With promenade water park proposal off the table, Council votes to retain waterfront swim platform and explore future sites

By Christena Lawrie, CFRC's Broadcast Journalist and Local Journalism Initiative Reporter.

The proposed Patry Aquatic Park is no longer moving forward after the City and Patry Inc. Developments were not able to reach an agreement on a $1M in-kind sponsorship, and the City is now pursuing alternate arrangements.

Council approved the sponsorship and naming rights arrangement in 2025 as part of plans to expand swimming opportunities at Battery Park through an inflatable water park and enhanced swimming platform. This work is part of the larger Confederation Basin Promenade project, with construction expected to begin in 2027.

At their last meeting, Council approved an additional $400,000 to still deliver the swimming platform without the sponsorship funding. They also gave the green light for City Staff to begin pursuing approvals for an alternate site at Grass Creek Park for a future inflatable water park, which they estimate would take about three years.

Several councillors supported both moves, stressing Kingston’s need for additional swimming opportunities, especially with Culligan Water Park closed and the proposed INVISTA aquatic facility still years away.

“I cannot say how much I am disappointed this water park is not moving forward at this time,” said Councillor Don Amos. “This is something our families need… and now we’re probably putting it on hold for a minimum of three years…”

Listen to the full story here.