Welcome to Marita Payne Park
Where Nature, Community, and Innovation Connect
Next Events
Birding Walk, September 7, 2025 in joint with TRCA
Save the dates
More details to follow
Marita Payne Park is a vibrant green space that seamlessly blends natural beauty with modern recreational amenities. With baseball diamonds, soccer fields, a playground, a bocce court, and well-maintained grassy terraces, the park also features a natural forest and a flowing stream, offering the perfect setting for both active recreation and quiet nature escapes.
Our vision is to reimagine and revitalize this space into a hub of nature, community, and innovation—a place where residents can connect with the environment, participate in community activities, and enjoy unique outdoor experiences not currently offered anywhere else in the city
The Marita Payne Park Live Lab initiative is dedicated to transforming the park into a vibrant, interactive space where community members, students, and environmental partners come together to explore, learn, and innovate. By integrating new technologies and hands-on projects, we aim to foster environmental awareness, inspire scientific curiosity, and strengthen community connections within an outdoor science park experience.
Find Us
Marita Payne Park Revamp: A Vision for the Next Generation of Parks
Elementary Schools
Engage young minds by partnering with local elementary schools on hands-on environmental projects. I.e. Students can build bird boxes equipped with webcams to observe nesting habits, fostering a direct connection with local wildlife. Each class can adopt a tree to care for and monitor, sharing updates on the park’s website. These projects offer an opportunity for science classes to be conducted outdoors, inspiring a new generation of environmental stewards..
High School Students
High school students will have the opportunity to use the park as a living laboratory for scientific exploration. Projects like designing eco-friendly solutions—such as an electro-hydraulic wheel or a wind turbine—encourage creativity and problem-solving. Winning designs can be 3D-printed and exhibited at the Vaughan Public Library, showcasing student innovation. Additionally, students can contribute to ongoing park lab projects, earning community service hours and valuable hands-on experience.
Community
We invites everyone to take part in enriching activities. Community-led initiatives include planting edible herb patches, cultivating pollinator gardens, building bird nests, and creating weather observation stations with DIY tools. Regular community events such as scavenger hunts, bird watching tours, pond explorations, and nature art sessions foster a sense of shared adventure and learning.
Art
Turn tree stumps into native art sculptures with community involvement. Provide space for eco-friendly art made from recycled materials. ntroduce “Story Walks” along trails to blend literacy, art, and nature.
Integrating Technology
Collaborate with environmental technology companies to pilot cutting-edge solutions like nanotechnology-based water purification systems or devices for stream debris capture. These initiatives showcase innovative approaches to environmental challenges, inviting community members to explore how technology can support sustainability.
Vaughan Public Library
Vaughan’s local library will play a vital role as an extension of the Live Lab Park, offering space for project discussions, workshops, and collaboration. The library’s 3D printers can bring student ideas to life, creating tangible models that can later be displayed in the park and library for all to appreciate. This partnership transforms the library into a hub for learning, innovation, and community connection around park-based projects.
Local Businesses
Local businesses are invited to become part of the Marita Payne Park Live Lab by supporting these projects through donations of materials, services, or financial contributions. In return, participating businesses will receive public recognition, with their company name displayed on project signage and on the park’s website, demonstrating their commitment to community sustainability.