Cowan Park in Ayr destroyed by EF2 tornado set to fully reopen by May

Hannah Kavanagh · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 16, 2025 6:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 1 infinitesimal ago

An Ayr, Ont. parkland that was devastated by a tornado past twelvemonth is yet acceptable to unfastened again, according to a metropolis assembly study from Monday. 

At a Township of North Dumfries metropolis assembly gathering Monday evening, councillors approved a study connected Cowan Park's reopening, which is acceptable to resume mean operations successful May. 

On Aug. 17, 2024 a tornado touched down successful the Township of North Dumfries, tearing through the colony of Ayr and Cowan Park. The township released video footage to showcase the grade of its impact. 

WATCH | Security camera footage shows a tornado tearing done Cowan Park: 

The tornado was aboriginal classified by the Western University Northern Tornadoes Project successful London, Ont. arsenic an EF2 level tornado. 

According to the report, the township's security covered costs to region debris from Cowan Park but did not widen to the outgo of replacing trees and different parts of the landscape. The study notes that 18 caller trees person been planted truthful far — two nether the township's yearly tree-planting programme and the remainder with the assistance of donations.  

The full projected outgo of each repairs to the parkland is $331,438. Insurance did screen items similar shot nets, fencing, parkland furniture, lighting and different amenities the parkland mislaid successful the storm. 

Turf repairs connected the park's shot fields (ComDev and Founders Field) were done with ungraded and overseeding. The outdoor formation volleyball court had its contaminated soil removed and replaced. All of the chain-link fencing on the parkland has been replaced. Park furnishings and playground instrumentality person been ordered. 

The soil replacement was 1 of the more expensive repairs covered by security astatine a cost of implicit $40,000. Soccer nett and mesh replacement came successful astatine conscionable nether $80,000 and shot tract airy repairs were conscionable implicit $60,000. 

While astir of the parkland is presently unfastened for use, the playground is acceptable to unfastened by the 3rd week of April. Other repairs are either already done oregon volition beryllium underway this spring.

The shot pitches are expected to beryllium usable for the Ayr Minor Soccer Club 2025 play by May 4, successful enactment with the mean play start. The splash pad is estimated to beryllium unfastened for usage on the May agelong weekend.  

A 'meticulous' cleanable up 

CBC News initially reported the tornado arsenic an EF1 connected the Enhanced Fujita (EF) Scale but it was aboriginal upgraded to an EF2 tornado according to the metropolis assembly study and the Western University Northern Tornadoes Project yearly report. 

Shaun Delorey is the main operating serviceman of Woodhouse Group, the institution liable for the archetypal cleanable up effect aft the tornado hit. The company, based successful Kitchener, Ont., specializes successful restoration and reconstruction services. Delorey said they had a squad of astir 30 radical cleaning up debris. 

WATCH | Tornado touches down successful Ayr, Ont., causing harm to businesses: 

He described the harm done to the pavilions, parkland areas, shot fields and surrounding areas and said that everyone progressive had the information of the assemblage connected their mind. 

"It was surely a meticulous process erstwhile we got there," helium said. "Basically our crews went successful and got each quadrate inch of the writer successful the fields picked through. They had to scour each quadrate inch of these fields to marque definite immoderate breached glass, immoderate nails were removed."

He said it was astir 9 days of picking done everything hazardous and securing the country truthful that kids and different residents wouldn't beryllium astatine risk. He said Woodhouse, the township and everyone other progressive had information concerns for the assemblage astatine the forefront of their minds. 

"Everybody truly worked good unneurotic conscionable to guarantee the information of everybody," helium said. 

Delorey said helium wasn't amazed that the parkland was lone conscionable reopening present fixed the timing of the storm, oncoming wintertime months and nonaccomplishment of sunlight. He besides noted that determination were circumstantial engineering and electrical considerations that people instrumentality time. 

"I deliberation the township and everybody that's worked connected this task has done a truly bully occupation to instrumentality a not-so-great concern and enactment with the timelines they had, due to the fact that I deliberation determination are businesses successful the country who inactive haven't recovered."