Annie Williams Memorial Park Accessible Upgrades

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Consultation has concluded


The Project involves the construction of a 550-metre long and 1.5-metre wide barrier-free trail at Annie Williams Memorial Park.

The proposed barrier-free trail will provide accessible and inclusive access to the park’s waterfront. Along with the trail, the Town will install benches to give users with mobility or respiratory issues an opportunity to take a rest during their visit. These benches will be made of Muskoka granite stone, with funding coming from third-party donations through the Town’s Commemorative Program and Operating Budget.

In 2018, the Town adopted a Recreation, Parks and Trails Master Plan covering the 2018-2032 period. The Plan included the following recommendations that provided the initial rationale for the Annie Williams Memorial Park Accessible Pathway Project:

#34) that the Town consider and develop high quality and innovative park designs that balance functional use, urban form and aesthetic benefits, community safety, accessibility, integration with nature and operational requirements to ensure long term sustainability;

#46) that the Town consider a barrier-free pathway in Annie Williams Memorial Park;

#78) that the Town develop an Accessibility Implementation Plan for trails to establish and identify required improvements and barrier-free access opportunities; and

#88) that the Town monitor the need for accessibility features at appropriate water access locations.

Based on the above-mentioned recommendations, the Town’s Accessibility Advisory Committee identified the construction of an accessible pathway at Annie Williams Memorial Park as an initiative to complete in 2022. The Town has since included the Project within its approved 2022 Municipal Budget and Business Plan.


The Project involves the construction of a 550-metre long and 1.5-metre wide barrier-free trail at Annie Williams Memorial Park.

The proposed barrier-free trail will provide accessible and inclusive access to the park’s waterfront. Along with the trail, the Town will install benches to give users with mobility or respiratory issues an opportunity to take a rest during their visit. These benches will be made of Muskoka granite stone, with funding coming from third-party donations through the Town’s Commemorative Program and Operating Budget.

In 2018, the Town adopted a Recreation, Parks and Trails Master Plan covering the 2018-2032 period. The Plan included the following recommendations that provided the initial rationale for the Annie Williams Memorial Park Accessible Pathway Project:

#34) that the Town consider and develop high quality and innovative park designs that balance functional use, urban form and aesthetic benefits, community safety, accessibility, integration with nature and operational requirements to ensure long term sustainability;

#46) that the Town consider a barrier-free pathway in Annie Williams Memorial Park;

#78) that the Town develop an Accessibility Implementation Plan for trails to establish and identify required improvements and barrier-free access opportunities; and

#88) that the Town monitor the need for accessibility features at appropriate water access locations.

Based on the above-mentioned recommendations, the Town’s Accessibility Advisory Committee identified the construction of an accessible pathway at Annie Williams Memorial Park as an initiative to complete in 2022. The Town has since included the Project within its approved 2022 Municipal Budget and Business Plan.