Leisure Services Master Plan

Leisure Services Master Plan Update

Bradford West Gwillimbury's Leisure Services Master Plan has been guiding the development of local parks and recreation services since 2017. With the Town's continued growth, it was time to refresh the Master Plan so that we are positioned to keep pace and respond to needs of our residents for the next 10 years.

1. Community Engagement  took place from December 2022-February 2023 with an Online Community Survey and Stakeholder Workshops. 

2. The Leisure Services Master Plan Draft was presented to Council on August 15, 2023.
   

3. A drop-in public consultation was held on September 12, 2023 for residents to review and discuss the Master Plan with the project consultants. Feedback from the consultation and feedback form was considered to finalize the Final Master Plan. If you were unable to attend the drop-in public consultation, you can view the display boards HERE. 

4. The Final LSMP was approved by Council on November 7, 2023. 

Leisure Services Master Plan 

The LSMP advances 5 Guiding Principles that are intended to address the recreation and parks needs of BWG residents while contributing to the Town’s placemaking, planning and economic development objectives as a whole. The LSMP Guiding Principles align with the Framework for Recreation in Canada as follows:

1. Active Living: Foster Active Living by providing and supporting active opportunities in BWG
2. Inclusion and Access: Ensure that all residents are included and welcomed to participation in leisure opportunities within BWG’s facilities and parks.
3. Connecting People and Nature: Ensure that all residents and visitors can explore and benefit from being in BWG’s natural and green outdoor spaces.
4. Supportive Environment: Work with partners and community groups to expand the number of leisure opportunities available to Bradford West Gwillimbury’s residents and visitors.
5. Recreation Capacity: Continue to improve the delivery of BWG’s leisure opportunities through communications, working with the community and professional development.

Notable Achievements & Recent Progress

The Town of BWG has much to be proud of in terms of its recent and ongoing efforts to improve its parks, recreation and leisure services in light of pressures placed upon it by population growth, emerging interests and expectations, and a changing provincial legislative environment.
Notable achievements made by the Town since 2017 are as follows:

• Achieved 95% of the amount of net new parkland recommended in the 2017 LSMP through parkland acquisition and development efforts.
• Making leisure services more inclusive through implementation of a Financial Assistance Program to reduce income-related barriers to accessing recreation programs, staff training, and approving an Inclusion Coordinator position for Fall 2023.
• Completion of the first development phase at Henderson Memorial Park that has added considerable capacity to the rectangular sports field system and provided a number of quality facilities.
• 2 new lit ball diamonds and 2 new unlit ball diamonds which have bolstered the local ball diamond supply.
• Enhancement of youth services through hiring recreation staff that have progressed youth programs, leading an application for provincial designation as a Youth Friendly Community, and formation of a Youth Action Committee.
• Preparation of a conceptual plan for Centennial Park and exploration of potential uses for the Bradford & District Community Centre.
• Rejuvenation of Taylor Park and Lions Park that are located in established neighbourhoods of Bradford, with the intention of renewing additional parks based on financial and asset management plans.
• Construction of an outdoor pickleball complex with six high quality courts at the Danube Seniors Centre.
• New tennis and basketball courts at Henderson Memorial Park along with new basketball courts at Lions Park, Middletown Park and Taylor Park.
• Allocating space for a temporary cricket pitch at Joe Magani Park.
• Splash pads constructed at Henderson Memorial Park and Middletown Park along with six new play structures across BWG.
• Offering outdoor fitness experiences via the Berm along Langford Boulevard and Alan Kuzmich Park using outdoor fitness equipment.
• Acquisition of a former elementary school at 177 Church Street with architectural plans developed to redevelop the site as a Community Hub.
• Community garden added at Lions Park with plans to add more at Taylor Park and as part of the Church Street Community Hub.