Destination playground, public washrooms proposed for Clergue Park

The floating river swimming pools that drew rave reviews at last week's city council meeting aren't the only improvements proposed for Clergue Park in a city-commissioned plan for the waterfront.

Among other new features, Clergue Park is being eyed as the future home of a destination playground and new public washrooms.

"Clergue Park is actually where a lot of things are happening," landscape architect Nick Onody from O2 Planning and Design told a recent city committee meeting.

"First and foremost, what you'll see here is that we are introducing park pathways," Onody said.

"Park pathways are really important to allow people to circulate through a park, not on lawn, to have a hard surface condition that allows accessibility through the entire park very similar to what we're thinking at the Bondar [pavilion]."

"It creates a series of rooms within the park. And those rooms can then be activated with events, displays, yearly things that are happening in parks around the world."

"There are very unique destination playgrounds being designed around the world."

"We want to bring some of these ideas to the Sault and understand how these can be designed with Indigenous culture, with the history of steel production, with the history of art in Sault Ste. Marie.

"There's a lot of ways that these playgrounds can can work themselves and become very unique destinations in the city," Onody said.

Under the waterfront plan, the popular Clergue Park 750-metre skating loop would get a permanent route.

"Everyone knows that this winter was a real challenge for skating loops," Onody said.

"Here in Toronto was the same way. They almost all shut down early, were shut down at various times of the year.

"So what this allows you to do is glycolically freeze the pathway in the winter so that you can have permanent skating. And then there's no issues with dealing with temperature because you're controlling the temperature of the pathway itself," he said.

"The defined upgrades will ensure its expanded versatility with new fun activities in a beautiful landscaped area in the most prominent area of the waterfront," says a draft report prepared for Mayor Matthew Shoemaker and ward councillors.

"With several multifaceted features such as a new canoe/kayak cove, a destination playground for families and young children, wood deck look-outs and water terraces, expanded green space and new park pathways, dedicated park loop for winter skating and summer activities, and floating river pool, the park expands its offerings as a major hub along the waterfront," the report says.

"The park can continue to host many cultural events, educational programs, installations and displays, and other activities throughout the year.

"These include the popular rib fest to other types of festivals to family gatherings and children’s story times for all to attend. Cafes, food trucks and concessions all have place within the park and along the newly defined park loop road."

Design elements include:

• water's edge promenade
• removal of asphalt parking area
• new traffic-calmed festival loop road around library
• larger green space
• new park pathways and tree planting
• new pathway loop for permanent winter skating and summer activities
• new destination play space
• wood deck lookout
• water terraces
• connection of river water to existing wetland 
• cove along south side of slip
• washroom and change room facility building
• slip bridge across canal connecting civic district to the park
• floating river pool
• new art gallery and art park

A final draft of the waterfront plan, complete with rough cost estimates and a timeline for implementation, is to be completed by the end of this month.

The final decision on whether to adopt any of the waterfront recommendations will be made by city council.

The city's master plan for recreation recently recommended consideration be given adding a playground, heated shelters, and/or a heated changeroom building with concessions stand and skate rentals at Clergue Park.