Imagine Centennial

"Revitalize Centennial Park and the Lord Reading property with the collaboration of Beaconsfield residents that combines culture, leisure and nature"

Architectural Contest

Our waterfront space

Centennial Park and Marina is a magnificent waterfront property which belongs to all Beaconsfield citizens. Through a series of citizen consultations, the community has stated that to revitalize our largest waterfront green space, while preserving its beauty, enhancing waterfront access, and imagining a multipurpose centre that serves Beaconsfield’s needs for community and cultural activities.

Why revitalize this public waterfront space?

Given the state of decline of the buildings, equipment, and the site as a whole, doing nothing is no longer a viable option in the short term. Here is a summary of the main issues:

Poor condition of the park’s infrastructure

Major work required
Poor drainage and asphalt condition
No public washrooms with running water
Damaged play modules

High maintenance costs for old buildings

Costs of works would exceed the value of the buildings
Maintenance costs increase every year
Obsolete design with poor acoustics

Restricted access to Lake St-Louis

Limited public waterfront space compared to neighbouring municipalities
Erosion of the shoreline
Disused part of the marina property used mainly for boat storage during the cold season
Limited access to water (fishing, contemplation)

Library that no longer meets demand

Most frequented municipal facility
30% space deficit (compared to the basic level for public libraries)
Very little space for users to come together to study, socialize or work on joint projects
Shelves filled to capacity. The equivalent of what is purchased must therefore be withdrawn to renew the collections

Lack of dedicated areas for students and self-employed individuals

Only 79 seats in the library (more than double in neighbouring cities)
Impossible to provide quiet areas and study rooms

Lack of space to socialise and meet at Centennial Hall

Former private residence used as a cultural centre
50% space shortage resulting in a lack of places for animation and classes (waiting lists)
Difficulty in supporting our associations due to lack of space
No adequate space for rentals (weddings, baptisms, etc.)
No venue for our local artists

Project site

The IMAGINE Centennial project was launched to revitalize Centennial Park, its cultural centre and the adjacent property, the Lord Reading Yacht Club.

In line with recommendations from the “Reimagining SPACE” citizen consultations held in 2019, the multipurpose cultural center should be located on the east side of the site, so as to minimize impact on the natural features of Centennial Park.

1 PASSIVE AREA
To be denaturalized and reforested

2 CULTURAL AND RECREATIONAL AREA
Area for multi-purpose centre and marina

Citizen consultations

Over the past several years, Beaconsfield residents have voiced comments, complaints, suggestions and ideas on how we can make better use of our green spaces and municipal facilities.

In response to these growing voices, the City has conducted a series of activities to determine how best to use space for the benefit of the community:

Forum Citoyen (2015)

In 2015, a Citizen Forum was held, which identified the renovation of Centennial Park and its building as the top priority for cultural and leisure facilities.

Study on cultural and leisure services (2015)

Full report in French only

Also in 2015, a study of cultural and recreational services was conducted, which revealed the popularity of the library, the imbalance between cultural and recreational activities, and the unmet need for cultural services offered to residents due to problems facing municipal facilities.

English summary report (PDF)

Reimagining SPACE Citizen Consultations (2019)

In 2019, Reimagining SPACE citizen consultations were held to gather ideas and needs and define a vision for Centennial Park and Centennial Marina. Nearly 200 citizens participated in the process, which led to 11 principal recommendations, one of which is to build a new multipurpose cultural center to serve every member of our community and become a destination that will enable our community to better appreciate this unique waterfront space.

Needs analysis - culture and leisure (2023)

In 2023, the City commissioned the firm RCGT to carry out a needs analysis of the cultural and leisure facilities available to residents. Preliminary results still reveal the same findings: a major need to modernize infrastructures, both to enable their use by residents and to enhance the projected image of the Town. The report can be viewed here.

Inspirations

Park and Nature

Culture and Centre

Marina and Lake

PHASES OF THE REVITILIZATION PROJECT

Completed by 2024

Citizen Consultations
Functional and Technical program for the multipurpose centre
Awarding of a $3.1 M subsidy from the Ministère de la Culture et des Communications

Completed in 2024

Launch of an architectural competition
Demolition of the hangar at the marina
Public presentation of the designs for the 4 finalists
Selection of the competition winner

In progress

Restoration of the shoreline in the park

Planned for 2025 and after

Completion of the plans for the Multipurpose Centre
Construction of the Multipurpose Centre
Opening of the Multipurpose Centre