Community celebrates Hemlock Park upgrades

City adds new playground and fitness equipment for local community

Spring can’t come soon enough for Manor Park residents living near Hemlock Park. 

The public recreation area received some significant upgrades in 2025, culminating in a ‘reopening’ ceremony on Wednesday, Dec. 3.

The total investment of $260,700 includes the following:

• two belt swings and two junior bucket swings;

• junior play equipment (frog jump climber, wobble sphere spinner and accessible sand digger);

• two new accessible benches; and

• removal of sand, replaced by engineered wood fiber, for ground cover and accessible pathway connections.

The existing ATV spring toy was salvaged and moved to a new location within the park as part of the project. 

Funding

A Canada Infrastructure Program grant of $135,000 covered the cost of most of the project. Rideau-Rockcliffe councillor Rawlson King secured another $95,700 from the ward’s ‘Cash-in-Lieu-of-Parkland’ fund. 

“Every time there’s development, developers have to pay into a fund so that we can invest in parks,” King explained at the Dec. 3 ribbon-cutting. “We were able to expand the amount of equipment that was installed here to (include) a fitness circuit and accessible saucer swing.”

The councillor credited the feedback received from the community during consultation back in 2023 for the project’s additional items. 

“One of the nice things about local government is that when you contact us, we’re listening, and we’re able to make adjustments,” he said. “By you telling us what you want to see, we’re really able to relay that and make that a reality.”

Parks staff

Kevin Wherry, Manager, Parks and Facilities Planning, told the small crowd gathered along Meadow Park Place it took a large team of “really committed and dedicated people” to bring the project together. 

“It takes a village to produce these kinds of projects,” he said. 

Like King, he said input from residents was invaluable, leading directly to inclusion of the outdoor gym equipment. 

“We might be experts in what we do but we’re not experts in what you might want,” he said. 

Claire O’Donnell, Program Manager with Parks and Facilities Planning, said the Hemlock Park project first came about in 2023 as part of a lifecycle review. 

“With the addition of the fitness equipment, this park better caters to all ages,” she said. “We’re especially excited to see the accessibility components,” such as benches, path and swings.

She thanked the Manor Park Community Association for its support, passion and participation. 

King thanked the staff for their efforts in helping bring the community’s wishes to life. 

“There’s nothing more exciting to me, to hear the vision of the community and actually translate that into reality,” he said. “That’s what has occurred … we’re celebrating that today.”