Fairwinds Park in Mississauga, Ontario is a community playground with a nautical theme. Designed in collaboration with the MBTW Group and City Councillor Carolyn Parrish, the Fairwinds playground features a variety of accessible structures and sculptures that create open-ended opportunities for creative play for children of all ages and abilities. The playground is situated in a residential neighbourhood but very close to the condo developments that surround Square One shopping centre.
The HMCS Pinnacle, a ship that has run a-ground beside a sandy beach, is the playground centrepiece at Fairwinds. It is named in honour of Pinnacle International, a forward-thinking developer who contributed toward the creation of this innovative playscape. The ship is set on an angle, and is filled with play opportunities that offer higher and lower challenges. Accessible nets and flexform are close to ground-level and climbing holds on the ship’s exterior encourage the adventurous to scale the ship’s hull!
A small beach hut with live-edge benches is a gathering space for young children. A puffin sculpture, chainsaw carved from white oak and a breaching whale body add whimsy and uniqueness to the playscape. They were hand stained to add detail and character to the ocean dwellers. Small, climbable wave sculptures lap next to the ship. Children can hide inside, climb atop or slide down the waves like surfers.
A lighthouse is perched on a nearby hill, offering two slides and additional climbing opportunities. Night time LED lighting adds to the longevity of the play experience and to the whimsy of the play experience after sunset.
Mississauga has other Earthscape playgrounds nearby, including Jaycee Park, modelled after iconic Mississauga architecture, and Paul Coffey Park, the dragon castle playground – both of these playgrounds are Mississauga Urban Design Award winners. The new Churchill Meadows Community Centre also features an Earthscape playground.