🆕 UPDATE -- The (New) Dirt on Mountain Drive Park

UPDATE (June 21, 2026)

An update from Councillor Jackson on Mountain Drive Park:

"I have heard from many longtime East Mountaineers in recent weeks and months who have shared with me the same history of their experiences: that they played at Mountain Drive Park and never remember any dumping occurring there or heard of any contaminants. Fair enough and I accept that as Gospel. However, a few things should be noted:

(1) Environmental awareness and standards were minimal back in the 1960s and 1970s. My research teaches me that when primary industry on Burlington Street was king in our City back then, hardly anyone lived on The Mountain south of Fennell Avenue. Anecdotal accounts suggest, in the middle of the night, trucks from industry dumped products like metals, zinc, petroleum, cadmium, and slag at Mountain Drive Park. That is what our hired consultants discovererd two-and-a-half years ago. All contaminants were documented. Ultimately, there were no real Ministry of Environment regulations back then compared to today's much stricter environmental standards. In fact, the Ministry of the Environment requires that once a municipality discovers any contaminants (such as the ones referenced above) in open public spaces such as city parks, the municipality is legally obligated to shut down the area and prevent the public from accessing the contaminated area. Moreover, the municipality must provide a Remediation Plan of Removal before embarking upon any resumption of public use. (You may have heard that several lower City parks and community gardens have been closed indefinitely for the same reason.

(2) The original Mountain Drive Park Redevelopment Project Budget approved in 2021 was for $2 million (which included the construction of a new washroom building, a new playground, a new splash pad, a new sun shelter, a new exercise area, new lighting, and new pathways. Ultimately, the Remediation Plan required $3 million in additional funding, which I was fortunate to get approved this past January as part of the 2026 Budget deliberation process.

(3) There were further contaminants that resulted from the individuals living within homeless encampments at Mountain Drive Park. Unfortunately, for nearly two years, this Council allowed for homeless encampment in City parks -- something that I consistently voted against. The large amount of contamination left behind by the tent people near East 43rd Street included urine, feces, narcotics, and used needles.

(4) City staff have now revised the timeline for removing the contaminated soil, infilling with clean soil, and resodding. They are requiring extra time with the tree consultants to ensure as many existing mature trees as possible can be saved. As such, the updated timeline to complete the removal of contaminants, resume the Redevelopment Project, and re-open Mountain Drive Park is now spring/summer of 2027.

Indeed, I too am frustrated with the 2-year delay . Nevertheless, when Mountain Drive Park is re-opened, it will return to being the popular 10-acre park destination, with even better and newer enhancements and assets to make it an even greater jewel of of a park in the City's open space inventory!

The 40-member Volunteer Mountain Drive Park Redevelopment Task Force and I are committed to that objective and outcome! Thank you for your immense continued patience."

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UPDATE (September 2, 2025)

"As my Ward 6 office continues working with City staff whilst updating the Mountain Drive Park Task Force and the East Mountain Community overall, my goal is to have the remediation works and Phase 2 of the Mountain Drive Park redevelopment project all completed (weather permitting) by no later than end of 2026. Your enormous patience has been and is appreciated. The ultimate goal of this legacy endeavor is to keep Mountain Drive Park a City jewel of a community park for generations to come for East Mountain residents and visitors."

-Councillor Tom Jackson

Project progress summary:
• In 2024, during a routine geotechnical investigation for the
Master Plan implementation, some of the park’s soils were
found to be in exceedance of the Ministry of Environment,
Conservation and Parks standards for parkland soil quality.
• Out of an abundance of caution, the park was closed to the
public and will remain closed until construction is complete.
• In 2024 and 2025 specialists worked to delineate the park
areas with soils in exceedance of the Ministry of Environment,
Conservation and Parks (MECP) soil quality standards.
• The detailed design drawings are currently being revised to
address soil remediation requirements.
• Construction is anticipated to begin in spring 2026, with the
entire park to be constructed in one phase.

Note to residents:
Staff recognize this is an inconvenience and encourage
residents to visit other nearby parks with playgrounds such as
Peace Memorial Park, Eastmount Park, and Highview Park.

For more information and project updates, visit: https://www.hamilton.ca/things-do/parks-green-space/creating-improving-parks/park-projects/mountain-drive-park

For more information contact:
Victoria Cox, Project Manager
Landscape Architectural Services, Public Works
(905) 546-2424 x2292
[email protected]

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Mountain Drive Park is as an active Neighbourhood Park in the City of Hamilton’s recent recreational study. Amenities have reached their end of life with upgrades required to safely serve the evolving community. In 2022, a master plan informed by public engagement gave direction for revitalization including new playground equipment, a spray pad, sun shelter, and walkways. Construction was to start in 2024 but was delayed when soil testing revealed contamination (slag, petroleum, and metals) exceeding parkland standards set by the Ontario Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks. Out of an abundance of caution, the entire park was closed while remediation takes place to bring it up to parkland standards as part of the Hamilton Parks Master Plan. Although the original $2 million is still in the Park Development budget (which included newly constructed washrooms), an additional amount is required to complete contamination removal. Between City staff and the Ward 6 office (in collaboration with the Ward 7 office), funding will be forthcoming to maintain timelines for the Mountain Drive Park redevelopment plan. I am excited for yet another legacy project for families to enjoy for generations to come. Kudos to the 40 volunteer members who served on the Task Force (chaired by Sara Mostacci-Carnegie) that met virtually many times during the COVID-19 pandemic to provide input and move the project forward. Thousands of letters were sent out as well to encourage civic engagement on the components that everyday families and the community overall wanted to see.