Rotary Frenchmans Bay West Park
Location: 939 Beachpoint Promenade, Pickering, Ontario
Client: City of Pickering
Project Start Date: 2016
Project End Date: 2023
Project Type:
Green Infrastructure
Environmental Restoration
Public Realm Master Plans
Parks, Recreation and Open Space
Trails
Waterfronts
About the Project
MBTW working with the City of Pickering and the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority developed strategic and innovative design-based solutions for creating a balance between stabilizing a sensitive natural environment while allowing waterfront recreational uses.
Rotary Frenchman’s Bay is one of a series of large coastal wetlands along the north shore of Lake Ontario and is complemented with stable forests, meadows and dynamic barrier beach communities. The West Park, although considered a “low-key” natural environment, is a very popular destination for water-based recreation. Unfortunately, over time, uncontrolled and unconsolidated recreational use of the site was causing deterioration of the natural features. The owner, the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority, and the operator, the City of Pickering, wished to encourage waterfront recreational sports (such as canoeing, kayaking, paddle boarding, kite sailing, swimming etc.) however; they recognized that a workable balance between the site users and the environment needed to be found.
In early 2016, The MBTW Group was retained by the Town of Pickering in partnership with the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority, to prepare the detailed design and construction/tender documents for both phases of park improvements, and to complete the public and stakeholder engagement process.
The scope of the Phase One improvements included improved access drive and reconfigured parking areas, turning loop and drop-off areas, barrier-free walkways, bio-swales and naturalization areas, picnic and seating areas, segment of Waterfront Trail, educational kiosk, shoreline stabilization and beach access routes. Construction was completed in 2019.
Construction of Phase Two of the project was completed in Fall 2023 and included a barrier-free kayak launch facility, dune restoration, naturalization areas, bank stabilization with in-water aquatic habitat features, enhanced barrier-free trail network, accessible beach access routes, seating areas and shade canopy and fishing nodes.
MBTW also worked with SpruceLab to coordinate the integration of Indigenous Place Keeping features, including the sculpture “Water is Medicine” designed by a team of Indigenous artists from Dbaajmowin.
Construction Cost – Phase One: $1,800,000.00
Construction Cost – Phase Two: $2,000,000.00
Services:
Accessibility and Risk Assessment
Arboriculture
Contract Administration
Graphic Art & Interpretive Signage Design
Landscape Architecture
Parks and Recreation
Project Management
Public & Stakeholder Consultation
Visualization
Public Art Coordination
First Nations Engagement
Indigenous Engagement
Contractors:
Melfer (Contractor)
Shoreplan Engineering Ltd. (Coastal and Structural Engineering)
MJS Consultants (Lighting and Electrical Engineering)
SLR Consulting (Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology)
RV Anderson (Civil and Servicing Engineering)
DFP Surveyors LTD (Site Survey)
Orin (Contractor)
Shoreplan Engineering Ltd. (Coastal and Structural Engineering)
MJS Consultants (Lighting and Electrical Engineering)
Beacon Environmental (Aquatic & Terrestrial Ecology)
