Carillon Park – Sponge Park Improvements

A Sponge Park is coming to Vanier

Carillon Park is being reimagined as a Sponge Park — a greener, cooler, and more climate-resilient space for the Vanier community. We’re planning important upgrades, including a new splash pad, improvements to stormwater management, and enhancements to play and gathering areas — and we want your input.

What is a “Sponge Park”?

A Sponge Park is designed to better absorb and manage rainwater where it falls.

These “Sponge” features will improve stormwater absorption by increasing permeable surfaces, such as paving, grass, playground mulch (engineered wood fibre surfacing), sand, and planted bioswales. Permeable surfaces allow water to infiltrate into the ground slowly and naturally, helping replenish the water table and reduce stress on the City’s stormwater infrastructure.

Proposed sponge features at Carillon Park include:

• Permeable paving to help manage runoff and reduce heat retention
• A planted bioswale to capture and filter rainwater
• Native, rain-loving perennials that thrive in wet conditions

Where possible, existing mature trees will be retained to minimize soil disturbance, reduce carbon impacts, and promote long-term carbon sequestration.

Together, these improvements will help reduce localized flooding, lower surface temperatures, and create a more resilient park.

Park Improvements Under Consideration

In addition to the sponge elements, we are proposing several community-focused upgrades:

A New Splash Pad

Help us choose the splash pad design! We’ll be presenting concept options and inviting feedback on features, layout, and overall look and feel.

Playground Improvements

We want to hear from you about the proposed new play structure and play experiences for the park.

The concept also includes:

• A new play structure
• A sand play area
• New benches and seating areas
• An umbrella table for shade
• A new chain-link fence where needed
• A bike rack
• An interpretive sign explaining how the Sponge Park features work
• Replacement and improvement of existing sidewalk connections

Why This Matters

These upgrades aim to:

• Improve stormwater management and reduce pressure on City infrastructure
• Increase shade and cooling to combat urban heat
• Enhance play opportunities for children of all ages
• Create welcoming gathering spaces for families and neighbours
• Strengthen Carillon Park as a vibrant community hub in Vanier

Get Involved

Your feedback will help shape the final design of the splash pad, playground, and sponge features.

We encourage residents to:

• Review the concept options
• Share your thoughts on the splash pad design
• Let us know what improvements matter most to you

Together, we can build a greener, cooler, and more fun Carillon Park for everyone.