du Père-Marquette Park

This is a two-parter:
First, about the gorgeous splash pad which we visited in 2018, and second part is about the new-in-fall-2019 playground.

The splash pad:
I was too eager. 
“There’s a huge new splash pad. Let’s go, go GO!”

But it had just been finished and the water wasn’t yet on. And then at the next park we went to right after, we met the painters who were going to be doing the decorative paint at Père-Marquette. So I’m kicking myself for going so early, BUT it was SO BEAUTIFUL. I mean, really, like an oasis.

It’s big, it’s gorgeous, and it has some great new products from Waterplay Solutions. The Grasslands collection include the beautiful Aneth Blooms which cast shadows on the ground, the gently tipping Dew Drop and the delicate Flutter butterfly, tall grass blades and the giant Ladybug Soaker with its 30 gallons of dumping water. 
Toddlers will love having their own quiet section with smooth rocks, quiet ground sprays, and adorable critters for spraying their siblings. 
The splash pad is surrounded by benches and lounge chairs, and has shaded picnic tables almost right in the action. So you can sit comfortably while the littles prance around in the water. 

The new chalet with bathrooms is right beside the water area, and close to the playground. There are no opening hours marked, which proved a letdown in early fall so my 6-year old peed on a tree instead. Sorry.

The playground:
Reopened in late 2019, the playground showcases the borough’s new way of doing things for the development of its parks, with play products now focused on wood and metal. These materials replace the traditional plastic of the old equipment and are designed to make the space more environmentally friendly.
In the large fully-fenced and gated space you’ll find a wood and cable parkour/obstacle course that’s a load of fun, a large rope climber, a bird’s nest swing, traditional swings, and logs to cross (or dig under.)
In the middle is a mountain (or is it a volcano?!) to climb and slide down, and the toddler area has a fun water pump, sand shovels, boulders to climb, baby swings, and my 6-year old’s favourite: the Kompan Oasis Creator which has an awesome chain to crank, buckets to send sand down a chute, and lots of little bits to explore. He really, really, really loved it.
All the space, logs and boulders, and the big bin of shovels and buckets makes for some great and imaginative free play!
More details on the changes HERE.

This visit was the FOURTH time we’d been here, and the only chance I had to take pics in the playground as the other times it was PACKED. Signs of a great park!

Things to note;
This is a GIANT park, and we didn’t explore it all. In this section by Rue des Carrières is the splash pad, the playground, a giant greenspace, and a dog park. And if you travel across Boulevard Rosemont there’s the brand new skate park, football, soccer, and baseball fields, basketball; and travel even further and there’s another playground and a community garden.

Things to note:
-The water is on from 9am-9pm.
-The splash pad is not fenced, but is ringed by low concrete benches along some of the sides. 
-There is some shade from nearby trees, and also from the cheery red shade umbrellas. 
-The playground is fully fenced and gated.
-There are nice new bathrooms, but I don’t know when they’re open. 
-Parking is fairly awful, though I found one spot nearby on Rue Garnier. Read the signs carefully.