Big changes eyed for Abbotsford's prize park
City mulling major additions and removals as new park plan is developed
Tyler Olsen
September 11, 2023
Photos: A new plan for Mill Lake Park could include the scrapping of the park's photogenic boardwalk—and possibly the restoration of a historic rail trestle bridge on the opposite end of the lake. 📷️ Joti Grewal / Reach Gallery Archives P982.
Big changes could be coming for Abbotsford’s most popular park.
Sitting squarely in the centre of Abbotsford, Mill Lake and the park that surrounds it is a magnet for kids, seniors, office workers, anglers, nature lovers, artists, history buffs, horseshoe enthusiasts and turtles. No other Fraser Valley city has a central park so beloved, nor one to match Mill Lake Park’s mix of size, nature, and community amenities.
Now, the City of Abbotsford is starting work on a new plan for the park, and considering major additions, subtractions, and modifications.
Potential additions include a disc golf course, park plazas, stages, an off-leash dog area and even the restoration of the trestle bridge that once crossed the western end of the lake. But freeing up natural space, one of the potential priorities of the new plan, could result in the removal of the Centennial Outdoor Pool, ball diamonds, horseshoe pitch, recently-built lawn bowling facility, and even the park’s photogenic boardwalk.
None of those suggestions are set in stone. Instead, planners will start gathering feedback on what the public thinks an improved Mill Lake Park looks like.
Big changes
The current planning revolves around seven “big ideas.” These are the priorities for what will become a new master plan that will lay out how the park will change in the decades to come. Some are vague like “environmental enhancements,” while some are very specific like upgrading the main path around the lake and reallocating parking.
Staff have created three different concept plans—an infrastructure-and-activity-heavy concept, a nature-focused concept, and a balanced version with compromise options—that will serve to kickstart a new round of discussions and consultation.
The largest potential changes include:
Widening the Mill Lake trail and possibly banning bikes from it
Removing the boardwalk
Removing Centennial outdoor pool, horseshoe pitches, ball diamonds, and lawn-bowling facility
Constructing a multi-use building that would be home to Kariton Gallery and other activities
Creating a larger beach area by moving the northern parking lot away from the waterfront
Adding a plaza and stage at the northern, city centre entrance to the park
Removing Mill Lake Road (and creating a Gladwin Road access for the townhouse complex it serves)
Creating a disc golf course
Restoring the rail trestle on the western edge of the park
Creating ponds and streams to help cleanse the park’s water
Expanding the tree canopy
Some of the ideas were discussed during a committee meeting Thursday at city hall. Staff say consultation—including with some of the organizations that may be directly affected—will take place in the coming weeks.
The likely final plan will inevitably include an array of elements of all three plans. Below we’ve outlined the potential changes outlined for each area, as described in each of the three concepts.
You can find maps of each park-wide concept here: Active (People-focused) | Balanced | Passive (Nature-focused)
You may notice some similarities. In all the concepts, the ball diamond near the city centre entrance will be removed as will the parking lot, with the current beach expanded
Northern city centre entrance (near Sevenoaks Mall)
This area includes the beach, parking, and ball area at the northern side of the park. The site is a key transition area between Sevenoaks Mall (and any urban development that may replace it), and the city’s most-beloved park.
People-focused concept
Add: new park entrance with an extensive urban plaza; permanent covered stage; expanded beach area; new playground
Move: parking lot away from lakefront
Remove: baseball diamond
Balanced concept
Add: modest park entrance, moderate plaza and temporary stage; new playground
Move: parking lot away from lake front
Remove: ball diamond
Nature-focused concept
Add: new park entrance; modest plaza; new playground
Move: parking lot and ‘re-naturalize’ current area
Remove: ball diamond
Close: Mill Lake Road (and create new Gladwin Road access to townhouse complex)
South/east area (off of Bevan Avenue and and Ware Roads)
This area includes residential properties that are at the corner of Bevan and Ware Road. Most of the homes and properties have already been bought by the City of Abbotsford and will be included in the park.
There are two playgrounds in this area; the playground being considered for removal is the small playground near the Ware Street entrance, not the larger one accessible from the Bevan Avenue parking lot.
People-focused concept
Add: Outdoor classroom/gathering space; angle parking on Alta Street; multi-purpose building/cultural centre near Trethewey House; temporary or portable stage area; on-street parking/transit on Bevan.
Move: adult fitness area next to the lawn-bowling facility
Remove: Ware Street-accessed playground
Balanced concept
Add: 9-hole disc golf course; outdoor classroom/gathering space; multi-purpose building; angle parking on Alta Street
Improve: Sylvia Pincott Heritage Habitat Garden
Move: Lawn bowling area; Kariton House (into the new multi-purpose building)
Reduce: the size of horseshoe pitches
Remove: Ware Street-accessed playground
Nature-focused concept
Add: nine-hole disc-golf course; outdoor classroom/gathering space; angle parking on Alta Street; waterfront access to Trethewey House
Remove: Ware Street-accessed playground; Ware Street parking lot; horseshoe pitches; lawn bowling facility
Improve: Sylvia Pincott Heritage Habitat Garden
Southwest area
This area, with parking off of Emerson Street, includes the Lions ball diamond, Centennial Outdoor Pool, and a splash park and playground, along with the most densely forested part of the park.
People-focused concept
Add: reconstruct the historic trestle bridge along the west area of the lake; off-leash dog area.
Expand: spray park and playground
Replace/expand: outdoor pool (dependent on city’s in-development aquatic strategy)
Balanced concept
Add: playground; off-leash dog area plus trail; permanent covered stage with seating; interpretive signage near remains of trestle bridge
Remove: outdoor pool while retaining fieldhouse
Nature-focused concept
Add: off-leash dog area
Remove: Outdoor pool and fieldhouse; one of the ball diamonds
Park-wide
The planning work also includes broad proposals for the entire park, and specifically the uber-popular path that circles the lake.
People-focused concept
Add: buffers between roads and walking routes on the edge of the park; clearer park entrances
Widen: the lake loop trail to as wide as five metres and relocate some segments away from water’s edge, where possible. This idea would aim to reduce conflicts between cyclists and pedestrians
Close: the floating boardwalk (as part of the effort to move parts of the trail away from the water’s edge)
Balanced concept
Add: ponds and channels to help improve water cleanliness; buffers between roads and walking routes on the edge of the park; clearer park entrances
Restrict: bikes and wheeled vehicles from lake loop
Expand: forest canopy
Nature-focused concept
Add: ponds and channels to help improve lake water cleanliness; buffers between roads and walking routes on the edge of the park; clearer park entrances;
Move: lake loop away from waterfront
Close: the floating boardwalk (as part of the effort to move parts of the trail away from the water’s edge)
Restrict: bikes from lake trail
Expand: forest canopy and riparian habitats throughout park
Restore: Willband Creek exit from park
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- Tyler, Joti, and Grace.