Waterfront park improvements aim to create community gathering spaces
By Brad Smith
Photos: Seferian Design Group
Casablanca Waterfront Park is a dynamic park that offers visitors a diverse range of experiences with spectacular views of Lake Ontario. The park is in the town of Grimsby, and the surrounding area is becoming an upscale, desired location. Over the past five years, the town has seen steady growth with the completion of several high-density projects and an increase in population.
The design was explored through the West End Waterfront Trail Design Study and Master Plan and Parks, Recreation and Culture Master Plan (2019). As a result, the new park, at the terminus of Casablanca Boulevard at Lake Ontario, now includes components that council endorsed in the West End Waterfront Trail Design Study and Master Plan (2014) and has built upon the goals of the Winston Road Neighbourhood Secondary Plan (2016). Furthermore, it serves to enhance the broader Grimsby Go Transit Secondary Plan area (2018).
Pedestrian And Bicyle Access
Seferian Design Group (SDG) provided all landscape architectural design services for the project. The vision was to transform and promote the park as a unique waterfront destination in Grimsby and the surrounding Niagara Region. This will be achieved by strengthening placemaking qualities, emphasizing connectivity, and improving accessibility along the waterfront.
Proposed landscape zones are designated by different uses and coordinated to address pedestrian and bicycle flows, and expand the public realm at critical interfaces. As the town and surrounding areas continue to grow, the project will be completed in phases in order to maintain community access to the waterfront pathway as much as possible throughout the process.
The park combines active and passive recreation areas. Active recreation areas include gathering plazas, playgrounds, picnic areas, beaches, and open lawns for flexible use (food trucks, concerts, pop-up markets, etc.), all connected by multi-use pathways. Undeveloped spaces will be enhanced for the health and well-being of the public. Naturalized areas will be preserved for the wildlife and the environment. The quality of the environment and “naturalness” of the park will be the focus of the passive recreational experience.
The design includes five key qualities:
Accessibility
Comfort and image
Activity engagement
Nature and environment
Sociability.
The synergies of park, waterfront, and recreation options will enable all users to choose from a greater range of activities.
Creative And Imaginative Play
SDG collaborated with Burke Playgrounds and Monstrum Playgrounds on the redesign of two key play spaces within the park. The east end features two, distinct active play zones for all ages. On the west end, the Monstrum structure will be one of the first in Canada for the team. The “Red-breasted Merganser (a common bird found on the shores of Lake Ontario in the Niagara Region) and its Baby” will contain numerous opportunities for creative and imaginative play at the waterfront, including a salmon zipline, waves, tugboat, slides, swings, water lilies, small hills, rock climbs, holds on a bird’s back, and other ways to climb around Lake Ontario.
The park space, by connecting neighborhoods and encouraging people to interact in the public realm, can serve as the heart of the community. The park will also highlight Grimsby's cultural identity through education, history, architecture, and public-art installations. This is a crucial factor for creating a sense of place that can withstand the test of time. The Casablanca Waterfront Park is the foundation of the neighbourhood and can spur further economic growth and development.
Construction is scheduled to begin in spring 2023. To learn more, visit https://www.letstalkgrimsby.ca/casablanca-waterfront-project.
Brad Smith, OALA, APALA, CSLA, ASLA, is a Senior Landscape Architect with Seferian Design Group SDG Landscape Architects in Burlington, Ontario. Reach him at brad@seferiandesign.com.