Blue Bird & Lismore Parks Redevelopment

The contract for construction has been awarded to J & D Penner. Construction will begin in September 2020, with a groundbreaking ceremony to be planned prior to reopening the parks.

Drawings of the new Blue Bird Park equipment can be found on the Final designs tab.

Thank you to the members of the Brooklands neighbourhood who gave their time and feedback to support the Blue Bird and Lismore Parks Redevelopment project.

Based on what we heard from stakeholders and the community, a preliminary plan for the redevelopment of these two parks has been developed. Depending on funding approvals, redevelopment could move forward to a Request for Proposals as early as this summer with construction potentially occurring as early as fall 2020. The designs include a play structure and swings, new benches, picnic tables, new trees, new pathways, lighting improvements, a pleasure rink, and new park signage. A summary of what we heard from stakeholders and the public is available on the 'Documents' tab.

Please see the 'Preliminary Design' tab for further details, including initial renderings of Blue Bird and Lismore Park redevelopment plans.

If you have further questions or feedback, please contact the project team at city-engage@winnipeg.ca or 204-986-4243.

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Timeline

Blue Bird Park was last redeveloped in 1999, therefore the park is due for an update. With the open greenspace at Lismore Park right beside it, this is a good time to think of the two greenspaces together and come up with ideas for what is needed in the community and the best way to address it in the available park spaces.

Since the nearby Bannatyne Park play structure has reached the end of its useful life and it is located less than a five minute walk from Blue Bird and Lismore parks, the play structure there will be removed. The intent is to focus resources on a new playground at the larger, more central site at Blue Bird and Lismore parks.

Partial funding to redevelop Blue Bird and Lismore parks is available through the Parks and Recreation Enhancement Program. Additional funding will be required to complete the projects as designed. To add to the diverse recreational needs of users, the City is working with stakeholders and residents to determine the best way to invest in the future of these two neighbourhood parks.

Blue Bird Park Final Designs - Click image for high resolution version

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Blue Bird Park Preliminary Design Summary:

Figure 1 - Click image for high resolution version

The Public Engagement workshop and online survey identified replacing the existing, outdated playground at Blue Bird Park as the stakeholders' and the community's number one priority. The preliminary design for the park provides for replacement of the old play equipment and also addresses safety issues identified by the community, which included poor sight lines and insufficient lighting.

The proposed design for Blue Bird Park includes new ages 2-12 play equipment and a two bay swing set, both with accessible engineered wood fibre safety surfacing. To improve visibility, the play area has been shifted slightly closer to Oddy Street. New wood and chain link fencing will include gates designed  to prevent children from dashing out onto the street. To provide maximum visibility, the proposed wood fence is only 89 cm (35") tall and has large openings between the fence boards. In addition, proposed earthwork for the plan includes removal of the existing hills and landforms that currently block lines of sight into and through the park. Flattening the hills and re-sodding those areas will also provide more useable space for ball play. The preliminary plan also calls for replacement of the existing light poles and fixtures to address lighting concerns. The new LED pole lights will be located in approximately the same location as the existing lights, which are no longer functioning, and will illuminate both the path and the play area.

Other features of the proposed design include a new path through the park, new site furniture, picnic areas, new trees and improved accessibility.

Lismore Park Preliminary Design Summary:

Figure 2 - Click image for high resolution version

Participants identified a skating rink and community gathering spaces as priorities for Lismore Park. To this end, a pleasure rink was installed for the winter of 2019/2020, which has been highly successful and is being widely used. The pleasure rink is planned to be re-installed next winter.The proposed design for Lismore Park adds additional seating to the park including benches, a picnic table and boulder seating blocks arranged around a steel firepit, which will allow users to lengthen their visits during cold winter months. Most of the park will remain as open grass, allowing for renewal of the rink in winter and un-programmed play in summer.

Also listed as a high priority on the online and workshop exit surveys was tree planting. The preliminary design calls for an additional fourteen trees, mostly located on the north side of the park. This placement will maintain visibility from the houses that face the park along Lismore Avenue. Many more trees could be potentially added to Lismore Park in the future as part of the City's "Million Tree Challenge".

To reinforce the connection between Lismore Park and Blue Bird Park, the path and fencing materials in the proposed design match those of Blue Bird. Both designs also feature accessible curb ramps at Oddy Street, creating a crossing point at the site of optimal visibility for drivers.

Blue Bird and Lismore Parks

Nearby Parks

Neighbourhood Context

• Recreation, Leisure and Library Facility Policy: winnipeg.ca/cms/recreation/pdfs/RLALP.pdf
• Wading Pools Winnipeg: winnipeg.ca/cms/recreation/facilities/pools/wading_pools/wadingpools.stm