The City of Kingston’s Breakwater Park won a Canadian Society of Landscape Architects’ (CSLA) 2019 National Award of Excellence in the category of medium-scale public landscapes designed by a landscape architect (1 to 5 hectares).
“I’m very pleased that Breakwater Park is receiving due recognition at the national level,” said Mark Gerretsen, member of parliament for Kingston and the Islands. “I remain proud that the federal government was a partner in this waterfront rejuvenation, which has been so clearly enjoyed by residents of all ages and will continue to be for generations to come.”
The awards honour landscape architectural firms whose projects feature distinctive design and sustainable landscape management. The design for Breakwater Park was developed by Claude Cormier et Associés.
“Breakwater Park has proven to be a tremendous success since its reopening last summer,” said Bryan Paterson, mayor of Kingston. “This park is an incredible asset situated on Kingston’s beautiful waterfront with features that the whole community can enjoy. We love Breakwater Park and it’s an honour to see it recognized with a national award.”
“The thousands of people who flocked to the new Breakwater Park and swimming pier show how important this space is to the community,” said Mark Mattson, president of Swim Drink Fish. “Stunning architecture has elicited a profound response. This project changes the way other cities are looking at waterfronts and restoration projects. If they follow Breakwater Park’s example, the result will be healthier, more active communities, and swimmable water for all.”
The 15 winning projects from across Canada demonstrate excellent practice in a multidisciplinary approach in planning and design. In the award citation, the CSLA noted: “Breakwater Park is a project in three parts: the revitalization of an existing park, a redesign of shoreline infrastructure, and an expansion into a neighbouring terrain vague with a derelict post-industrial dock transformed into Canada’s first deep water urban swimming pier.”
Breakwater Park underwent extensive renovations, which were completed in 2018. The project was supported by approximately $900,000 in funding through the Canada 150 Community Infrastructure Program, delivered by the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario). The renovations were also funded with $500,000 by The W. Garfield Weston Foundation and Swim Drink Fish Canada.
Breakwater Park was identified as the highest priority for improvements in the City’s Waterfront Master Plan, which was awarded a CSLA Award of Excellence in 2017.
