Richardson Beach in Macdonald Memorial Park is a favourite destination along the Kingston waterfront. Improvements to the 0.5 hectare beach area were identified as the top priority in the Waterfront Master Plan, which was approved by Council on March 22, 2016. The proposed works include improved access to the beach and water; better lookout points; provision of overlook seating and gathering spaces; and shoreline improvements.
There was multiple public and stakeholder feedback throughout multiple open houses, online commentary and survey results. As well several meetings with the First Nations and windsurfing communities were completed. Project challenges include technical constraints such as wave action, shoreline slopes, fluctuating (and high) water levels, and designing the site to accommodate multiple user groups harmoniously.
In addition to the shoreline work, the historic Richardson Bathhouse was being upgraded and made accessible for all members of the community. Our design work for the landscape improvements began in 2017 with inventory and analysis and schematic design; contract documents were completed in spring 2020 working closely with Shoreplan Engineering. The project was substantially completed in the fall of 2022, with the grand opening following in the spring of 2023.
