Richmond Hill Celebrates Completion of Two Modernized Community Facilities

Invites Residents to Virtual Tour of Ed Sackfield Arena and Fitness Centre and David Hamilton Park

RICHMOND HILL – Richmond Hill is excited to announce construction is now complete on the redevelopment of David Hamilton Park and the expansion of Ed Sackfield Arena!

The project was completed under budget and introduces a number of new amenities for residents. David Hamilton Park now features a splash pad, two playgrounds, multi-use sports court, outdoor fitness equipment and two table tennis stations, among other improvements. The new wing of Ed Sackfield Arena includes an NHL-sized ice rink and a fitness centre with a weight room, aerobics studio and the City’s first indoor track.

As part of Council’s and the City’s commitments to protecting our natural environment, both projects feature a number of environmental elements and innovations, including:

• LEED Silver certification, in part through the use of recycled content in material and environmentally-friendly finishes
• more than 400 new trees planted
• new naturalized areas to foster and promote habitat for birds, butterflies and small mammals
• a system to recycle water from the splash pad to irrigate the sports fields
• energy efficient design to prevent heat loss
• use of LED lighting fixtures and room light sensors

While David Hamilton Park opened to the public last month, Ed Sackfield Arena and Fitness Centre currently remain closed to the general public (except for ice rental permits) due to COVID-19. The City anticipates opening the fitness centre and indoor track this fall, however residents can explore the new amenities virtually at an online celebration Saturday, September 19 from 9 to 10 a.m. at RichmondHill.ca/VirtualCelebration. The event will feature a virtual tour of the indoor track overlooking the new NHL-sized ice pad, demonstrations from local sports groups, a trivia challenge and more!

Quote

“Richmond Hill is home to many state-of-the-art amenities and we are proud to offer our residents such a variety of recreational opportunities. These two new redeveloped facilities show how we are committed to meeting the needs of our growing community, are continuously adding new features our residents are looking for, and can do it all in a way that cares for our natural environment. We can’t wait to welcome everyone in person to enjoy.” – Mayor Dave Barrow. 

Backgrounder

The David Hamilton Park Master Plan and the Ed Sackfield Twinning Project were approved by Council in December 2016. Construction on the 10.4 hectare site began in 2017.

This project was made possible by support from the federal Gas Tax Fund, a permanent and stable source of funding for municipal infrastructure. More information about the Gas Tax Fund in Ontario is available at www.gastaxatwork.ca.

About David Hamilton Park

The original park opened in 1987 and in 1989, was renamed after David Hamilton who was Richmond Hill’s former Parks Commissioner.

Theme: Four seasons

• The park site is divided into a series of four outdoor “rooms” aligned along the central north-south walkway, marked by thematic gateway features.
• The strategic use of materials, colours, poetry, words and plant materials allows park users to experience the specific qualities and attributes of the four seasons.

New features

• A splash pad featuring interactive water play elements
• 432 new trees
• 4,270 shrubs, groundcovers, perennials, and grasses
• 17 tables (eight with umbrellas) and three lounge chairs
• 22 new benches
• 8 bike racks
• A north play area with a wooden conch shell structure, log jam, hill slide, and trampoline
• A new south playground featuring exciting play equipment that meets current safety and accessibility standards
• Outdoor fitness equipment
• A shade structure
• A multi-use sports court that allows for basketball, soccer, and ball hockey
• Two table-tennis stations

Improved amenities features

• Improved pedestrian circulation and an oval walking loop
• Retrofitted softball, hardball, and soccer fields including irrigation, drainage and LED lighting
• Tennis improvements including new fencing, exterior apron and LED lighting
• A retrofitted south parking lot
• Significant tree planting and landscape enhancements to increase tree cover and shade

Environmental features

• Splash pad water is collected and stored in underground cisterns and used for irrigating the sports fields overnight. 
• Several areas within the site are naturalized using a variety of native trees, shrubs and groundcovers. These areas foster and promote habitat for birds, butterflies and small mammals while reducing the dependency on long term landscape maintenance.
• Naturalized swales and bio-swale retention areas are located throughout the park to encourage wildlife, promote water infiltration and recharge groundwater.

About Ed Sackfield Arena and Fitness Centre 

Ed Sackfield Arena was named in honour of Ed Sackfield who served as a Board Member of the Richmond Hill Arena Association and Administrator of the City’s arenas (1971-1990). Ed Sackfield's dedication and commitment to community involvement had a great impact on the development of sports and particularly Minor Hockey in Richmond Hill.

New features

• NHL-sized (200 feet x 85 feet) ice rink
• Indoor walking track on the second floor overlooks the new ice pad
• Two story lobby and seating area
• Glazed facades in the lobby, atrium and corridor that provide natural lighting
• Internal connection of both rinks provide easy access to all amenities and areas in the building
• 350-person bleacher seating capacity with designated areas for accessibility
• Weight room
• Fitness and aerobics centre
• Two change rooms with showers and lockers
• New drop off area at the Ed Sackfield Arena to reduce parking congestion.

Environmental features

• Achieved LEED Silver certification through the use of recycled content in material, environmentally-friendly finishes (paint, Sealant, flooring etc…), the use of natural daylight, meticulous records of waste, separation of material for disposal/recycling, carpool program and the use of LEED Certified Material.
• Energy efficient design for heat loss prevention
• HVAC system, LED lighting fixtures, room light sensors and daylighting spaces to achieve energy efficiency.

Media Contact
Lynn Chan, Communications Advisor
lynn.chan@richmondhill.ca