Health and Active Living Plaza

Our vision for the Health and Active Living Plaza

The Health and Active Living Plaza will be a destination point in our community, offering recreational, health and arts and culture programs and community services through partnerships with local community groups. Our vision for the Health and Active Living Plaza is to provide East Gwillimbury (EG) with expanded and enhanced program and service delivery through one door, under one roof, and at one location.

We're Hiring!

As part of our mission to promote a healthy, and active living community, we are seeking passionate, dedicated, and experienced individuals to join our team! Visit our Career Centre to view current openings and join our talent community to keep an eye on future opportunities.

We are currently accepting resumes as part of our talent network. Creating an account through ADP and uploading your resume means we will notify you when a job posting becomes available that suits your interests and/or qualifications. As a member of our talent network, you can also keep an eye on our careers page for future opportunities. Please note by submitting a resume or joining our talent network, you are not yet applying for a position with the Town.

Learn more or apply

What the Health and Active Living Plaza will feature

The Health and Active Living Plaza facility will feature over 80,000 sq. ft. of space including:

EG's first-ever Aquatics Centre
Additional library branch, including a Maker Space and Sound Studio
Gymnasium with track and potential fitness amenities (weights and cardio)
Program Spaces with a teaching kitchen
Interior Boardwalk space with public art and an interactive nature themed play space

Rendering of interior pool Rendering of interior library Rendering of interior gym

The park space will embrace placemaking and feature recreational areas connected by cycle paths and trails. The park space will also include:

Teaching and reading gardens
Outdoor cooking space
A playground, splash pad, skate park and pump track
Events space (event street and pavilion)
Multi-use sports courts (pickleball, etc.), shuffleboard and sports field space
Outdoor program areas and game tables
Basketball and beach volleyball court

Rendering of playground Rendering of the outdoor Rendering of splash pad

Photo Gallery: HALP March 2022 will appear here on the public site.

Design of the Health and Active Living Plaza

Rendering of entire facility grounds

The project includes industry-leading net zero design initiatives and EG's Thinking Green standards, highlighting several green and environmentally friendly features including:

Smart building AI
Electric Vehicle charging stations
Rain-water harvesting and phosphorus removal
Building design maximizes daylight and uses control sensors
Utilize high efficiency appliances, LED lighting and energy recovery systems

Find more information on the design process with MJMA and their past projects.

View site plans, maps and layouts

Rendering of the floor plan Rendering of floor plan level 2

Construction Updates

April 1, 2025

We're excited to share that significant progress has been made on the facility project over the last few months. Here are some key updates:

HALP Events Street is now fully complete, marking a major milestone
The facility is completely enclosed and being heated to ensure optimal working conditions for ongoing construction
Stormwater management bioswales have been seeded and sodded to support proper drainage
Steel fabrication is finished, including the installation of the Green Roof Canopy
Drywall installation is complete on the second floor, including spaces like the running/walking track and Recreation offices
Sprinkler and electrical systems have been installed above the pool area to ensure safety and functionality
Steel studs and strapping are in place above the V-trusses in both the gymnasium and aquatic center
Exterior glazing is complete and we're seeing the building come together
Steel cladding and louvers have been added to the exterior of the building providing both function and design
Masonry veneer installation is now finished, adding final touches to the buildings' exterior
The elevator installation has begun, with the contractor now on-site
Interior signage designs are finalized and we're moving ahead with schematic and detailed drawings
The furniture package has been finalized and put out for tender. The process of procuring furniture, fixtures and equipment has officially begun.

Aerial View of Building Recreation Office Drywall Completion Second Floor Running Walking Track

Pool Mechanical Room Concrete Stage Completion North Maintenance Entrance

October 16, 2024

Construction progress has been excellent over the last few months. Significant progress has been made on the facility in many areas as mentioned below.

Exterior Works Include:

West elevation
Exterior studs
Roofing
Skylight install
Parking Lot

Interior Works Include:

Pool pumps
Steel studs
On deck showers
Prep pool deck
Interior boardwalk

Exterior:

HALP Parking Lot HALP Skylight Installation HALP West Elevation

Interior:

HALP Pool Pumps HALP Prep Pool Deck HALP Interior Boardwalk

July 2, 2024

Excellent progress at the HALP site over the past quarter. Steel fabrication and erecting has been ongoing and the south half of the building is 100% complete including the library, multi-purpose rooms and interior corridor. Concrete floors have been poured in the gymnasium, library, interior playground , interior corridor and multi-purpose rooms. Movement has shifted to interior work such as mechanical ductwork and piping, electrical rough-ins, sprinkler rough-ins and structural steel stud installation throughout the building. The building is almost closed in with a roof on all parts of the building except the natatorium which is expected to be closed in within the next two weeks.

Photo 1 - View of HALP Building HALP Photo 2 Construction Side View of Building HALP Photo 3 - Construction Top View of Building

March 21, 2024

Over the past 5 months construction progress has been excellent. Rough grading and site servicing work, including sanitary structures, has been completed. The storm water management bioswales are connected to site servicing and are functioning. Steel fabrication and installation has been ongoing and steel is 100% complete in the north half of the building. All below grade construction for the building including foundations for the pool basins, footings, piers, and walls has been completed. Second floor concrete over the gymnasium and pool change rooms has been formed and poured. Insulation and damp proofing of foundation walls is complete.

HALP Construction Photo

November 1, 2023

Over the past 12 months the Health and Active Living Plaza is fully out of the ground and concrete foundation walls, site servicing and site grading is complete. All internal plumbing and electrical rough-ins are complete and ready for concrete flooring to be poured in the spring of 2024. Structural steel assembly has been ongoing since August and will continue over the winter months. The plumbing rough-ins, rebar and concrete work within the Aquatics Centre is nearing completion with a focus to have steel assembled and the north half of the building closed in over the winter.

November 29, 2022

On November 29, 2022, excavation and construction on the foundation was well under way. Pouring concrete for the foundation footings and walls for the south perimeter of the facility, which houses the library, program rooms and children's play space, began. The plan is to continue this over the winter and early spring for the north portion of the facility which houses the gym and Aquatics Centre.

Photo from construction on November 29, 2022

October 4, 2022

On October 4, 2022, EG officially broke ground on the Health and Active Living Plaza. Town Council, staff and partners gathered at the facility site on Jim Mortson Drive off of Leslie Street, to mark the official start of construction. For more information on the event, please visit the news post.

Health and Active Living Plaza timeline

The Health and Active Living Plaza is planning to open once the population of the Town reaches 40,000 residents. The project is funded by development funding with no cost to the taxpayer for the design and construction of the facility.

What would you like to see in the Health and Active Living Plaza?

Please fill out and submit the Health and Active Living Plaza Program Survey to let us know what programs you would like to see run out of the new recreation facility! If you have any questions please send us an email.

Take the Survey

Resources

Review reports and presentations on the Health and Active Living Plaza process.

Questions?

Email Customer Service or call 905-478-3826.

Commonly Asked Questions

When is the official opening date?

The facility is scheduled to open end of 2025. Stay tuned to our Facebook and X social media channels to get the most recent updates on the Health and Active Living Plaza.

What is the official address?

The facility is located on the west side of Leslie Street along Jim Mortson Drive in the community of Queensville. More details to come soon.