For Pedestrian Safety

There are 53kms of sidewalks throughout the City of Summerside, providing pedestrians with a safe way of navigating our streets.

The life cycle of the average sidewalk is 40 years. In order to keep our sidewalks current, we replace 5.3kms each year. This comes at a cost of $300,000 per year to sustain our current sidewalk system.

There are 147.5kms of roadside in Summerside without sidewalks.

Helping Summerside Stay Green

The City of Summerside strives to maintain the health and longevity of our urban forest, despite threats that have the potential to substantially reduce our tree population.

Some of these threats include:

• Dutch elm disease
• aging tree population
• environmental conditions
• Asian Long Horn Beetle
• Sudden Oak Death
• Emerald Ash borer

Urban Forestry Strategy

In developing an Urban Forestry Strategy, our main objective was to avoid future mass destruction of a tree population.

Our strategy therefore recommends:

• Planting several varieties of hardy tree species to ensure one specific disease or insect can not destroy our entire tree population
• Planting a diverse variety of tree species that are hardy to our climate and zone
• Planting trees in sustainable areas away from sidewalks and asphalt to avoid water stress in future years
• Developing maintenance strategies for trees planted under this program

Street Tree Planting Initiative

A partnership that will require a substantial commitment and partnership between the municipality and the business community, the objective of this initiative is to have 15 caliper sized trees (i.e., trees 40mm and greater in diameter) planted on City and private green space over the next five years.

Program Criteria:

• Tree planting locations will be conducted in grids including Summerside, St. Eleanor's, and Wilmot by determining areas in the most need of trees.
• Tree planting will consist of a spring, summer, and fall schedule. Trees must be planted in spring and fall to correspond with nursery digging and when it is less stressful on the trees, increasing survival rates (e.g., April & October).
• A variety of tree species will be planted in order to diversify our current tree population.

Apply for a Tree here: Tree Planting Program

Ensuring Safety

All City playgrounds are for the enjoyment of youth from the ages of 2 -15, and they're inspected and maintained under current CSA Standards. 

Related City Documents:

Parks Bylaw

Our City parks are open from 6:00 AM to 10:00 PM daily. No persons should be in the parks outside of these times.

City Signage Installation:

The City of Summerside adhere's to the City's "Park bylaw" when it come to sign installation. 

The C.A.O. or his or her designate may cause to be erected a sign or other device specifying an area in a park where specific activities are permitted, prohibited or restricted.

Every person in a park shall observe and obey every prohibition and restriction stipulated by a sign or other device erected under subsection 11(1).

The C.A.O. or his or her designate may cause to be erected any sign as he or she deems appropriate in any park or on any trail including interpretive, special event and commemorative signage.

For signage installation approval please contact tanner.doiron@city.summerside.pe.ca

For the Safety of our Parks & Greenspaces:

 If you notice an act of vandalism has occurred in one of our parks or playgrounds, please email us at contactus@city.summerside.pe.ca

Named for Summerside's own 2-time Olympic Gold Medalist, Heather Moyse, the Heather Moyse Heritage Park Trail System is being developed as one of the major community green spaces in the City. A unique feature of the park is the exclusive use of PEI native, indigenous plantings. The trail allows for walking, cross country skiing, bird watching, photography, sitting in the sun or shade, school picnics, and more.

The park provides educational experiences, like learning to identify native trees and shrubs, understanding the use of native trees and shrub material for gardening and landscaping, and a general appreciation of the native tree cover of Prince Edward Island environment.

The park layout is suited to self-guided tours or guided tours for residents, tourists and school groups.

A variety of trees and shrubs native to Prince Edward Island are found in the park, including:

• Red Oak
• Red Spruce
• Yellow Birch
• White and Red Pine
• Beech & Eastern Hemlock
• Honeysuckle
• Hazelnut
• Serviceberry
• Hawthorn
• Roses

With its open grass lawn areas that are punctuated with groves of heritage trees and shrub gardens, its wetland garden with a boardwalk, and a flower garden by the main entrance, the Heather Moyse Heritage Park is the perfect location to spend time in nature.

Amenities include picnic areas, benches, washrooms, trails, and parking.

The main entrance to the park is located at the intersection of Eustane and Ottawa Streets. You can also access the park along two footpaths on Arcona Street (across from Rogers Ave).

The Rotary Friendship Park is a beautiful network of tree lined gravel and clay trails plotted on a 64 acre parcel of land. The park contains a network of nearly 5 km of trails suitable for walking, running or cycling. The trails take you past farmers' fields, wetlands and old growth tree areas.

This is a great park to reconnect with nature, enjoying the sounds of birds singing and the crunching of leaves under your feet as you hike through the woods. The park does offer those with strollers or wheelchairs the opportunity to explore parts of the park on a compacted gravel trail.

Rotary Friendship Park has undergone a Woodlot Management Plan which began in December of 2021. You can download the plan here. 

Amenities include picnic areas, benches, washrooms, trails, and parking.

The main parking lot is located at 599 MacEwen Rd (between the Prince County Hospital and Walker Ave) in Summerside. There are other pedestrian/cycling entrances off of Colin Avenue and the Confederation Trail just east of Gillespie Dr.

Location: In the square made by Summer, Spring, Winter, and Church Streets
(1 block from City Hall)

For more information on the historic significance of Memorial Square, click here.

Park Amenities:

• Benches
• Picnic Table
• Water Feature (Summer)
• Lilly Pond

Visit Hilson Point Park for your next picnic.

To access, take Water Street East to Glovers Shore Rd. Left on Sharp Dr., left on Corney Ave.

Amenities include picnic areas and benches.

A great park for older kids, and for kids at heart, Schurman Park has playground equipment and a basketball court. There are benches for relaxing on and picnic tables for enjoying a meal in the outdoors.

Location: Summer Street between Green St and Schurman Ave (adjacent to Queen Elizabeth Park).

Amenities include a basketball court, playground structure, picnic areas and benches.

The Baywalk Boardwalk and Cycling Trail is a 6.5 km trail that extends along the City's waterfront and meets up with the provincial Confederation Trail at various points.

Enjoy scenic shoreline views during a picnic, and cycle through a rich Acadian forest and Natural Duck Pond Conservation Area.

On the Mackenzie Drive portion of the trail, you'll find an outdoor gym circuit.

The main parking lot is located by the Baywalk Sign on Water Street (across from Staples). There are also pedestrian/cycling entrances and a parking area located off Mackenzie Drive.

Amenities include parking, picnic areas, benches, and washrooms. The trail is wheelchair accessible.