Hamilton Amateur Athletic Association Park Renewal

Swing height and basket ball court fencing.

1 Please don’t take out these tall swings and replace them with shorter ones. The taller swing set has a much nicer swing to it, it’s much more enjoyable to push and ride on a taller set while keeping the park accessible to all people. Small swing sets are only for small people. Parents, teens and middle schoolers use the swing too! 2. It seems as though a fenced in basketball court in being planned. I’m hoping that the court could remain un-fenced as it currently is. The open area is much more welcoming to all members of the community to use that space when it’s available. When the fence lines the court it’s much more exclusive and intimidating for little ones to enter. Keep the part open and accessible to all. Keep room for spontaneous play. Keep the park free of walls and limitations! 3. Also, keep the grass area around the splash pad. It’s so nice to sit in the shade in the grass, and have a picnic. Don’t structure the whole park, leave space for lounging and I dedicated zones.

Appreciate the plans so far! Could we also include more accessible designs and activities?

For example, add more contrasting colours on the structures for children with visual disabilities or even adults with colour blindness. Also more activities that are universally accessible please - so parts of the playground structures at different levels so everyone of different abilities can access some play features

Community and Pollinator Gardens

Would be lovely to see a designated area in the park for community vegetable and pollinator gardens (native species)! Pollinator gardens with drought residents plants require less maintenance and increase biodiversity in our highly urbanized area

Challenging play equipment

Some of the best play structures I have seen after traveling throughout the GTA with my 2 young kids is the Grange Park Toronto large play structure. The structure has challenging equipment that requires children to overcome fears and difficulties (i.e. large steps, suspension bridge, high steep slides). This would be consistent with educational movements in encouraging limit testing versus trying to overly insulate from the world. I would hope that the HAAA play structures would take an equally forward thinking approach. And sometimes less is more, and concentrating available funds to a few excellent pieces turns out to be more effective.

I hope you continue to use the soft surface for the track.

Giant sand pit with a water source, shovels and logs. Open ended construction and imagination building rivers, dams, forts.

Simple concept, hours of fun for all ages and genders. Inspired by the sand pit in Dufferin Grove park. Shade is important to making it a spot kids and their guardians want to stay all day.

Basketball Nets

More nets

Art installations (art/ painted fences)

Colourful art to reflect the many ways the park is used (multicultural/inter generational etc)

Update play structure

Make it similar to the new Churchill park play structure

Combination Basketball/Hockey Site

A park in Vancouver has a basketball court surrounded by a low concrete wall in the shape of rink boards, including an accessibility ramp. Would be a good way to combine the desire for basketball and a rink.