Seven Years, Two Parks and No Equity
There's a river that runs along the western edge of Rideau-Rockcliffe. On one bank, in New Edinburgh, you're in Ward 13. Riverain Park sits immediately adjacent, directly across the Rideau River — and once you cross, you're in Vanier, Ward 12, Rideau-Vanier.
Look at what's happened to two parks over the last five years, and "equity" starts to look like a word the City uses selectively.
Riverain Park (Vanier, Ward 12) — net gain
Riverain Park sits on federal land the NCC leases to the City. Starting in fall 2020, the City ran it through a two-phase modernization:
Phase 1 (2020–2021): a new splash pad, adult fitness equipment, an off-leash dog area, a new basketball court, a new horseshoe pitch, resurfaced tennis courts, added pickleball courts, pathway and lighting upgrades.
Phase 2 (2021–2022): a new skateboard park, a winterized fieldhouse, a seasonal boarded skating rink, a permanent canoe/kayak launch on the Rideau River, and a public art installation.
Today the park's amenity list runs to fitness and play equipment, a splash pad, a skatepark, a pump track, an off-leash dog area, an outdoor rink, cross-country ski trails, tennis and pickleball courts, baseball diamonds, and a basketball court.
Bathgate Park (Carson Grove, Ward 13) — net loss
Bathgate Park, in Carson Grove — part of Ward 13 — is getting a "restoration and reforestation" project this year. The City's own description of it: the basketball court is being removed. Not relocated, not rebuilt — removed, followed by soil rehabilitation, reseeding, and tree planting. A new entrance sign and two waste receptacles are being added. The central pathway isn't scheduled to be touched until summer 2027.
The project costs $120,000. Half of that — $60,000 — is coming out of Ward 13's own Cash-in-Lieu-of-Parkland fund: money generated by development in this ward, earmarked for parkland in this ward, being spent to take an active recreation amenity out of this ward.
Side by side
| Riverain Park (Vanier / Ward 12 — immediately adjacent, across the river) | Bathgate Park (Carson Grove / Ward 13) | |
|---|---|---|
| Timeline | 2020–2022, two phases | 2026–2027 |
| Funding | City capital program, NCC-leased land | $120,000 total; $60,000 from Ward 13's own parkland levy |
| Basketball court | Added (new court in Phase 1) | Removed (deteriorated court taken out, not replaced) |
| Active recreation added | Splash pad, skatepark, pump track, tennis/pickleball courts, off-leash dog area, outdoor rink, canoe/kayak launch, fieldhouse | None |
| Passive/green space added | Public art, landscaping | Reseeding, tree planting, naturalization |
| Net change in recreation infrastructure | Substantial net gain | Net loss |
Why this is an equity story, not a NIMBY one
Nobody's against naturalization or tree planting — Bathgate's reforestation has real community support behind it, and more tree canopy is a legitimate public good. That's not the problem.
The problem is what "equity" is supposed to mean when a levy paid by Ward 13 residents, meant to fund Ward 13 parkland, ends up net-subtracting a recreation amenity from Ward 13 — while a park in a different ward entirely, gets a full modernization with new courts added, not removed.
If the City wants to naturalize part of Bathgate Park, fine. But naturalization and recreation aren't supposed to be a zero-sum trade in one ward while they're additive in the next one over. Ward 13 residents whose development fees funded this project lost a basketball court. Riverain Park visitors gained one, plus a skatepark, a pump track, and a boat launch.
That's not equity. That's just where you happen to live.
No comments:
Post a Comment