Innisfil, ON – The Town of Innisfil celebrated the grand opening of Margaretta Park yesterday, welcoming the community to a new 3.5-hectare recreational space in the Sleeping Lion development. The park is home to Innisfil's first enhanced wheelchair accessible playground.
The project was championed by the Innisfil Accessibility Advisory Committee, which calls the park its "champion park" for its focus on accessibility and inclusion. Designed to meet a wide range of abilities and accessibility needs, the initiative was built on the belief that no child should be left out because of the way they experience or navigate the world.
“Margaretta Park is a wonderful addition to Innisfil and a place where everyone can come together, have fun, and belong,” says Mayor Lynn Dollin. “For many people, everyday life includes a string of small barriers that profoundly impact their ability to participate fully and equally in their communities. These barriers often go unnoticed, whether it’s navigating a public building independently, accessing a washroom with dignity and ease, or simply playing alongside friends at a park. Margaretta Park is helping to change that and show why universal access and inclusion matter.”
While the Town has included accessible play equipment in all new and replaced playgrounds since 2016, Margaretta Park takes that commitment a step further by bringing a wide range of inclusive features together in one destination. The park features a fully accessible playground with rubberized surfacing and specialized equipment that provides roll-on access for wheelchair users. Additional amenities include a splash pad, washroom facilities, multi-use trails, shade structures, picnic areas, naturalized plantings and trees, and open green space for passive recreation.
As Innisfil's newest community park, Margaretta Park will serve residents for years to come, with future phases of development expected to add further amenities.
The park is named in honour of the late Margaretta Papp-Belayneh, former Chair of the Innisfil Accessibility Advisory Committee, whose dedication to accessibility helped inspire the project.
The Town thanks the Committee for its contributions and collaboration throughout the park's development and extends its appreciation to the Innisfil Beach Cruisers Car Club for its generous $12,000 donation towards the project.
Margaretta Park is now open for the community to enjoy. It is located at 1110 Cole Street in Innisfil, north of 6th Line and east of 20th Sideroad.
For more information on the park, visit innisfil.ca/margaretta.