Committee checks recreation system - Collingwood Enterprise ...

By Don Crosby, Special to QMI Agency

Posted 17 hours ago

Grey Highlands wants to make better use of its recreational facilities as its demographics change.

"What we're looking at is whether our recreation facilities are meeting the needs of our community today, and do we need to diversify things . . . having a needs assessment is part of what will need to be done," chief administrative officer Dan Best said during the inaugural meeting of an ad hoc committee set up to look at the development of a recreation master plan for the municipality.

"I think it's a good opportunity for us to work together and create a recreation program that will benefit all of the residents of Grey Highlands."

Grey Highlands annual parks and recreation budget is about $260,000, which pays for the operation of four arenas, a handful of community halls and several ball diamonds. Each of the arena complexes cost about $50,000 to operate, said Best.

Improvements worth about $1.1 million were made to the Markdale complex last year, including a new lift to the second floor community centre, expansion of the building to include more change rooms and bigger public viewing area for the arena.

Best revealed that the costly upgrades did not include a fire detection and alarm system. Without it the number of people able to attend the Markdale facility at one time cannot exceed 300.

Less than half of the cost of the upgrades was paid for with senior-level government infrastructure funding. Council has yet to approve a long-term loan for the remaining $650,000.

"We can't spend all of this money on the Markdale complex without developing a business plan," said Coun. Stewart Halliday, who is a member of the committee. "Markdale is a great hockey centre, but there aren't many hockey teams left."

Boys minor hockey is not played at the Markdale complex.

Committee members questioned whether there were enough re creational programs and facilities for the growing senior population.

"We need to have a recreation program that benefits the youth and the middle-agers like myself and the seniors as well. I think that's what we're responsible to provide in terms of services to the community," said Best.

Historically, the Markdale arena has been viewed as a facility that caters to ice-based sports for six months of the year and remains relatively unused in the offseason.

Mayor Wayne Fitzgerald supports hiring a consultant to come up with some alternative uses for the Markdale complex.

He says if the ice facilities were removed altogether the arena floor could be used for other popular indoor sports such as soccer, roller blading or nets ports such as badminton and tennis. There would also be space for seniors to meet.

"It certainly would be nice to have an all-year-round multipurpose facility for the community," said Best, who didn't rule out some sort of private public partnership to operate the complex.

The new committee will ask council at its next meeting on Monday to support a recommendation to prepare a recreation master plan.

Source: http://www.theenterprisebulletin.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=3278733

nick jr weather boston hallelujah lyrics dr who shutter shutter dont be afraid of the dark