Villeneuve Park

Note: In April 2017 this park was renamed “parc Palomino-Brind’Amour”, in case you see a different sign and name and wonder what I’m talking about!

Oh, oh OH! We’ve been waiting for this park to open up, and after seeing that it just had its official inauguration a few days ago, we went on a family road trip to Le Plateau where we (miracle of miracles) found a parking spot right away, just a block from the park. 
Walking up the street I said to my husband “I’m so excited I have butterflies in my stomach!”
To which he gave me a look that was a mix of worry and what is wrong with you? What? I like parks!
And this isn’t just a park with some new play structures that we’ve seen countless times before; Parc Villeneuve playground from Imagineo is the first playground in Montreal to use products from Kompan’s Robinia product line, and the first in Quebec with custom Robinia pieces. 

Both my boys LOVED all the different ways they could climb, balance, and crawl. Even my husband got in on the action, climbing to the top of the angled beams. The 5-12 area is challenging enough for older kids, with enough easy spots that my toddler could also find ways to play, like on the lily-pad looking steps, and the rope nets. The simple-looking log balance beam became a “canoe” as they tried to “STAY UPRIGHT!” in the surging water (wood chips) below.
Then it was off to the amazing stylized wood and rope boat, where young children can climb the platforms to a small slide, and others can clamour across the “deck”, cross the awesome super fat rope, or climb the boat rigging. My two alternated between playing pirates, being baby birds in a nest, and trying out the wood spring riders (which honestly, they both said “hurts my bum!”)

The park has been completely redone, so besides the great playground, there are also all new benches and tables, landscaping, a ping pong table (bring your own paddles!), and a Trekfit outdoor fitness park. It is mostly fenced, but with large openings to the sidewalk and street. There is fantastic shade, which made for tricky picture taking!

After having visited more than 500 parks in the last two years (whew!), it was so exciting to see something new. As much as we enjoy the usual swings, slides, and seesaws; the simple and natural wood at this park brought out their imaginations like I haven’t seen all summer. 

My husband and I were wondering about the wood and how long it will last, so after we got home I did a little online searching. From Kompan: Robinia wood “is a type of hardwood timber with unique properties of strength and durability. Robinia wood does not rot or give the user splinters – and is also vandal resistant.”
And from my inevitable Wikipedia search about Robinia wood, because I was still curious: Robinia (black locust) is extremely hard, being one of the hardest woods in Northern America. It is very resistant to rot, and durable.

If you want to make your park trip into a whole outing, wandering down Mont-Royal or nearby St. Denis is always fun, and I’d suggest going for an all day breakfast at La Binerie Mont-Royal. Mmmmmm, breakfast……