Centennial Park Enhancement Project
What is it?
An initiative led by Manotick Culture, Parks and Recreation Association (MCPRA) to enhance the northeast corner of Centennial Park, including the skateboard, outdoor rink/basketball, and gateway areas. This project is well over a $1M and was done in two phases.
Where is it?
Centennial Park (5572 Dr. Leach Drive) is Manotick’s primary active recreational park and community gathering place. This 7 hectare (17+ acres) backdrop to the Mike O’Neil Arena and Manotick Community Centre currently includes facilities for tennis, pickleball, soccer, football, softball, outdoor skating, skateboarding, sledding (Manotick Mountain), along with a play structure and outdoor pavilion.
What Has Been Done to Date?
In June, 2020, Ottawa City Council approved the commemorative naming of the gateway area for Centennial Park as the David Arntfield Recreation Area in memory of local resident and active community volunteer Dave Arntfield.
After an extensive community consultation, a Concept Design for Centennial Park was completed in early 2019. Everyone agreed that Centennial Park was a ‘jewel’ to be protected and enhanced. Most agreed that the priority project for the Park would be the improvement of the ‘entrance’, including the skateboard, outdoor rink and gateway areas.
On Tuesday, April 27, 2021, Infrastructure Canada announced the awarding of an Infrastructure Canada grant to Manotick Culture Parks and Recreation Association for the Centennial Park Enhancement Project. The Government of Canada, with the Government of Ontario and the City of Ottawa, are investing in Centennial Park, amongst other City projects, through the Community, Culture and Recreation Infrastructure Stream of the Investing in Canada plan.
Phase 1: The Outdoor Rink and Basketball Courts
In July 2020, the Final Design for Phase 1, including a lit seasonal outdoor rink combined with basketball courts and related landscaping, was done by Fotenn Planning + Design.
Construction for Phase 1 got underway in late September 2020 with the removal of the outdoor rink boards, regrading, new granular for the basketball/outdoor rink area, de-commissioning and removal of the old light poles, design of new outdoor rink lighting to meet current City standards, and installation of the basketball base plates.
.jpg)
The paving for the new basketball courts, installation of lights, basketball infrastructure, and tree planting was finally done in fall 2021. The line painting and some asphalt mitigation was finished in early 2022.
MCPRA worked in partnership with the City of Ottawa, Fotenn Planning + Design, McKee Electrical, and the Tomlinson Foundation to complete Phase 1.
Phase 2: The Skateboard, Pump Track and Gateway Areas
Phase 2 was led by the City of Ottawa, in collaboration with MCPRA. In January 2022, the City contracted the services of Fotenn Planning + Design to manage Phase 2 and develop the gateway design and New Line, a company based in British Columbia, with offices in Toronto, Calgary, Florida and California, to design the
skateboard and pump track areas.
The City of Ottawa and MCPRA hosted a virtual Public Meeting on Wednesday April 13, 2022, 7 p.m. to view and garner public input on a preliminary Phase 2 design. The Landscape Architects, Bill Gurney from Newline Skateparks and Sarah Marsh from Fotenn Design + Planning, presented the proposed design. Four previous consultations had been held with stakeholders.
View Preliminary Design in Meeting Slideshow
April 13, 2022 Virtual Public Meeting:
The skateboard park/ pump track / landscape design was finalized in early November
2022. View the Final Design
The tender was let on February 3, 2023 and closed on March 23.
The successful bidder was the Ottawa firm, Prestige Design and Construction.
Construction Progress: Summer 2023
The Official Opening is scheduled for Thursday, July 4, 7 p.m.
Project Funding
This Manotick project was made possible with support from:
-
The Government of Canada and the Government of Ontario through the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP) COVID_19 Resilience Infrastructure Stream – Local Government Intake;
-
The City of Ottawa through its Major Capital Partnership Program; and
-
Corporate donors including CMLS Financial, Kendal and Jay Patry, Tomlinson Family Foundation, Kevlar Developments, Canadian Real Estate Forums; and
-
Not-for-profit donors – Manotick Culture, Parks and Recreation Association, Kiwanis Club of Manotick, and Manotick Village and Community Association.
-
Individual/private donors - the Arntfield Family, Olga and Bob Simpson, and many additional individuals and organizations who gave in memory of David Arntfield.
The collective effort of all partners made this exciting community park project feasible.
Background Documents
For more information, contact MCPRA Project Lead: Anne Robinson - 613-692-3934 or anne@annerobinson.ca