Mulock Park’s water features: a sneak peek

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Gearing up for Mulock Park’s opening (fourth post in a series)

In summer, the ‘wet plaza’ at Cedar Circle is a play area for kids and a spot where adults can enjoy a refreshing stroll. In winter, it converts to an ice rink that links to a woodland skate trail.

Water, in the form of ice, sculpted much of Ontario. Newmarket is situated on the northern edge of one of the province’s most significant landforms: the 160-km-long Oak Ridges Moraine, which stretches east from the Niagara Escarpment to the Peterborough region. The way that soil and boulders were deposited by advancing and retreating glaciers, shaping the local landscape, was a key inspiration for the water features designed by PLANT for the Town of Newmarket’s Mulock Park. All these features incorporate large boulders, and together they tell a site-wide story about the importance of preserving clean water supply. We’re sharing images taken in July, when water-feature testing was conducted in advance of planting completion.

The ‘wet plaza’ at Cedar Circle is tucked into a slope just north of the historic Mulock House. In summer, when jets of water spray within the plaza’s ring of boulders, it’s a play area for kids and a spot where adults can enjoy a cooling stroll. In winter, the plaza converts to an ice rink that provides access to a woodland skate trail.

The main entrance to Mulock Park is at the corner of Yonge Street and Mulock Drive. PLANT’s design transforms this naturally marshy portion of the site into an enhanced, water-cleansing wetland, accessed via a pedestrian bridge. Linked to and just east of this bridge is the Riverine feature: a block-long fountain with braided streams and shallow pools threading through naturalized planting. With shallow water splashing around its smooth stones, the Riverine invites visitors to take their shoes off and cool their feet on a hot day. Meanwhile, the sound of flowing water helps to create an idyllic ambience in the part of the park closest to a main street.

The Riverine – shown here early in the planting process – is Mulock Park’s block-long fountain. Its boulders and meandering curves allude to the actions of advancing and retreating glaciers, which created the Oak Ridges Moraine.

A third water feature is a deeply carved boulder fountain at the centre of Mulock Park’s historic garden. This area is a partial reconstruction of the renowned formal garden that existed when the site was a private estate owned by the Mulock Family, and includes heirloom peonies transplanted from that garden.

Throughout this 6.47-hectare public park, rain gardens and infiltration manage all stormwater and protect downstream water in the moraine.

Flowing water splashes around small, smooth stones in the Riverine, inviting park visitors on hot summer days to take their shoes off and cool their feet.

Media: Are you interested in covering this story? Please reach out to Town of Newmarket at corporatecommunications@newmarket.ca for more information.