Parc des Anciens-Combattants

I believe (correct me if I’m wrong, but as I tell my husband: I AM NEVER WRONG!) that the renovation of this park came about as a legacy project for the 375th anniversary of the City of Montreal, when $15 million was allocated to the boroughs for local level projects. 

Many years late, and over budget (read here about the delays), there is now a beautiful park for people of all ages.

I wasn’t even sure the park was open when we headed here in mid-July ,as there’d been no announcements, but we took a chance and drove up the freshly paved street and into the new parking lot. 

And TA-DA! A new playground, a stunning building that houses bathrooms and who-knows-what-else (it was closed for COVID), outdoor TrekFit equipment, a beach volleyball court, new park furnishings, shuffleboard and bocce courts, and beautifully redone waterfront. 

My two adored the playground with its Weevos play structure from Landscape Structures that is just ideal for toddlers (and that we’d love to see in more playgrounds.) The nearby Omni Spin which can fit a whole whack of kids, and a ground-level Kompan Sand & Water Work Station is fantastic but would have more play value if there were actual…sand around it. 

Just across the middle path is a climbing/swinging/sliding/spinning delight for older children, and that has some really unique features which will probably be new and challenging for them. 

My only issue with the playground (besides the lack of shade) is this: I asked my 12-year old to look around and see what was missing. His answer: “There’s no cutout in the concrete border, or ramp to get into the wood chips.”
Exactly!

The whole of the park has been redone, and includes a new boat ramp, apparently for non-motorized boats (there are currently no signs), the addition of exercise equipment for all ages, and stunning landscaped shoreline. That shoreline also is home to about 40 Canada geese and therefore almost everywhere you step there’s goose poop: 
Under the trees, around the playground (but not IN the wood chips), all around the beautiful mature trees and the new picnic tables. So, watch your step!

NEW FOR SUMMER 2021: Starting June 26th, single and double kayaks will be available for rent through GUEPE. Find all the reservation details and rates HERE. You can also launch your own non-motorized watercraft. 

Things to note:
-The playgrounds are on wood chips. There is no shade over the play area.
-When we visited in July 2020, the new multi-use building was closed for COVID, but a porta potty was installed outside. 
-There are two drinking fountains near the playground, but they were also turned off (for COVID.)
-There is tons of shade under the gorgeous trees, as well as picnic tables, but beware of the geese and poop!
-Unfortunately, when we visited there was an awful smell coming from a sewer near the playground. Hopefully it will be fixed somehow. 
-There is no splash pad here, though I had thought one was being built. (It was instead installed at Parksinson Park).
-There are two parking lots. 

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