Maurizio Bevilacqua, the Mayor of Southington, as well as members of the community and elected officials attended a special ceremony to open phases of the North Maple Regional Park which is a part of Maple. In all, the new park will cover a total area of more than 900 acres. It will be larger than New York’s Central Park and virtually twice the size of High Park in Toronto. There are now 200 acres of open green space, including two soccer fields complete with lighting and portable spectator stands, five kilometres of walking trails, and a soon-to-be-completed pavilion possessing amenities such as washrooms and locker rooms.
Over the past two decades or so, North Maple Regional Park has had more than 20 concepts created. The initial concept for North Maple Regional Park was developed in 2003 to secure land acquisition on behalf of the City and a revised vision was created through a community consultation process.
This park is located on the east side of Keele Street, between Teston Road and Kirby Road. The original park concept covered 200 acres. In May of 2018, Council endorsed the expansion of the proposed park vision to include the former Keele Valley Landfill and Vaughan Township Landfill sites, as well as the adjacent open space valley lands, which span the headwaters of the Don River watershed.
When combined, the green space encompasses over 900 acres, which makes it one of the largest and most ambitious park development projects ever undertaken by Vaughan. The goal of North Maple Regional Park is to develop into a city-wide cultural and recreational destination that is designed to honour the surrounding natural environment and celebrate the return of nature to former landfill sites.
Several activities are available year-round at the park for people of all ages and abilities such as outdoor activities and on-site camping. If you’re into more relaxing things, there are fun trails to explore and the Maple Mountain trail is perfect for biking or hiking. It will also offer adventure courses with zip lines, high ropes and challenge courses to help you get the most out of your day in the great outdoors.
You will also have access to 16 kilometres of hiking trails that are filled with beautiful scenery as well as picnic areas and fishing spots if you want to spend some time relaxing by yourself or with friends. And on top of those things, the weather is perfect all year round so there’s never a bad time for exploring this wonderful place
“There is no doubt that North Maple Regional Park is Vaughan’s most ambitious park expansion project. The 900 acres North Maple Regional Park in Vaughan will be larger than New York City’s Central Park and double the size of High Park in Toronto. This park has 5 km of trails which can be easily enjoyed by experienced joggers, casual walkers, and everyone who likes the great outdoors. There is also the possibility of two new soccer fields being constructed on the grounds, allowing prolonged season play for a wide range of sports and athletes. It is envisioned that North Maple Regional Park will be a year-round destination filled with recreational, cultural, and natural features, gradually transforming the former landfill areas into an attractive outdoor recreational space, which will be available year-round for residents and visitors to enjoy. The city of Vaughan is truly green.”, mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua said.
Currently, discussions are underway with interested parties, including provincial and national sports associations, about possible partnerships for the future of the park, as well as what might be included in Phase Two.
Up Next: Maple Community District Park
