Houlahan Park

The City of Ottawa is seeking input on concept plans prepared for the lifecycle replacement of the junior playground equipment in Houlahan Park.

According to the Strategic Asset Management Plan (2017), the Ageing Assets Strategy states that “to maintain levels of service over time and to remain sustainable, not all assets should or can be replaced before reaching the end of their expected service life.”

Therefore, the scope of the current lifecycle replacement project is specific to; replacement of junior and senior play structures, replacement of swings, minor pathway modifications. Engineered wood fiber is proposed as the protective surfacing material for the playground to meet accessibility requirements.

Two different concept plans with images of the proposed playground equipment options are located in the Document Library on this page.

Residents are invited to complete the survey and provide comments on the play equipment options. A summary of public comments and the preferred option will be posted to this website upon completion of the public consultation.

Construction to commence 2024, pending budget approval.

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Thank you to everyone who took the time to comment on the concept plans. The public comment period has now closed. A summary of the comments will be posted back to engage Ottawa shortly.

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What We Learned

An online survey regarding the Houlahan Park concept plan was conducted on Engage Ottawa from 5 October – 24 October. Thank you to everyone that provided their input on the play equipment options for the park. Option B received 61% of the votes and is the preferred design. The summary of the public comments and responses is provided below:

• Request for sensory spinners will be included in the designs.
• Request to add an off-leash dog park is out of scope for this project
• Several requests to keep the tire swing – is currently under review.

• Concern regarding drainage of current asphalt pathways: The pathways adjacent to the play structure will be removed and replaced, ensuring proper drainage.
• Comment; nice to see the swings away from the play structures, as little kids keep on running into them.
• Comment; believe money could be spent better elsewhere and that lifecycles should be further apart.

Following the completion of the public tender process, an update regarding the construction timeline will be posted to engage Ottawa.

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The tire swing does not meet current standards and will be removed. However, to provide a similar experience, the accessible chair swing will be replaced with a saucer swing which is also considered an accessible swing option while meeting current standards. The existing sand surfacing, in which the tire swing is currently located, will be kept on site to provide a sand-play area.