The Town of Halton Hills is pleased to lead the design and public consultation process for a new park located at 11134 22 Side Road in Limehouse, Ontario. The 2.3-acre property is situated just south of Limehouse Public School, across the road, and north of the Limehouse Conservation Area and the Metrolinx railway tracks.

This webpage provides background information about the site, project timelines, design development, and opportunities for community input.

Tolton Park has been many years in the making, and we are now at an exciting stage where staff are inviting residents to help shape the design of your future park!

SITE HISTORY

The Limehouse area has a rich history of lime and quarry activity, owing to its location on the Niagara Escarpment, which provided early settlers with a valuable source of raw material, and on the main Canadian National Railway line, approximately 56km west of Toronto. In the 1840's quarry and lime kiln operations were established on the site. The lime kiln operations remained active until around 1900 and the quarry operations until 1915. Following the closure of the quarry, the site was backfilled with imported soil and remained unused until the 1960's.

An automotive salvage yard operated on the property from the late 1960's until 2008, when the Town of Halton Hills purchased the property. Following the acquisition, a significant cleanup effort was undertaken, with the removal of salvage yard materials completed in 2009 & 2010.

The automotive salvage business was owned and operated by Fred & Margaret Tolton and as part of the land purchase and donation, Town council named the property Tolton Park.

REMEDIATION REQUIREMENTS

Due to the previous salvage yard, quarry, and lime kiln use of the property, significant soil contamination exists.

The Town of Halton Hills has undertaken the necessary environmental studies and fulfilled the Ministry of Environment Conservation and Parks (MECP) requirements to identify contaminants and determine how to safely prepare the site for future public park use.

These studies include: Remediation Options Study 2011, Archaeological Assessment 2012, ESA Phase 1 completed 2020, ESA Phase 2 completed 2021, Risk Assessment 2022-2024, Certificate of Property Use 2024, Record of Site Condition 2024.

Based on the results of these studies and MECP approvals, a variety of remediation strategies will be implemented to protect the public from exposure to contaminants of concern. These strategies include capping contaminated areas with soil and fencing off areas to restrict public access. The thickness of the soil cap will vary to protect existing trees and vegetation on site. The ravine area on east edge of the property will be fenced to restrict public access and preserve existing vegetation. These Ministry-approved approaches inform how certain areas will need to be treated in the development of the park and also allow flexibility for the development of a wide variety of park features and amenities.

The site cannot be opened for public until remediation is complete. Photos of current site conditions are available in the document library, offering a glimpse of existing features and the potential for park development.

PUBLIC CONSULTATION & PARK DESIGN

The design of the park will take place through a two-part public consultation process:

PART 1: Concept Design Review (Summer 2025)

Town staff have developed two distinct concept designs for the park. The concepts are intended to spark discussion, showcase potential ideas, and gather public feedback to help shape a preferred design for the park.

Please complete the survey below to explore the concepts in more detail and share your feedback.

High-resolution visuals of the concepts, precedent images, and existing site conditions are available in the document library on the right side of this webpage.

Public Open House for the Park Design: September 18, 2025 - 6:30-8pm - Limehouse Memorial Hall

PART 2: Preferred Design Review (Fall 2025)

Using the feedback received during Part 1, staff will develop a preferred park design. This design will then be shared with the public for additional comments, refinements, and final input before moving forward to the construction phase.