The entry point for Innisfil Beach Park will look a little different the next time you’re there.
Crews have been working in recent days to demolish the decades-old gatehouse, which had served most recently as a storage building. There are no plans to erect a structure in its place.
“The gatehouse … was evaluated in a building condition assessment and found to be beyond repair and at the end of its lifecycle,” town operations director Nicole Bowman said in an email. “The demolition was approved by council in 2022 and is not part of the Innisfil Beach (Park) Master Plan. Final site clean up should be complete within a few weeks.”
The estimated project completion date is April 19.
Approved by council in June 2020, the master plan sets a “bold, long-term vision to revitalize” Innisfil’s largest urban park, the town says on its website.
In the years since the plan passed, the municipality has taken other steps to begin to implement it, including allocating $6.2 million in this year’s capital budget — and pledging another $2.3 million and $2.6 million in 2026 and 2028, respectively — toward upgrades like hydro and water service improvements, new washrooms and a splash pad.
“(The master plan) provides a guide for ongoing investments in the park, which will result in new gathering and social spaces, cultural programming opportunities, and enhanced natural resources,” the town says. "The plan builds on envisions of a year-round community unique tourism destination for Lake Simcoe."
At 27.6 hectares, the park currently includes a boat launch, dock, playground equipment, BMX pump track, tobogganing hill, concession stand, an outdoor fitness obstacle course, sports fields and trails. It also has five public swimming and beach areas, including an accessible Mobi-Mat at Beach 3 and a dog-friendly space.
