Richard’s Memorial Park
Richard’s Memorial Park is a waterfront park located in Mississauga, Ontario. It’s a picturesque spot on the northern shore of Lake Ontario, and comes complete with its own beach.
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Visitors can enjoy having a picnic or BBQ, birdwatching, or relaxing on a sandy beach that is perfect for swimming or sunbathing.
If you are an outdoor enthusiast in the Greater Toronto Area, with its beautiful natural setting, Richard’s Memorial Park is a great spot to unwind.
There are three lakefront parks with beaches in Mississauga: Jack Darling Park, Lakefront Promenade Park, and Richard’s Memorial Park.
Richard’s Memorial is the smallest of the three.
It is also sandwiched between Jack Darling Park and Brueckner Rhododendron Gardens.
There is a huge contrast between this park and Jack Darling Memorial Park.
While Jack Darling is big and jammed with people most summer weekends, Richard’s Memorial is much smaller and quieter.
It’s a much more tranquil place than Jack Darling. What makes this park special is its tucked away “hidden gem” characteristics. Because of its smaller size, the park feels more intimate than other parks in the area.
Its location, however, is equal to any of the other parks. There are spectacular views of Lake Ontario and distant points on the horizon. It’s a great spot for photos.
There is nonetheless a children’s playground, and good selection of picnic and BBQ spots. There are, however, no provisions for team sports such as soccer at this park.
The park has several notable features:
- children’s playground
- sandy beach
- rock garden
- peace stone sculpture monument
- benches and lookout points
- lots of open green spaces
- picnic and BBQ areas
Despite being midway between the busy commercial areas of Port Credit and Clarkson Village, Richard’s Memorial Park provides a good escape from the pressures of city life.
Who was Richard?
Richard Wolniewicz was a 14 year old Toronto boy who died in an accident in 1971, and whose heart was donated to then Mississauga Town mayor Robert Speck.
Where is Richard’s Memorial Park?
As shown in the map above, Richard’s Memorial Park is located at the southern edge of Lorne Park, Mississauga. It’s about a half hour drive from downtown Toronto.
Municipal address for Richard’s Memorial Park is 804 Lakeshore Road W., Mississauga, Ontario, Canada L5H 1E5.
The entrance to the park is on the south side of Lakeshore Road W.
The nearest main intersection is Lakeshore Road W. and Lorne Park Road.
The park is easily reachable by car, and by public transit. There are plenty of buses that run along Lakeshore Road W., with routes extending from both the Clarkson and Port Credit GO stations.
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Inside the Park
The park is one of about 500 parks administered by the City of Mississauga. It is open year round, although the best times to visit are definitely in the spring, summer, and fall.
As with all parks in Mississauga, there is no fee for admission.
Rock Garden
Upon entering the park, you will see an attractive, terraced rock garden, that is renowned by local gardeners and horticulturalists.
Walking Paths
There are several winding walking paths that run through the park. Although Richard’s Memorial Park does not intersect with the province-wide Waterfront Trail, you can still enjoy a pleasant walk here.
Playgrounds, Picnic and BBQ Areas
In addition to the walking paths and gardens, Richard’s Memorial Park has a pretty nice children’s playground, and some great open spaces that are perfect for throwing a frisbee, or having a picnic or BBQ. This is a family-oriented park.
Beach
Richard’s Memorial beach is small and sandy, but you will find people here sunbathing and enjoying the water of Lake Ontario (it’s pretty cold, even on a hot summer day).
Lake Ontario
Richard’s Memorial Park has a great location right on Lake Ontario. The beach and shoreline have several places where you can launch your kayak, canoe, windsurfing board, or paddle board. Once you are out on the water you are pretty much guaranteed to feel a sense of serenity as you glide across the water.
Peace Stone Sculpture
One of the most interesting features of Richard’s Memorial Park is the Peace Stone Sculpture.
The large peace stone sculpture was unveiled in 2009. It is located near the shore of Lake Ontario on a grassy knoll. The Peace Stone is an oval of sculpted marble, that is about five feet high. There is an inscription on it that reads ‘Planet Earth is our Home, Humanity is our Family.’
There is a circle cut out in the middle of the sculpture that features the logo of the Registry of World Citizens. The Registry of World Citizens was created in 1949 and has its head office in Paris, France.
The logo consists of a person with arms outstretched to symbolize people working together across boundaries for peace and an end to prejudice and violence.
Creation of the Peace Stone monument was spearheaded by Dorothea Sheasby (1931-2023), a longtime Mississauga peace activist.
Plan Your Visit
The park is open daily from 7:00am to 11:00pm (or until dusk in winter).
Free Parking
There is a fairly large free parking lot as you enter the park. Although it can get busy, it is nowhere near as busy as next door Jack Darling Park..
For the most part, online reviews of Richard’s Memorial Park are very positive, with average ranking at 4.5 out of 5 from thousands of reviews given.
There are public washrooms at the park.
Richard’s Memorial Park is pet-friendly! Dogs on a leash are permitted throughout the park.
Entrance fee: entrance to the park is free.
Why We Need Parks
We often take parks such as this one for granted in large cities like Mississauga, but they play an important role in our lives.
Recreational areas such as parks provide a much-needed escape from the stress of urban life.
Parks in urban areas present opportunities for both physical activity and relaxation, and they promote community engagement and social interaction.
Public spaces such as Richard’s Memorial Park provide visitors with an important connection to nature, as well as a decent array of recreational features.
Conclusion
Richard’s Memorial Park is one of the nicest lakeshore Mississauga parks. It features a small beach, and is one of the top spots for picnics and BBQ. This park really is a hidden gem, tucked away from the larger and more crowded other parks in the area.
Although it can be characterized as a family-oriented park, you will find a nice range of facilities here for people of all ages, including lookout points and the scenic vistas from the beach.
Parks such as this one are important, as they not only help Mississaugans to maintain good health but also provide a much-needed escape from our busy 21st century urban environment.
These types of parks can help anyone in reducing stress levels and improving mental health.
Richard’s Memorial Memorial Park, with its excellent Lorne Park lakeshore location, its amazing views, and good array of attractions including walking paths, picnic and playground facilities, is one of the lesser known but excellent waterfront parks in Mississauga.
It’s a great find, and is a beloved destination for locals in the know.
We would definitely include it in our list of best Mississauga parks.
You should check it out.
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