Ridgeway Lions Field playground won’t open this summer

A new playground at Ridgeway Lions Field will take longer than planned, as the Town of Fort Erie redesigns the project to deal with drainage issues at the site.

Construction has not started and the town says it does not have a confirmed opening date, months after its project schedule showed the playground opening in summer 2026. The playground on Elm Street has been closed since October 31, 2025, because of structural problems with the aging equipment.

Kathryn Strachan, the town’s landscape architect and project lead, told Fort Erie Radio a detailed review of the site found drainage concerns that could affect how well a new playground performs over the long term.

Because of those findings, she said, the town has decided to move the playground to the west portion of the park, where site conditions are more suitable. That decision means more design work before the project can move to procurement and construction.

The town’s original timeline called for design over the winter, construction starting in spring 2026 and an opening this summer. Strachan said a new timeline will be set once the final design is complete and construction is scheduled.

In a town poll, 94 per cent of respondents–17 of 18 votes–supported keeping the playground in its existing spot, and the project page said the playground would stay there as a result.

Strachan said the town carefully considered that feedback, and further technical evaluation found that relocating the playground “provides a better long-term solution for addressing site drainage and overall functionality.”

She said the town is developing a design that balances community input with operational and environmental considerations. Drainage improvements for the new location will be included in the final design.

Council first approved $150,000 for the replacement in the 2020 capital budget. The town increased the budget to $181,000 in 2024 to reflect current construction and equipment costs, and Strachan said the project is expected to be delivered within that amount.

The rest of the park is not affected by the closure. Ridgeway Lions Field serves an estimated 1,375 residents and includes tennis and basketball courts, soccer fields and a pavilion. The current playground was installed in 2009.

The town says it will update its “Let’s Talk” project webpage with the final design, construction status and an anticipated opening date once the design is finished and construction is scheduled.

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