Playground equipment surrounded by grass with a blue sky background.

On July 17, 2025, the City received a formal application from a resident of Pontypool to rename Pinewood Park to Richardson Park, along with the required fee. The application met the policy requirement of being endorsed by three adjacent property owners. After review on August 6, 2025, City staff deemed the application complete, allowing it to proceed to Council for consideration under the City’s park renaming policy.

Please Note: Councillor T. Richardson did declare a conflict of interest on this matter at Committee of the Whole and the Council Meeting, and was not present during the debate or voting on this matter.

Public consultation on park renaming

When Council approves a proposal to rename a street, park or facility, a fair and transparent consultation process will take place to:

  • Assess whether there is enough community interest to move forward with the renaming; and
  • Gather feedback to identify the community’s preferred new name for the street or facility.

The survey at the bottom of this page will be used to find out how the community feels about renaming the park, and if there is approval for the suggested name, Richardson Park.

The City Clerk’s Office will summarize the community’s feedback and present the results at the December 2025 Regular Council Meeting.

Renaming Policy

City Council has adopted Council Policy CP2022-001, being the Street, Municipal Facility, and Park Naming Policy for the City of Kawartha Lakes. This policy outlines options for members of the public to bring forward applications to rename either a municipal street or park/facility. The application for renaming can be for any reason, but must be accompanied by an application fee to start a formal renaming process.

History of Pinewood Park

Pinewood Park in Pontypool is a small community park accessed via Propp, Hooper, and Corbett Drives, surrounded mainly by private homes. It’s a passive recreation area featuring a playground, walking paths, and a dog park, mainly used by local residents for informal activities.

The park was created in the 1980s as part of the “Pinewood” or “Pontypool” Subdivision. A 1986 Manvers Township Council resolution requested provincial funding to develop new recreation facilities, establishing the park as municipally owned. However, no formal record exists confirming the name “Pinewood Park.” It’s believed the name originated informally from the project’s working title and reflects the area’s abundance of pine trees.

The Recommended Name: Richardson Park

The following justification for the proposed name “Richardson” was submitted by the applicant.

The Richardson Family have contributed much to the village of Pontypool. Joseph Richardson, his wife Mary, and their six children settled in Cavan Township and around 1875, they came to Manvers and lived on farm on the Sixth Line (currently Ballyduff Road).

In 1908, Bert Richardson, with his brothers Harry, Jim and Percy, started a bakery and ice cream business. The bakery was a very small affair at first, and then flourished. Called Richardson Bros. Bread & Pastries, their well known products were shipped to many other villages, first by train, then by truck. They had one of the first delivery trucks in the area.

In 1912, when cars started becoming popular, Bert and Jim opened up a garage. Soon after (1915), the Richardson Bros became agents for General Motors products.

Wilfred Richardson (Harry’s son) established a tree farm, Richardson Tree Farm, outside Pontypool. Known today as Pineneedle Farms, it is owned and operated by Paul (Wilfred’s son) and Tracy Richardson and their family.

The Richardson family have a long history in the foundations of this town. They played a large role in our past, setting up and maintaining proprietorships in this community. Also, the Richardson family was instrumental in building the Methodist Church which is known today as the Pontypool United Church, located on John Street.

When the north subdivision in Pontypool was developed 50 years ago, the first street name was Richardson Drive to pay respects the Richardson family’s contributions to the Pontypool Community. This name was later changed because it was going to be used elsewhere. The loss of the commemorative name was a disappointment to many, as the Richardson Family history had shaped the community.

The Richardsons are always supportive of any community event, supporting those in need and providing monetary donations without hesitation. In addition, they give not only through gifts but by their involvement and service. Pineneedle Farms also offers opportunity for our younger generation to have summer employment at their tree farm. They generously give without asking for a return. The Richardson family has been a pillar of the community for five generations.


Kawartha Lakes Records and Archives have conducted some additional research on the Municipal significance of the name Richardson and have offered the following comments:

“In 1922, Bert Richardson ran for a Councillor position and won a seat. You will note from the application background history that Bert and his brother Jim opened a garage in 1912, which evolved into becoming agents for General Motors (1915). Bert Richardson served as a Councillor from 1922-1925, then as Deputy Reeve from 1926-1927. In 1928 & 1929, Bert Richardson ran for Reeve, but was defeated by Fred S. Gray. However, his persistence paid off. In 1930 he was elected as Reeve. Bert was re-elected as Reeve in 1931 as well. In 1932, Bert Richardson did not run for re-election.”

The Clerk’s Office also notes that Councillor Tracy Richardson is serving her second term of elected office to represent Kawartha Lakes Ward 8 since 2018, and she has served as Deputy Mayor as part of her tenure.