Minoru Lakes park in Richmond reopens after complete redesign (PHOTOS)

New design of Minoru Lakes at Minoru Park in Richmond. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)

After undergoing a year-long reconstruction, the lake area of the northern end of Minoru Park reopened last month with completely new and enhanced design features that improve its use as a public space, while also introducing green design elements.

New landscaping, trees, lighting, wide pathways, and plaza areas have been created, along with the introduction of a wide range of seating areas to better allow visitors to linger comfortably.

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The original north island was removed and replaced with a new island that includes a bridge connection and elevated public viewing platform.

The railings of the two bridges that span over the water boast a heritage Asian design flair as a nod to Richmond’s dominant Chinese demographical makeup.

minoru lakes minoru park richmond new design

New design of Minoru Lakes at Minoru Park in Richmond. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)

But the biggest changes are to Minoru Lake itself.

The previous narrow point that divided the lake into two halves has been significantly widened as a measure to help improve north-south water flow. As well, while the surface area of the lake is now smaller, its depth is much deeper and it holds substantially more water than its previous configuration.

The lake’s surface area is now about 101,000 sq ft — down from the previous area of 75,300 sq ft. However, its water volume is now 318,000 cubic ft — up from the previous capacity of 159,000 cubic ft. The new water volume is equivalent to 3.5 Olympic swimming pools.

The added water volume within the smaller footprint is accomplished by increasing the average depth from about 1.5 ft to 4.6 ft to improve water retention. A reduced surface area offset by significantly more depth will result in less water loss through evaporation, and improved water quality.

The lake now has new liners and embankments, made of boulders, stacked stone, and stone-faced concrete retaining walls.

Other project features include upgraded lake mechanical systems, irrigation, drainage, and the introduction of shoreline plantings into the lake waters to further improve water quality, reduce maintenance, and establish habitats for birds and insects.

New design of Minoru Lakes at Minoru Park in Richmond. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)

There is now a decreased dependency on refilling the lake with potable water, as it now has a new supplemental water source from rainwater and stormwater.

At the northern end of the lake, a new cascading waterfall feature serves to add visual interest to a public plaza, improve water circulation, and introduce oxygen into the captured storm water runoff.

The park’s lake area closed starting in April 2022 to enable major construction activities to begin. This is the first major rehabilitation of the lake since it was built in the 1970s.

The project carried a cost of over $3 million, with the federal government covering more than $2 million and the City of Richmond covering the remainder.

Minoru Park spans an area of 65 acres just east of CF Richmond Centre shopping mall. Major reinvestments were also recently made to the southern end of the park, specifically new and reconfigured playing fields, and the 2020-opened Minoru Centre for Active Living featuring a major aquatic centre.

New design of Minoru Lakes at Minoru Park in Richmond. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)

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