Pierrefonds-Roxboro officially opens newly transformed de Deauville Park.

Pierrefonds-Roxboro's de Deauville Park has reopened after a major, year long, $3.5 million transformation. The playground in the Cap Saint-Jacques district off of Gouin Ouest now features a splash pad, new ergonomic equipment, a rock climbing wall, and play structures. Mayor Jim Beis said that these elements have never been seen in a public park before and that this one-of-a-kind project can appeal to a broad range of children and young adults. A grant of $807,842 from the Programme de réfection et de verdissement des parcs locaux is included in the total investment of $3,451,726.

The park was designed around surrounding nature and constructed using wood, stone, and metal materials. Mayor Jim Beis said that these elements have never been seen in a public park before and that this one-of-a-kind project can appeal to a broad range of children and young adults.

"Thirty-five thousand people live west of Saint-Charles, and I see children enjoying the space when I pass by. In the spirit of rebuilding our parks, we had to be innovative in our approach, and this project will be a model for other parks and encourage other communities to do the same there," Mayor Beis added.

The site will be equipped with a shelter and soon be home to a mini-forest. The new vegetation consisting of 1,250 trees and 60 shrubs will cover 416 m2 in the park at the intersection of Riva-Bella and Fontenay streets, inspired by the Japanese Miyawaki method to create fast-growing and dense forests in small areas. De Deauville's mini-forest was the recipient of a $206,700 investment from the City of Montréal for the first edition of their participatory budget.