerns or questions to reach out to our parks team at parksandrec@pittmeadows.ca.
May 24, 2022
As part of the Shoreline Park improvements, the west viewing platform will be closed for repair from May 24-27. For safety, park users are reminded to avoid the area and stay behind the barricades. The area will be closed until the project is complete. The work is scheduled to be completed by the end of the week, weather permitting.
Timeline (weather permitting):
The Shoreline viewing platform repairs are scheduled from May 24 to May 27, 2022.Safety Message:
This is an active worksite, the west Shoreline Park viewing platform will be closed until the project is complete.
We are asking park users to avoid the area and be mindful that it is an active worksite.
We encourage park users with additional comments, concerns or questions to reach out to our parks team.Over the past month, invasive species and hazard trees have been removed. The next stage of park improvements is the planting of trees to create beneficial habitats and promote biodiversity.
Plants you will see growing here:
Spirea douglasii (Hardhack)
- Attracts butterflies and bees
- Provides a beneficial hunting ground for raptors
- Provides shelter for small birds
Mahonia nervosa (dull Oregon grape)
- Provides important habitat
- Food source for small birds and mammals
- Nectar source for Hummingbirds
Polystichum munitum (western swordfern)
- Food source for several mammals
- Provides habitat for several bird species
- Provides habitat for small mammals
Rubus parviflorus (thimbleberry)
- Top summer food source for wildlife, especially birds
- Attracts pollinators
Cornus kousa (dogwood)
- Attracts pollinators
- Seeds are eaten by squirrels and birds
Cercidiphyllum japonicum (Katsura)
- Habitat source
- Fallen leaves smell like caramel