Create a Brookside Park beside the brook

Idea:

Many seniors live in apartments around the Brookside Mall. We need near-home places to meet and walk and sit so we can build a community of neighbours. As a traffic circle is being now built, please consider building a park around the brook that runs between the new circle and the mall. I'd like to suggest some features. Please reply.

Staff Feedback:

Thank you for reaching out to us! The area around Brookside mall has an abundance of park space. But you’re right that there are not a lot of areas to sit. The new provincial round-a-bout would not trigger land for new parks to be developed from a City planning perspective (the only way to do that would be if a new subdivision were to be built, which requires an 8% land dedication fee the City can use as park land). As for the brook and the land around it, they are privately-owned so unavailable for development by the City. However, there is a wooded City park with trails running throughout it just across the street (the entry is near 99 McKnight St). In recent years, the City has engaged with residents in the area and was told by the majority of respondents that the preference was to keep this park wooded. Despite this, your idea of adding benches has been shared with staff. Thanks again for sharing your thoughts!