A new 3.5-hectare community park is now open in Innisfil, featuring the town’s first enhanced wheelchair accessible playground.
The Town of Innisfil celebrated the grand opening of Margaretta Park last week in the Sleeping Lion development. The project was championed by the Innisfil Accessibility Advisory Committee, which calls the park its “champion park” for its focus on accessibility and inclusion.
“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.”
The park features a fully accessible playground with rubberized surfacing and specialized equipment that provides roll-on access for wheelchair users. Other 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.
While Innisfil has included accessible play equipment in all new and replaced playgrounds since 2016, Margaretta Park brings a wider range of inclusive features together in one location.
The park is named in honour of the late Margaretta Papp-Belayneh, former Chair of the Innisfil Accessibility Advisory Committee, whose work on accessibility helped inspire the project.
The Town also thanks the Accessibility Advisory Committee for its contributions throughout the park’s development, as well as the Innisfil Beach Cruisers Car Club for its $12,000 donation toward the project.
Margaretta Park is now open to the community at 1110 Cole Street in Innisfil, north of 6th Line and east of 20th Sideroad. Future phases are expected to add further amenities.
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