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The first concept for Wilson-Sheffield Park in Collingwood has now been revealed to the public, and you have until March 23 to submit your feedback on the concept to help shape the project going forward.

The 1.25 hectare site next to Admiral Collingwood Elementary School on Dey Drive will house the new park.

As it stands now, the park will include two 3-on-3 basketball facilities, six pickleball courts, and three tennis courts. Also included in the design is an accessible playground, as well as an outdoor fitness loop with calisthenics stations along the adjacent trail network that will connect to Train Trail.

The proposed design includes a 200-square-meter building to house toilets and a sports tank. There are no formal changing rooms in the plan. The exterior of the building will include a shaded area and a green roof for the building is also being considered.

The parking lot will be shared with the school to help with over-parking, and bike racks and seats will also be included.

The city is also considering public art opportunities in the park, where possible.

In September 2021, the council voted to name the park after the Wilson-Sheffield family, specifically Herbert Wilson and his wife, Yvonne Sheffield, parents of Sylvia, Carolynn, and Herb Wilson.

Herbert Wilson was a foreman working for the City of Collingwood in 1955 when he died on the job under suspicious conditions. He was 37 years old, wife and three children at home. His death was not investigated until 2002.

Prior to his death, Wilson experienced violent racism at work, including being doused from head to toe with hot tar.

Yvonne Sheffield grew up in Collingwood and was a gifted athlete at Collingwood Collegiate Institute. She was denied entry to competitions, including the 1938 Championship Track Meet in Orillia, due to the color of her skin.

The deadline for public feedback and comments on the Wilson-Sheffield Park plans is March 23 at 4:30 p.m.

To view plans for the park, including more artistic renderings, and to access the feedback sheet for providing feedback, click here.

Comments can also be emailed directly to Administrative Assistant Amanda Norris at (email protected).