Robert Simpson Park Refresh

Arnprior’s waterfront area is considered one of the Town’s greatest assets. In 2021, the Town completed a Waterfront Master Plan that produced 65 recommendations over 8 key focus areas and 7 key directions outlining how the Town can better harness the potential of this asset and create a more desirable waterfront destination for the community.

Robert Simpson Park is the crown jewel of Arnprior’s waterfront. Situated on approximately 4 hectares with 460 meters of shoreline along both the Ottawa and Madawaska Rivers, this park is the hub for much of the Town’s major outdoor events and holds many fond memories of longtime residents and visitors.

The project will be completed in 3 phases:

In May 2026, Council approved award of Phase 1A to be completed in 2026. This portion of the project will include:

  1. Paved pathways
  2. Improved lighting
  3. Splashpad
  4. Play Structures / Play Features for various ages
  5. Planting of 12 trees

The 2026 budget for Phase 1A is $2.1M. Materials are anticipated to begin arriving at the end of June and major works will commence in early July.

For the duration of this phase of the project, the canteen, splashpad, play structure and gazebo will be closed to the public. The Lion's Pavilion Gazebo will remain unchanged and washrooms will remain open in 2026 to support the beach that is still operating as usual. The washrooms are anticipated to be renewed in 2027.

Events have been relocated from Robert Simpson Park in 2026. To learn more about events in 2026 click here.

Learn more about the other beautiful parks in the Town of Arnprior click here.

Frequently Asked Questions

For the most part, the entrance road from John Street will remain open for pedestrian and vehicular traffic. A majority of the parking lot remains open, with some spots blocked off on weekdays to allow for large trucks to make wider turns more safely into the construction site gate. The beach and waterfront trail remain open. The beach is guarded daily from 11am-6pm.  

The washrooms will remain open, with some disruptions when work is to be completed on the watermain for the new splashpad. There are also porta potties adjacent to the beach to ensure continuity of amenities while the Town works through this project. 

The upper park including, the splashpad, play structure, pathway from John Street and Lion’s Pavillion (Gazebo) remain closed for the duration of Phase 1A.

There are two main factors as to why this project has been broken into phases 

  1. Different design and administrative complexities 

  1. Practical approach to implementation 

Complexity 

Splashpads, pathways and parks are features that are implemented in almost all park spaces across Canada thus the designs are fairly straightforward with plenty of comparable reference parks. As a result, these components were ready to be presented to the public and ready to be implemented earlier than the shoreline work. 

Shoreline modification is a more complex design assignment that involves specialized studies such as bathymetric surveys, hydrological assessments, and underwater archaeological assessments. The Town also does not own the riverbed thus cannot build on it without agreements with the Federal Government. These discussions cannot meaningfully commence until all studies are completed and a semi-finalized design is in place. 

Implementation 

General park features such as play structures, pathways and splashpads are typically implemented by landscaping companies specializing in park construction. There are many companies in the construction industry that specialize in this type of project.  

In-water work such as with shoreline modification and breakwater implementation is a very different scope with a more limited number of suitable vendors.

The Town of Arnprior is fortunate that Robert Simpson Park is quite large and contains typical park amenities in the grassed area on top of the hill, the “Upper Park”, and waterfront amenities at the bottom of the hill, the “Lower Park”. The “Upper Park” as it pertains to this project consists of: 

  • Washrooms 

  • Pathways 

  • Lighting 

  • Splashpad 

  • Play structure 

  • Lion’s Pavillion (Gazebo) and event space 

The Lion’s Pavillion will not be altered as part of this project, but is within the construction area and therefore will be unavailable. 

Peak summer months occur concurrently with peak construction season and this project requires approximately 6 months of work from start to finish. Starting earlier or later would still impact summer use of the park. It is most efficient to construct in the summer months and constructing outside of the optimal construction season typically involves additional costs. Some things to consider with off-season work include: 

  • Earthworks with frozen ground is more time consuming, when possible, and final grades and compaction cannot be established until the ground is thawed.  Grading work often takes longer and has to be redone if frozen soil is moved. 

  • Grass and other plantings typically fare best when planted in the Spring or Fall. 

