Help shape the future of Country Hills Park

Hope to see you tonight at our in-person open house!

Survey now open

The presentation materials from today’s in-person open house are now available. A video presentation will also be available next week.

View the presentation boards

Whether you are attending the open house today or not, we want your feedback! Check out the presentation boards and share your feedback with us.

Answer the survey

How we have engaged the community lately

We are continuing to work on the design of a stormwater measure for Country Hills Park:

• On November 22, 2023 we held an open house to gather feedback on three (3) design options
• Over the winter and spring, we developed a design shaped by the public feedback we received, internal feedback and constraints

You can participate in the next stage by:

• Attending the open house today, July 24, 2024!
• Completing the detailed design survey, open until Aug. 23,2024

Can’t enter the park due to accessibility restrictions? We are happy to meet you at the park entrance to discuss our open house details. Call 519-501-5687 for assistance.

Thank you to all those that have registered for the open house on July 24, 2024 from 3 to 7 p.m. The event will be in the park close to the community garden. You can enter the park from Country Hill Drive.

We are looking forward to seeing you there! The event will be taking place “rain or shine”. The design boards will be under a tent for your convenience.

July 24, 2024

3 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Country Hills Park (365 Country Hill Drive)

Learn more or register

We look forward to seeing you then.

If you are not able to attend the open house, we will be posting the design boards and a video on the project page shortly after the open house. You will be able to provide feedback online until August 23, 2024.

Thank you to all those that have registered for the open house. We are sending this update to inform you of an error in the date shared.

The correct date of the open house is July 24, 2024, from 3 to 7 p.m. at Country Hills Park (365 Country Hill Drive).

Sorry for any inconvenience this may cause. If you are not able to make the open house, we will post the design boards and a video on the project page shortly after the open house. You will be able to provide feedback online until August 23, 2024.

July 24, 2024

3 to 7 p.m.

Country Hills Park (365 Country Hill Drive)

Please register

It’s been several months since we met with the community at the November 2023 Open House to share design options for Country Hills Park. We’re almost ready to share a draft design that the community’s feedback helped shape.

About the open house:

• Learn more about the project and review the design.
• Drop in anytime. Staff and consultants will be available to receive your feedback and answer questions.
• Cool treats and children’s activities will be available.
• Reep Green Solutions will share interactive games, activities, and climate adaptation education.

If you can't attend this in-person event, you can participate virtually. We will post materials on this webpage for you to review and comment on close to the event.

Last Fall, we hosted an open house for Country Hills Park. Thank you to everyone who joined us at the Open House on Nov. 22, 2023, and provided their feedback on the design options.

For a detailed report on what we heard from community members at the open house and online, please read the summary: 2023 What We Heard Report

Common Themes

• Open Space: You appreciate the open space at Country Hills Park.
• Accessibility: We heard about the importance of accessible and well-connected trails.
• Amenities: You would prefer to have a mix of recreational amenities that cater to a diverse range of park users.
• Safety: You expressed concerns about the safety of children around the pond.

Design Ideas

We also heard ideas of what you want to be incorporated into designs for the stormwater pond and the park. You would like the design to include:

• “Accessible trails along the edge of the park”
• “More seating and gathering spaces”
• “A multi-use sports court”
• “Play equipment for children of all ages”
• “Remove invasive species”

Frequently Asked Questions updated

Thanks for all the questions you have shared with us. We have added responses to new questions in the Frequently Asked Questions section

Next Steps

Thank you for your patience as we develop a park design based on City staff and your feedback. We look forward to hosting a project open house this year once the designs are ready.

If you haven’t already, please subscribe to be notified about future events. Add your email to the Stay Informed section of this page and click ‘Subscribe’.

If you have any questions, contact us at countryhillspark@kitchener.ca

Some of you have asked, “What more can be done in our neighbourhood to reduce the amount of runoff that reaches the park/creek?”

As you know, we are working to better manage runoff in Balzer Creek with a stormwater project in Country Hills Park. Meanwhile, our partner Reep Green Solutions, can help residents who live upstream from the project manage rain and reduce runoff that reaches the park.

The Rain Smart Neighbourhoods Project helps you plan projects for your yard that will help reduce flood risk in the neighbourhood by planting more trees, building rain gardens, soaking up rain in permeable paving, and more.

This spring, join Reep’s Healthy Yard Webinar Series to learn how you can make changes in your yard that will improve the nature in your neighbourhood and extend the benefits of this project! You can also learn more about Healthy Yard Consultations, available to residents who want to help reduce flood risk for the neighbourhood with actions in their own yard.

Register for the webinar series at reepgreen.ca/events

Webinars include:

• Healthy Yards: Nurture Nature in Your Neighbourhood - March 28, 2024 from 7 to 8 p.m.
• Healthy Yards: Rain Garden Design and Construction - April 3, 2024 from 7 to 8 p.m.
• Healthy Yards: Nurture Nature in Your Neighbourhood - April 10, 2024 from 7 to 8 p.m.