Mississauga officially opens huge, ‘one-of-a-kind’ nautical-themed park

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Published May 11, 2022 at 3:36 pm

A huge new park in the heart of Mississauga, described as a “one-of-a-kind” in the city, will officially set sail at the end of the month.

Fairwinds Park, which includes a nautical-themed play area and is situated in the midst of the 36-acre Pinnacle Uptown residential/commercial development at Hurontario Rd. and Eglinton Ave., will be officially unveiled to the public at an opening ceremony “party” on May 29 starting at 2 p.m.

Those planning to attend, both kids and adults, are encouraged to wear pirate costumes, or something else of a nautical nature.

“Prize for scariest pirate boy or girl” will be awarded, Mississauga Ward 5 Councillor Carolyn Parrish wrote in a recent Twitter post.

A “Pirate Life” musical show, free pirate hats, “gold” medals/chains, popcorn and cupcakes are also on tap at the opening.

Organizers say the fun will proceed, rain or shine.

Diagram shows an overhead view of the new park during its planning phase.

Parrish earlier described the park’s play area as “an incredible nautical playground” and added the spectacular park also features walking trails, a natural wetland, and basketball and tennis courts.

People have been using the park since it opened to the public last October, but Parrish wanted to wait until this spring to plan a proper official opening.

Last fall, Parrish described the all-season park, which takes up nearly half of the site’s 36 acres, as a “one-of-a-kind” in Mississauga and beyond.

It also includes outdoor fitness stations, a natural ice rink, an interactive public art feature, trail lighting and a parking lot.

“It really is gorgeous. It’s spectacular. It’s a significant park in the city,” said Parrish earlier, adding the playground alone cost just under $1 million.

Of that price tag, the City picked up its maximum portion of $350,000, the builder, Pinnacle International, chipped in $250,000 and Parrish raised the rest “here, there and everywhere.”

Cooksville Creek flows diagonally through the park, which also features a sidewalk that links up with nearby Fairwind Dr. And a new fire station, completed in 2019, is located on the site just west of the creek, on Eglinton Ave. W.

A sunken ship, a lighthouse that lights up at night, a beach section with “real sand”, small lifeboats on the playground and a whale complete the “sea and beach” theme.

Pinnacle International said it wanted to ensure greenspace and park facilities were a big part of the plan. Company officials noted earlier that the park, which includes an HMCS Pinnacle ship, “features a significant amount of fun and family-friendly amenities that will welcome both young and older residents.”

City of Mississauga staff added: “The objective is to create an all-season community park with outdoor recreational amenities, trails and passive uses including natural areas and stormwater management features.”

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