  • Some materials such as rubberized play surfaces have specific temperature requirements for installation. 

  • Winter handling such as clearing snow and heating concrete during pours increases the likelihood of deficiencies and carry significant costs. 

  • Anything that slows workers down triggers a Contractor to charge more thus increasing the cost to the taxpayer. 

  • Work scopes involving watermains are ideal to not complete when a freeze/thaw event is likely. 

If a tree on public land is assessed to be unhealthy enough that it poses a health and safety risk to users, there is a responsibility for it to be removed. Unfortunately, due to significant storm events over the past few years, some large trees in Robert Simpson Park were in poor health. Efforts were made for years to keep the large trees but they reached a point where there was a public safety concern. A dozen trees are anticipated to be planted in this park as part of the first phase of this project. The Town of Arnprior has planted 233 new trees across 17 locations in 2026. 

The Town works with design consultants specializing in park construction to establish what is possible within the allotted budget. Staff prioritize conceptual features based on goals set out in the Recreation and Parks Master Plan as well as public feedback from previous parks projects. Once the concept designs and baseline costing are established, the Town opens the process for the public to comment and vote on preferred options within the park.  

The concept options were presented publicly to Town Council on November 10th, 2025 and to the Town of Arnprior Accessibility Committee on November 19th, 2025. A public open house occurred for this project on November 13th, 2025 and an online survey was open to the public from November 10th to 23rd, 2025. To encourage public feedback on this project, physical signage was erected in the park, Town-owned facilities, and on the corner of Daniel and Madawaska Street. Information was also posted on our webpage and social media pages. Radio features were also run on Oldies 107.7 during the public consultation timeframe. A dedicated webpage was created and will continue to be updated throughout the project to keep the public aware of developments in the project. 

No, the shoreline scope of work is a more complicated process and would not be proceeding in 2026 regardless of whether or not the Upper Park is constructed.

Vandalism has been a persistent issue in Robert Simpson Park through the years and this project is a significant investment into new play features. The Town wants to ensure that risk of damage to these amenities is somewhat mitigated so placement of features have been adjusted to be in line with CPTED guidelines. The park will be better lit at night, with features more visible from the road to discourage vandalism. This also allows for more open green space for play, picnics and gatherings.

The existing pedestrian pathway is to be excavated and modified so it needs to remain fenced. There are significant slopes at the entry to Robert Simpson Park which makes establishing a walkable alternative pedestrian pathway challenging while construction is underway. The beach is most accessible on foot via the waterfront pathway that stretches from the Library past the Marina, though it is understood that this may not be the best route for all users. The pedestrian pathway along the roadway is significantly more walkable than any other means of entering the park via John Street, from a slope perspective. It’s a challenge to close down any high traffic public area but this project will make this park much more accessible and significantly improve user experience once it is complete.  

The Lion's Pavillion Gazebo is not included in the scope of this project however it remains closed while construction of Phase 1A is underway, as there is significant work occurring around the structure. 

Barbecues were permitted in the Upper Park portion of Robert Simpons Park though with that section of the park closed there are other alternatives.  Barbecues are not permitted on the waterfront at Robert Simpson Park. Users are invited to check out other parks in Arnprior and have barbecues at McLean Park (large grass areas and beach) or Hydro Park East (no swimming).  

Check out Arnprior.ca/Parks to see the Town’s 13 other parks.  

  • Looking for a splashpad? Check out the new splashpad at Art Dodds Park behind the Nick Smith Centre. There’s a great parkour course there as well. 

  • Looking for another beach? The Robert Simpson Park beach remains open but check out McLean Beach. Bad weather? Come swimming at the Nick Smith Centre indoor pool. 

  • Looking for green space? Check out the open fields at McLean Park or Caruso Park. 

For any comments, concerns or complaints regarding any Town amenity or service, please contact the Town Clerk’s office at 613-623-4231 or submit a complaint online through the web portal on the Town’s Website.  

Contact Us

Town of Arnprior
105 Elgin St. West
Arnprior, ON K7S 0A8
Phone: 613.623.4231
Fax: 613.623.8091