The City of Brampton has earned provincial recognition for its innovative use of technology to improve parks and recreation services, receiving the 2026 Peter J. Marshall Municipal Innovation Award from the Association of Municipalities of Ontario.
The award was presented at the 2026 AMO Annual Conference in Ottawa by AMO President Robin Jones and Ontario Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Rob Flack. Brampton was one of three municipalities selected for the honour from a record number of submissions received from across Ontario.
Brampton received the award for its Smart Parks: Transforming Municipal Services Through Data, Innovation, and Real-Time Access initiative, which combines technology, automation, real-time information and strategic partnerships to improve the operation and accessibility of municipal parks.
The Peter J. Marshall Municipal Innovation Award recognizes municipalities that introduce innovative approaches to improve operating or capital efficiency and deliver more effective public services.
Brampton’s Smart Parks program brings several technology-driven projects together under one initiative. These include the Grass Maintenance Tracking System, robotic lawn mowers, the Parks and Recreation Construction Map, Equip Sport Locker Program and Parks Service Request Dashboard.
The systems are designed to give residents easier access to information about their neighbourhood parks while helping the City improve maintenance, respond more efficiently to service requests and make recreational opportunities more accessible.
The Grass Maintenance Tracking System, for example, allows residents to obtain information about grass-cutting activities and receives approximately 12,000 online views during peak season.
The City’s Parks and Recreation Construction Map, which helps residents follow improvements and projects taking place across Brampton, has generated approximately 8,000 online interactions.
Another initiative, the Equip Sport Locker Program, provides easier access to recreational equipment. According to the City, the program recorded more than 1,300 reservations and 4,000 participations during its first week.
The Smart Parks initiative forms part of Brampton’s broader effort to modernize municipal services while expanding and improving parks and recreational facilities for a rapidly growing population.
The work also supports the City’s Parks and Recreation Master Plan, which guides investments in parks, open spaces, recreation amenities and sports facilities based on the changing needs of Brampton residents.
Mayor Patrick Brown described the provincial award as a proud achievement for Brampton and recognition of the City’s efforts to provide modern, efficient and responsive municipal services. He credited City staff and community partners for developing practical innovations that improve residents’ everyday experiences while making better use of municipal resources.
Regional Councillor Rowena Santos, Chair of the City’s Community Services Section, said parks are central to Brampton neighbourhoods and that the Smart Parks program makes it easier for residents to track maintenance, learn about improvements and access recreational opportunities close to home.
Regional Councillor Navjit Kaur Brar, Vice Chair of the Community Services Section, highlighted the way different technologies have been brought together to improve operations and public access to information. She said the initiative demonstrates how Brampton can put innovation into practical use while creating approaches that other municipalities may be able to adopt.
Community Services Commissioner Bill Boyes also credited City employees for challenging traditional methods of delivering municipal services and transforming innovative ideas into practical solutions.
The provincial recognition places Brampton among Ontario municipalities increasingly turning to technology and data to improve everyday public services.
More importantly for residents, the Smart Parks initiative is designed to make those innovations visible in daily life through better-maintained parks, easier access to recreational equipment, greater transparency about construction and maintenance projects and faster responses to service needs.
By combining technology with traditional municipal services, Brampton is positioning its Smart Parks model not simply as a local improvement, but as an example of how growing cities can use innovation to create more efficient, accessible and responsive public spaces.