Shaping Aylmer's Parks & Recreation: Master Plan Implementation

Help Us Improve Aylmer’s Playgrounds!

The Town of Aylmer wants to hear from you! We are working on a plan to improve playgrounds in our parks, and we need your ideas. A short survey is now open so you can tell us what you think.

What’s the Plan?

The Town created a Play Equipment Implementation Plan as part of our 2023 Parks and Recreation Master Plan. The goal is to make sure our playgrounds are safe, fun, and accessible for everyone.

What the Plan Includes:

• Replacing old playground equipment

• Building two new playgrounds by 2032

• Making sure each park gets the right kind of play space (small parkettes, neighbourhood parks, town-wide parks, and regional parks)

• Using park funds to pay for new equipment and setting aside money each year to keep it in good shape

We Want Your Feedback

The survey asks:

• What do you like about your local park?

• How do you use the park now?

• What ideas do you have to make it better?

Your answers will help us decide what to improve and where.

Take the Survey

Click here to take the survey. It’s open until August 8, 2025. We hope lots of families and residents take part!

For more information, please check out the Parks and Recreation Play Equipment Implementation Plan 2025

Staff Report Presents Dog Park Survey Results and Options for Proceeding

At the May 7, 2025 Regular Meeting of Council, the Chief Administrative Officer presented a report with the results of the dog park survey. The survey received 452 responses and provided some interesting insights.

46% of respondents were opposed to a dog park advancing.

Responses showed a clear preference for separate areas for small and large dogs. There also appears to be a need based on the large number of respondents with large dogs.

Amenities such as waste receptacles, parking, shade, running water, and dog waste bag dispensers were ranked highest in need for a dog park.

Options for Follow Up to Survey Results

Staff presented three options resulting from the data collected by the survey.

1. Proceed - Council would select a location and identify amenities to be provided. If Council would like to select the EECC as the location for the dog park, further engagement would be required in consideration that Aylmer shares ownership of these lands with the Township of Malahide.

2. Refer to 2026 Budget Process - Staff recommended referring this matter to the 2026 Budget process to allow Council to consider a dog park alongside other investments and to consider the impacts to taxation.

3. Don't Address the Dog Park - A dog park is identified as a long-term goal in the Parks and Recreation Master Plan. The dog park could set aside for now to allow higher priorities to advance. The additional time may allow for a better location or proposal for a park to materialize.

Council's Decision

Council decided to refer the dog park to the 2026 Budget process.

Overview

As part of Aylmer’s Parks and Recreation Master Plan, the Town has been exploring the idea of building an off-leash dog park—a space where dogs can run, play, and exercise freely. The concept was first raised during the 2025 Budget process and was also identified as a long-term goal in the Master Plan. In response, Council directed staff to investigate possible locations and gather community input.

Project Update

Town staff researched potential sites and costs and identified three possible locations for a future dog park:

• Optimist Park

• Centennial Estates Park

• East Elgin Community Complex

A public survey was launched to collect community feedback on the idea and preferred locations. The survey is now closed—thank you to everyone who shared their input!

Dog Park Option: Optimist ParkDog Park Option: East Elgin Community Complex

Dog Park Option: Centennial Estates Park

Council Meeting Adopts Parks Maintenance & Beautification Standards at their April 16, 2025 Meeting

The Manager of Parks and Recreation for the Town of Aylmer presented a report on the proposed new Parks Maintenance & Beautification Standards at the April 16, 2025 meeting of Council. This document outlines a strategy for the maintenance and beautification of town parks. Findings from the Parks and Recreation Master Plan and the 2024 Budget and Recreation Surveys indicate that residents prioritize parks, playgrounds, and trails, and that service level expectations are high. As a result, strategic planning is required to maintain the amenities and beautification of town parks.

Parks Maintenance & Beautification Standards Document

Recreation Survey Results

To help improve recreation programs in our town, a survey was shared with the community from September 16 to October 21, 2024. This survey followed up on the 2025 Budget Survey and the Parks and Recreation Master Plan. In total, 230 people answered the survey. Staff also spoke with the Grade 12 Leadership class at East Elgin Secondary School to hear their ideas.

What We Learned:

• Parks, trails, and playgrounds are still the most popular outdoor spaces for people to enjoy.

• Many people believe recreation is important and expect a variety of good programs and services.

• The top priority is programs for children and youth, but people also want programs for all ages and interests. These can include:

  • Organized activities

  • Drop-in programs

  • Fun and educational classes

  • Active sports and games

• Social media is helpful for sharing information, but not everyone sees it. So, the town will keep using other ways to advertise as well.

• Some things that make it harder for people to join programs include:

  • Cost

  • Accessibility

  • Not enough programs for youth and seniors

• People said they would be more likely to join programs if they were well advertised and matched what the community wants.

Other Highlights:

• Even though some people marked "not applicable" on some questions, parks, trails, and playgrounds were still mentioned the most as favorite recreation options.

• Many people want to register for programs online using a website or an app. But some still prefer to register in other ways, so the town will offer options for both.

• Some people didn’t have strong opinions yet, but we expect more feedback in the future as the town adds more programs and updates the registration system.

What People Suggested:

Out of 167 detailed responses, these were the most common ideas:

• Improve places like:

  • Tennis and pickleball courts

  • Trails

  • Disc golf courses

  • Bike paths

  • Skatepark

  • Parks

  • The East Elgin Community Complex (EECC)

  • Indoor swimming pool

Key Themes:

• Involve older adults as volunteers

• Create more social programs for youth

• Make programs more accessible for everyone

• Advertise activities in many ways so more people hear about them

• Offer free or low-cost programs

• Build a seniors centre or offer more programs for seniors

• Help people get to programs with better transportation options

• Offer a mix of active and social programs for all ages

This feedback helps us plan better recreation programs that match what the community wants. Thank you to everyone who shared their ideas!