In April 2024, Hamilton City Council approved a new Heat Response Strategy. The expansion of air conditioner subsidies captured most of the attention in that report.
Within the report, Council directed staff to explore the installation of shade structures and misting stations in parks, focusing on “priority locations” in the Lower City.
A year later, City staff have returned to Council with the cost of park “heat strategy amenities.”
Staff state that a 7.3 metre by 7.3 metre shade structure (a canopy) is $90,000 per unit installed, a new spray pad costs $900,000 “on average,” adding a water drink fountain costs $65,000, and a misting station “can range in costs from $10,000 to $50,000, depending on servicing, complexity, and scale.”
There are no plans to install these structures in 2025. Staff will need Council direction to include any in the 2026 capital budget.
Hamilton’s first (and thus far only) misting station is along the Pier 8 promenade.
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v. 1.0.0
Published: May 18, 2025
Last updated: May 18, 2025
Author: Joey Coleman
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v. 1.0.0 original version