The Town of Newmarket is exploring the feasibility of installing a new nature trail at a stormwater pond location on Stackhouse Road.
The pond, situated across from a shopping area near the corner of Harry Walker Parkway South, is now closed off from public access by fencing. But the municipality said it would explore a trail and picnic area by the pond that nearby residents and workers could use.
Proposed by Ward 2 Councillor Victor Woodhouse, he said it makes sense to look at closed areas like stormwater ponds as public green spaces.
“As you become more of an urban community, you have to look at what’s available,” Woodhouse said. “This is such a fine piece of real estate directly where people are going to use it.”
The property is approximately three acres and is one of 55 stormwater ponds throughout Newmarket that help control stormwater runoff. Although there are not many nearby residential properties, there are several businesses next to it, including a shopping plaza with No Frills.
The idea is still being evaluated, according to commissioner of development and infrastructure Peter Noehammer. He said if it is feasible, it can be brought through the annual budget process for design and potential implementation.
“The soonest this can occur is through the 2023 budget that will be tabled with the new term of council starting in December 2022,” Noehammer said.
Woodhouse said the cost would be well worth it, estimating a ballpark figure of $100,000 on the high-end to get the space ready. He said the town would readily take that for a three-acre park elsewhere and suggested corporate sponsorship may also be possible.
“If it was open to employees on a coffee break or at lunch, they could come in and have a walk or sit down,” he said. “Mental health has been top of mind the last few years. Having a chance to get out of the factory or office or warehouse for a quiet walk and rest in green space certainly helps with how you see the world.”
The proposal comes as Woodhouse seeks re-election this fall as Ward 2 councillor, where he faces two challengers.
The municipality has tried to dissuade residents from getting onto stormwater ponds in recent years during the winter due to thin ice. But Woodhouse said that should not be a concern for this site any more than at other open stormwater pond areas in town, and there should not be safety issues in the summer.
“I feel that this is an asset that has been underutilized that we should look at," he said.
