Casablanca Waterfront Project

The Casablanca Waterfront Park is officially open!

Located along the scenic Lake Ontario, this new park is a testament to the Town’s commitment to enhancing the quality of life for residents in Grimsby. This project has transformed the beachfront into a premier community destination, blending leisure and natural spaces, while offering residents and visitors a vibrant destination for recreation, cultural activities, and community engagement.

Updated Features include:

Walking and Biking Trails: Enjoy scenic views along the beautifully landscaped paths along Lake Ontario.
Recreational Facilities: The park includes a new playground, picnic area, several beaches, multi-use pathways and pavilions.
Cultural Spaces: An outdoor area and pavilion for all ages.

Project Highlights:

Community Engagement: The park was designed with influence from community feedback collected during multiple rounds of engagement.
Design and Features: Emphasis has been placed on accessibility, environmental preservation and creating a welcoming community space.
Construction and Development: Initiated in summer 2023, the construction project was completed in multiple phases to ensure ongoing access to the waterfront. Main construction is now complete, with final landscaping and site restoration wrapping up.

Current Phase:

The Casablanca Waterfront Park is open for residents with a few remaining tasks requiring the Town's attention. Ongoing work is being conducted on the building where the washrooms are located, and a full opening is pending inspection and approval from the building department. An accessible portable washroom has been installed nearby for convenience.

While the park lighting has been activated for safety, final adjustments to brightness and scheduling are still underway and expected to be finished within the next week.

Parking is currently available for residents in the East end of the Waterfront Park by the washrooms (existing lot), as well as on-street parking on the West end. The Town is developing a plan to establish additional parking areas on its owned property to better accommodate residents and visitors.

Regarding the playground, the Town uses engineered wood fibre for the playground surfacing, ensuring it is free from hazardous substances. Laboratory testing has confirmed that this product meets the ASTM F1951 Standard for Playground Surface Accessibility.

We appreciate the community’s cooperation and look forward to their continued support as we work to implement these improvements.

Phase Two:

The central park will feature an asphalt pathway, central viewing terrace, accessible beach mat, new staircases and improved landscaping.

Phase Three:

The eastern section will boast a new washroom pavilion, enhanced playground spaces, flexible event areas, and improved waterfront access.

Project Scope

The master plan for the park includes the following:

Enhanced beach areas with accessible pathways and beach mats
New playgrounds with amenities throughout the park
Pathway lighting, tree planting, landscaping and seating areas
Pavilion and washroom complex
Reduced elements from phases one and two
- Natural playground removed from the scope
- Staircase elements reduced from the scope

drawings and renderings can be found below:

West Beach Site Plan Rendering

Central Beach Site Plan Rendering

East Beach Site Plan Rendering

Rendering to demonstrate the configuration of the Place Polonaise Corner

Rendering to demonstrate the configuration of the Pavilion and Washroom Building

What is happening at Casablanca Waterfront Park?

The Town of Grimsby is excited to proceed with the Casablanca Waterfront park development. Since the beginning of the development, there has been significant interest in this area. The connectivity and accessibility along the waterfront are a top priority for the Casablanca neighbourhood. In addition, developing this area to allow for better movement and higher community involvement will subsequently benefit local residents. The Casablanca Waterfront Project is a project that all Grimsby residents can enjoy; the vision is to develop the community park and promote the area as a destination park.

The Casablanca Waterfront Project spans the waterfront area from Hunter Road to the Water Treatment plant (with the easterly Losani development area to be developed later). The park project will be completed in several phases to maintain community access to the waterfront pathway as much as possible throughout the process. Therefore, some of the project's work will be completed concurrently, and some will be carried out in consecutive phases. The initial ideas towards this park are being informed by the Westend Waterfront Plan and also the Parks, Recreation and Culture Master Plan.

In the meantime, we have launched a range of tools below for you to interact with:

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