‘Partial destruction' of River Mill Park quickly reversed, says Huntsville resident

Hamilton Spectator

10-05-2025

A downtown Huntsville park was '50 per cent destroyed' this spring, according to resident Doug Beiers — but within days, the town had it nearly restored.
Beiers, whose apartment overlooks the park, criticized what he called the 'partial destruction' of River Mill Park following the removal of the
refrigerated downtown ice rink
.
'My jaw kept dropping as this complex project rolled out,' Beiers wrote in a post to a private community Facebook group on April 29.
He gave The Forester permission to quote his comments, describing how bulldozers stripped away grass and topsoil to make room for refrigeration equipment, beams and plywood. After the rink was dismantled, he said, the ground was left rocky and uneven.
'A popular Huntsville park … has been 50 per cent destroyed and is currently unusable,' he wrote in late April.
Huntsville Coun. Scott Morrison responded directly to Beiers' Facebook post, offering what he described as 'a few points of clarification.' He confirmed with The Forester that his comment could be quoted.
'Most of the damage was not done by the installation of the rink,' Morrison wrote. He explained the
Huntsville Municipal Accommodation Tax Association
had attempted to install lighting on posts, but due to engineering errors, the installation couldn't proceed – and it was this process that caused most of the damage.
Morrison also said taxpayers wouldn't be covering the cost of repairs and that he was confident the park would be restored in time for summer.
In early May, Beiers confirmed restoration was well underway. He reported seeing a small crew clean the site, remove gravel around the steel posts, lay topsoil, and seed the area.
'I didn't think it'd recover as well as it did. They did a really great job. My credit to the town – whoever hired those guys, they're real pros,' he said. 'I didn't think the park would be in operation for months — it was that bad … But now that whole area looks really good.'
Moving forward, he said he doesn't believe the land at River Mill Park can withstand another year of refrigeration equipment or the disruption caused by repeated excavation.
'I don't think it's a solid enough base to build on,' he said. 'Seems like it does too much damage to an area that is so important to tourists and locals.'
In addition to the recent ground repairs, the town has also reopened the River Mill Park washrooms,
which had been closed since December due to vandalism
.
A representative from the Town of Huntsville responded to our questions about River Mill Park. Their responses, paraphrased for clarity, are outlined below.
What is the condition and status of the River Mill Park bathroom?
What is the state of the grounds following the winter rink installation?
Are there any plans for additional park maintenance or upgrades this spring/summer?
Is the town considering any changes to how winter installations are handled at River Mill Park to avoid similar issues next year?
Megan Hederson is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter covering Huntsville and Lake of Bays for
MuskokaRegion.com
. The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada.