Lake Ontario Park Revitalization
Phase 1: Creating A Vision To Revitalize A Kingston Gem
ALSO IN THIS SECTION
Review the 2006 Lake Ontario Park consultation history.
MAP
See a map of the Lake Ontario Park grounds.
DOWNLOADS
You the final report of the Lake Ontario Park Revitalization Study, including suggested development concepts.
Community survey results show the preferences of 323 respondents for the future of planning and redevelopment of Lake Ontario Park.
[PDF 43KB]
IMAGE GALLERIES
See a gallery of Lake Ontario Park images from the Queen's Archive.
See a gallery of images focusing on the miniature train first operated in the park by John and Teresa Jeffery.
PDF HELP
The freely available Adobe Reader software can be used to view the PDF documents on the City of Kingston Web site.
[Download]
The City of Kingston has completed a public visioning exercise to get feedback from the community on the future of Lake Ontario Park (LOP). The full report on the process and it findings can be downloaded using the links at right.
At an April 2007 meeting of Council's Standing Committee on Arts Recreation and Community Policies, members endorsed the report's planning principles, with amendments highlighted in bold below:
PLANNING PRINCIPLES
"Lake Ontario Park will be maintained and enhanced as publicly owned parkland in support of its role as one of Kingston's primary waterfront open spaces."
- Waterfront access will be fostered and the waterfront conserved and rehabilitated.
- The park will provide facilities suitable for both local and regional residents as well as visitors.
- The contrast between the park's two main character areas of tableland and waterfront will be celebrated.
- The park will remain accessible to people of all means and backgrounds.
- Vestiges of past uses will be conserved and interpreted.
- All improvements to the park will support environmental enhancement through habitat restoration and sustainable development practices.
- Revenue generating uses should be considered in support of ongoing park operation and improvement, but not as a primary focus.
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In determining appropriate uses for the park, priority should be given to:
- Family activities to include a small-scale amusement park;
- Cultural/community activities
- Activities that promote enjoyment of the natural environment.
- Camping to promote a feasible alternative for visitors to the City.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Below is partial text of the Executive Summary of the Lake Ontario Park Revitalization Study. The full report can be downloaded using the links above.
The purpose of this planning process was:
- To develop and recommend a multi-year strategic direction and plan for the revitalization and rejuvenation of the Park as a public community facility (phase 1).
- To develop a detailed master plan and recommend a long-term financing and budget strategy for the capital construction and operating costs necessary to implement and maintain the recommended development plan (phase 2).
- To ensure ongoing and inclusive community consultation throughout the development of the plan and the related implementation strategy.
- To use this collaborative, phased planning process as a model for future revitalization projects in City parks.
This report provides the first component, the strategic direction and plan. In this planning process, it was our intention to celebrate the history of Lake Ontario Park within an overall vision of the Park's future development. Since February of 2006, the consulting team has worked closely with an advisory working group that includes representatives of all the major groups with an interest in the Park, as well as the District Councillor. City staff worked with the stakeholder advisory group and consultants reviewed the current state of the Park, discussed the range of uses that would be suitable there, and reached consensus on a vision statement and list of planning principles. These principles were then illustrated in three versions of the guiding vision: a camping emphasis; an event emphasis; and a waterfront emphasis.
These three scenarios were displayed at a public open house held in the Park in late June. A survey was prepared so that members of the public could comment on the overall vision and principles as well as the three development scenarios. The event was very well attended and the response to the survey excellent.
Over 300 people from all parts of Kingston replied and gave overwhelming support to retaining the site as public land and enhancing it as a major urban waterfront park. There was strong support for environmental enhancements and for activities that made use of the natural setting. Other uses such as camping and events were also supported, but only in support of the primary focus on enjoyment of the natural environment.
The consultants and City staff reviewed the results of the open house and survey with the stakeholder advisory group, who strongly endorsed the survey findings and expressed their preference for the waterfront emphasis scenario, along with some elements of the other scenarios.
The consulting team has now prepared the final report for this phase of the study and will present it to the City's Arts, Recreation & Community Policies Committee and Council. The intent is to have Council approve a budget allocation for the next phase in the enhancement of Lake Ontario Park, namely a park master plan that is supported by a development feasibility analysis and implementation strategy. Once that work is completed, the City will be able to begin a concerted effort to revitalize this essential public open space.