Parks Planning

Operating


Parks
Parks Planning

What we do

Our parks are full of trees and play spaces for all seasons and all interests, providing recreation opportunities for all community members; that’s just part of what we do in the Parks department. You’ll find floral displays by our award-winning horticulture staff, best amusement rides this side of the county fair, amazing settings for your next picnic or event— in an award-winning natural playground.

Our Open Space Planning division works to meet the vision of our community; enhancing our open spaces in a way that meets the needs of our citizens today and into the future. We plan, budget, develop and implement the City’s capital construction programs for parks and trails. We review development applications to ensure adequate parkland or cash-in-lieu to acquire new park land is available.

Our team in Parks Operations and Forestry, maintain trails, parks, sports fields, playground equipment and open spaces to ensure public safety and beautify our city. This team operates splash pads and the Riverside carousel, and renew and redevelop existing parks and infrastructure, plus we’re ready to support community events, festivals and sports tournaments. And, when it comes to our trees, this group maintains the City’s urban forest through the ongoing implementation of the Urban Forest Management Plan.

There are lots of opportunities to enjoy the calming effect of nature along the rivers, in forests and other natural areas. The City’s parks, trails and trees are essential to the quality of life in Guelph.

Why we do it

As the community grows, we will continue to add to Sustaining our Future priority by investing in our tree canopy, the environment and natural areas to provide parks and open spaces to enhance the health and wellness of the community. We will also continue to reinvest in our parks infrastructure in a sustainable fashion to ensure it is aligned with the needs of our community.

2021 to 2024+ initiatives

Budget details

Operating budget—Revenues and expenses

2021 budget impacts

$11,470 or 2.0% net budget increase in 2021:

  • Due to inflationary adjustment in compensation.

2022 to 2024 budget impacts

  • $48,080 net increase in 2022 to 2024 budget mainly due to inflationary adjustment in compensation.