Community Services 2025 Budget: Prioritizing Healthy, Active and Safe Living
“I am proud that we found significant savings to keep the City of Brampton’s property tax increase amongst the lowest in the GTHA at 2.9%, which includes our ongoing 1% hospital levy to build the second hospital, and a 3% salary increase requested by CUPE union workers in their new collective agreement.
As Chair of Community Services, I personally believe in living an active and engaged lifestyle. This is why I have continued to push for advancements in creating safe community spaces and active living opportunities for all ages. I am proud to see this reflected in the 2025 Budget. Consistent with Brampton’s Vision 2040, I continue to push for and support improvements and investments in our parks and recreation amenities that encourage sustainable, safe, connected, and healthy living. Here are just some highlights and additions:
- A new splashpad for Lakelands Village Park
- Century Gardens Youth Hub and renovated splash pad
- Increased programming for the Collaborative Learning and Technology Centre (at Central Peel Secondary School)
- New Embleton Community Centre and Library in Brampton’s West End
- Community Safety investments to prevent encampments in our parks
- Hiring 24 more firefighters to keep our growing community safe
- Enhancing recreation programs by five per cent to facilitate more programs
- Free recreation access for Seniors 65+ years old
- Upgrade of sand and mulch to rubber surfacing in playgrounds
- Park enhancements and playground upgrades across the city
- Parks beautification project
- Design (2025) and construction (2026) of cricket lighting and players pavilions to address the increased demand and maximize the usage of fields (5 senior fields and 4 youth fields will be lit)
- Winter-optimized facilities such as outdoor ice rinks, the Earnscliffe Cricket Dome, and Rosalea Tennis Dome
- Gore Meadows Community Park - complete construction of 3 lit cricket fields, 9 tennis courts (6 domed), and 6 pickleball courts (completion in 2026)
- Acquisition of CAA Centre as an official City of Brampton asset
- Peel Village Golf Course revitalization (completion late 2026)
- Chinguacousy Park upgrades including a new splash pad, track, and skate park
- Turf enhancements at Cassie Campbell
- Increased programming at the Susan Fennell Youth Hub
- Balmoral Recreation Centre opening
- 3 Additional Animal Services Officers to enhance response times
- New Adventure Park at Torbram Sandalwood offering parkour and paddle ball
- New gymnastic equipment at Ken Giles Recreation Centre
- Construction of Cassie Campbell Field Hockey
- Keeping our community connected through a mobility network of transit and active transportation that connects our parks and recreation, sustainably and efficiently Investments to support vibrant arts and culture, and capacity building for community organizations
In addition to the highlights above, I look forward to opening the 2025 season with new pickleball courts in Neville-Lake Park and a youth cricket field in Allan Kerbel Park. I’m also excited about the significant progress with the renovations and expansion of Chris Gibson Recreation Centre in Ward 5, to include a new day care facility, currently under construction and set to open in Spring 2026. During the budget process, I was happy to support an expanded outdoor amenity at Sandalwood and Creditview Park to keep residents active during the winter season. Finally, as an advocate of the community hub model for many years, integrating a library in the construction of a new Howden Recreation Centre—which also includes a day care centre—would be an efficient use of space connected through an existing active transportation network, providing a safe and affordable alternative for our youth to access within a community safety zone.
We have so much happening in Community Services to keep residents healthy, active, safe, and connected!”
– Rowena Santos, Regional Councillor Wards 1 & 5, Chair, Community Services
Renderings of the Highlighted Projects
