Arnprior's outdoor recreation areas set for facelift this summer

As weather in the Ottawa Valley continues to warm up, many Arnprior residents will see major changes coming to their local outdoor recreation areas.

The biggest change will see an $800,000 investment made to Arnprior's waterfront trail.

The gravel pathway stretching from Madawaska Boulevard to the stairs at Robert Simpson Park will be paved this summer with lighting, seating, and garbage and recycling containers installed.

It's an upgrade the town has been waiting some time to make, following the adoption of a new waterfront master plan.

"It really enhances the user experience, safety, accessibility, and overall aesthetic of our waterfront," says Graeme Ivory, Arnprior's director of recreation.

Residents may have also noticed two playgrounds from a pair of local parks have gone missing.

The play structures at Caruso Park and Legion Park have received grants to be upgraded. The final design for each playground has yet to be finalized.

Ivory says these upgrades tie into the town's accessibility plan of being an age friendly community.

"(They'll feature) ramps and a lot more accessible features. The rubberized play base which makes it that much easier for anybody with mobility assistance needs."

"In town [currently] there is no one park that meets the accessible needs of the many people in our community."

The plan is for each project to begin this summer, with the goal of having upgrades to all the spaces completed by the fall.