ELORA – Centre Wellington will be moving forward with an application which would allow a refresh of the Bissell Park multi-use pad but at a reduced scale than recommended by staff.
After a lengthy discussion at a Tuesday meeting, council endorsed staff to apply for a provincial grant and if successful would allow the township to build a new outdoor, refrigerated multi-use surface including mechanical and storage buildings at Bissell Park.
Staff recommended a similar option but also included a roof over the multi-use pad but council chose to scale back the project slightly and knock off $1.7 million from the project for a total cost of $4 million.
The provincial grant would pay for half but applications for it were recommended to be sent before the end of October.
The Bissell Park multi-use pad is a free, drop-in recreational space at Bissell Park in Elora that has typically been turned into an ice pad during the winter months and then used for different activities in the rest of the year. The space is considered at the end of its usable life.
Upgrading the multi-use pad was initially a project for the Elora Rockers Sports Association and Elora Lions, who received a $350,000 Jack R. MacDonald grant for it.
The groups would later transfer the project and grant money back to the township when they were unable to proceed with it.
Tom Keating, representing the Elora Rockers, said in his delegation the group’s passion for the project hasn’t changed and felt focusing on applying for the grant was the best move at this point.
“Our vision for the area was to create a safe, inclusive, accessible surface for diverse, year round recreation and community activity that is based on free play,” Keating said. “The first thing we talked about was safe and I think we all agree that what we have right now isn’t safe anymore.”
David Alves has been the volunteer making and taking care of the ice at the multi-use pad for decades and he told council he’s seen the impact the free space has had for families.
He shared the story of two children who are regulars down at Bissell Park and he learned from their grandfather their mother can’t afford organized sports but both get much joy out of getting involved in sports and activities at the multi-use pad.
“I’ve witnessed this same kind of scenario at least over 1,000 times at the Bissell Park surface whether it’s the summer playing basketball or winter ice sports,” Alves said. “This happens all the time and speaks to the vision that Tom (Keating) mentioned.”
Macheo Carrie, a local teenager, wanted to represent the youth voice and said council should focus on recreational projects that aren’t as hockey focused as this one.
“When we look around at other townships, it’s clear we don’t have the same variety in our recreation and athletic options for our youth,” Macheo said, mentioning a lack of basketball courts and soccer pitches. “It doesn’t make sense to me that we are prioritizing an ice rink when we have so few alternatives.”
This was something Coun. Bronwynne Wilton said she’s heard from residents as well. She mentioned she had received more emails on this proposal than nearly any other and most weren’t in support of it aside from those from the hockey community.
“It came up a lot in all the letters from residents in feeling that the other sports in this community have not received the same amount of capital investment over the past 10, 20, 30 years,” Wilton said, adding this proposal should be brought to other township committees for more input.
Wilton also was concerned about the cost of staff’s recommended option, which would require a $700,000 commitment from the 2025 budget before council has really dug into it.
Coun. Jennifer Adams didn’t think it was productive to pit recreation groups against each other.
“There’s been a lot of years where council has not been talking about parks and rec at this table at all and I would hope that we can all agree that we need facilities in all areas of our municipality,” Adams said. “I don’t think we would take five years to take care of a high trip hazard anywhere else in this municipality except on this pad where children and youth have been playing and making do for so many years. That’s a risk.”
Managing director of community services Pat Newson clarified this project was not hockey or ice sport focused but had a range of uses such as basketball, yoga, dog training and other non-ice activities.
Ultimately, the staff recommendation to apply for the project including the roof was defeated 3-2 in a recorded vote with Adams and Coun. Lisa MacDonald in favour, and Wilton, Coun. Kim Jefferson and Coun. Barb Evoy against.
Coun. Dennis Craddock was absent from the meeting and Mayor Shawn Watters declared a pecuniary interest on this project because of his association with Riverfest Elora which uses the multi-use pad.
MacDonald put forward a motion to apply for the grant for the same project without a roof — a consultant architect said a roof could be phased in at a later time — Newson cautioned this could weaken the grant application.
Nevertheless, council ended up supporting this move 3-2 as Wilton changed her vote to yes on the motion.
