FAQs

In Fall 2022 we conducted drilling at the park to assess the groundwater table and the soil conditions on site. Stormwater facility design will take into account current condition information. The stormwater facility will not negatively impact groundwater levels.

We will provide initial concepts at an open house and on Engage in November 2023. Watch for future meetings to discuss plans. Please subscribe to the project's Engage page to receive project updates.

Safety is a key factor in the way we design stormwater management ponds. We apply Provincial and Municipal safety standards.

Some safety measures include:

• signage
• buffer zones
• railings, and
• natural planting barriers   

It is still too early to know what type of stormwater management facility we will add to Country Hills Park. Some stormwater facilities hold water between storm events, and others do not. The facility could be located underground. We will know more as we move into the design phase.

Underground stormwater facilities store water in an underground tank system. Stormwater enters the systems where sediment and debris are captured before being released back to nearby creeks. Water may be allowed to infiltrate into the ground where possible. Underground stormwater facilities are not visible from the surface. 

If we determine that an underground stormwater facility is suitable for Country Hills Park, we will consult with the community to help determine how the ground surface will be restored. 

Underground stormwater facilities do not make ongoing noise once installed. Maintenance with heavy equipment may occur every few years. We can confirm the maintenance schedule for the chosen stormwater facility once the design is finalized. 

We are still early in the design process and haven’t confirmed the location, size, or type of stormwater facility. Some options we are considering include a surface facility (a pond) or a subsurface facility (buried storage tanks). This is likely to be in the approximate location of the tennis courts. An activity like tennis, basketball, or pickleball could be designed on top of a subsurface facility. The community's input will help inform the final design. This includes whether the design has a tennis court or other sports areas.

Mosquitoes

We design stormwater ponds to avoid creating pools of shallow, stagnant water where mosquitoes like to breed. We add native plants within and around ponds, too. These create habitat for natural predators such as bats, birds and frogs. The native plants also support pollinator insects like butterflies and native bees. 

Geese

The native plantings we use make it difficult for geese to enter stormwater ponds. We also use raptor poles to welcome birds like hawks who are natural predators of geese.  

The development of recommended alternatives for each project was completed as part of the City’s Integrated Stormwater Master Plan. That report is available on Kitchener’s website.

In 2015, we consulted the public about the Stormwater Management Master Plan. We consulted city-wide rather than taking a park-by-park approach. Since 2015 our approach to engagement has evolved and improved. We are committed to inclusive and equitable community engagement. 

In early August 2022, we sent postcards to people living next to the park and placed signs within the park. We aimed to inform park and trail users and immediate neighbours of this project well before the project's design phase. Our outreach will be more expansive as we begin our design process for the park improvements and stormwater facility. As the project progresses, we will mail public meeting invitations within a broader neighbourhood area. We will seek neighbourhood input to balance the new stormwater facility with park design. We will use this Engage page, social media ads, and mailouts to share news about engagement opportunities.

We advertise engagement opportunities in a wide variety of ways depending on the project or initiative, using approaches that are appropriate and accessible for the residents most affected by the issue. Some projects, like construction or development projects, also have specific requirements they must follow (example: sending letters to affected residents). 

Here are some ways to stay informed about engagement opportunities:

• Register for a free Engage Kitchener account to get notifications of new opportunities on that site 
• If you have a free My Kitchener account, add the “Engagement opportunities” widget to get those same notifications 
• Subscribe to the public consultations newsfeed and the calendar on the City's website to get notifications about in-person or virtual public meetings

We are committed to inclusive and equitable community engagement.  Our focus is on eliminating barriers from the participation process, ensuring those who are most affected are actively included, measuring our progress through demographic data collection, and committing to ongoing relationship-building and engagement.  We use a wide variety of approaches for engaging the broader community, selecting techniques based on the specifics of the issue or project at hand. For more information, please read our Community Engagement Policy.

It is still too early to know what park improvements will look like. We will use the community's feedback to help generate design ideas as we balance the new stormwater facility with park improvements.

Thank you for letting us know that shade in the playground is important to you. We want to understand how people use the park and how the park space can better support the community in the future. We will use your input to help generate design ideas as we balance the new stormwater facility with park improvements.

We hear the importance of keeping existing trees. We're committed to increasing our urban tree canopy. Unfortunately, it is possible that some trees will need to be removed to construct the stormwater features in this park. We will get a better sense of the impacts once we reach the next engagement phase. If we must remove trees, we will replace trees following the City's tree management policy.

The City is currently updating its 2010 Parks Strategic Plan. Our new plan is called Places and Spaces: Kitchener's park and open space strategy. This plan will help direct how we use and update parks in the future. The Places and Spaces strategy will address many themes in parks, such as:

• principles of design (e.g. equity, accessibility)
• environment & ecology (e.g. habitat, stormwater management, and climate change)
• specific infrastructure planning (e.g. playgrounds, sportsfields, pets in parks).

The Places and Spaces strategy is scheduled to be brought forward in 2024.

Off-Leash Dog Areas

Once the Places and Spaces strategy is adopted, we will look for opportunities to add new features in parks across Kitchener. These features could include off-leash dog areas. We will explore opportunities in all neighbourhoods. We will engage with local communities around any future park updates.

Splash Pads

The City usually puts splash pads at community centres and legacy parks, like Victoria Park. These locations have the infrastructure to support a splash pad, such as parking, washrooms, and servicing.

Yes – the next stage of engagement is anticipated to take place in summer 2024.

Thank you for this feedback on the team’s presentation materials. We will work to incorporate this feedback in future meetings and surveys.

No – the City receives funding from the federal government’s Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund. This supplements City funding. It also allows the City to speed up the construction of new stormwater management facilities.

We plan to use underground perforated pipes for enhanced localized drainage. We also intend to regrade the open field to improve drainage. However, both measures are subject to approval from the Grand River Conservation Authority (GRCA).  

GRCA allows for some kinds of recreation facilities within the floodplain. The sports court would not be usable during a flood, but it could be used at all other times.  This helps ensure the park has the most uses possible.

The amount of water depends on which option is chosen. It will range from 1752m³ to 3101m³.

Balzer Creek is a warmwater creek. Six different fish species have been found in Balzer Creek. All these species are adaptable and can be found in many different habitats. Surface ponds (like in Options 1 and 2) can heat up water in the pond, but we can design the ponds to reduce heating.  

The community has responded that they like all three options (tennis, pickleball, and basketball) for the sports courts. We will aim to include all three as individual courts or as multi-use courts.

The playing field area at Country Hills is not large enough to accommodate a cricket pitch.

Disc golf is not being proposed for the park. The proposed sports courts and playing fields will limit the area available for disc golf.  

Yes, we can consider having a combination of natural and traditional playground equipment. We will continue to engage with the community on how they want to play at Country Hills Park.