There is a certain irony in the strategic planning exercise for Centre Wellington’s Parks and Recreation department.
While Director Andie Goldie must concern himself with huge numbers of people who are becoming obese due to poor diet and little exercise, particularly children, at the same time, facilities in his department are being swamped with high demand.
People seem either very active, or not at all. Nowhere is the enigma better illustrated than in winter, when three ice pads have prime time hours booked.
Centre Wellington Township is taking a look all of its departments, and planning for the best way to meet the demand for services. This is the fourth article in the series in The Wellington Advertiser about that planning, and the second part about Parks and Recreation.
Council recently approved a plan that it had been working on with user groups to allocate ice time for youth groups – and local users in particular.
The gist of that decision is, as Goldie told council, “All organizations will be limited to their 2007-08 tournament schedule until such time as a new ice pad is made available.”
He acknowledges there could be problems with that, even though his department has worked closely with all the user groups in developing it. Some groups do not operate a major tournament. Those include the Fergus and Elora skating clubs, but also the Grand River Mustangs girls minor hockey.
The ice allocations include:
– Fergus Minor Hockey, 60.5 hours;
– Elora Minor Hockey, 39.50 hours;
– Elora Fergus Ringette, 22 hours;
– Grand River Mustangs, 21 hours;
– Fergus Skating Club, 19; and
– Elora Skating Club, 12.25.
The Fergus Devils junior hockey club is allotted 7.5 hours a week and Elora Rocks get 4.5 hours.
He said in an interview, if any one group sees “a dramatic increase in numbers,” they will have to seek ice outside of the municipality. As well, the number of tournaments is frozen until more ice time becomes available.
Goldie said the Grand River girls’ hockey can be accommodated, for now, and, “The groups feel there is a good distribution.”
He hopes the master plan, will allow the township to work around the demand for ice time. That plan is to incorporate ‘the wants, needs, and wishes” of recreation users. “We’ll pull it all together,” he said, adding it will be the guide for the next ten years.
Ringette still strong
One of the surprises that Goldie, and likely others, found was that when girls’ hockey grew in popularity, it did not siphon away players from ringette.
“None of the user groups are reducing in size,” he said, noting numbers remain high for girls figure skating as well.
“We’re seeing more girls playing a couple of Sports in the winter – the same as the guys.”
The difficulty is, Centre Wellington is growing, and that is likely to increase demand on ice time, but it is the same story everywhere, particularly because women and girls are now being offered opportunities for winter Sports once the province mainly of men and boys.
“Every municipality I know of has the same issue,” Goldie said. “Girls’ hockey is growing.” He noted that when another ice pad is in place, the township will at least have a standard for allocating ice time in place that all user groups are know about.
Goldie said it is based on local youths, then adults, then other users in the community, and it is based also on demand, the age of the groups, and the Sports being played.
No ice pads anytime soon
The difficulty is, no new ice pad is planned for now, and the township is expected to grow. Councillors are hoping the strategic planning exercise will help them find a way out of that dilemma.
As one of them has pointed out, there is still 17 years worth of payments to be made on the expanded Sportsplex in Fergus
“Summer is not as difficult,” Goldie said of facility use, mainly because there are so many Sports offered that the demand is spread out. For arena floors, it consists of lacrosse, ball hockey, and inline hockey, but the rinks still set empty during prime time hours because not that many people are involved. “Typically, it’s four days a week. We can handle a lot of growth. A lot of kids are in outdoor Sports. In winter, it’s using ice – or skiing.”
Summer Sports
There is a variety of activities available in summer.
Soccer is growing in leaps and bounds, baseball is staying steady, and only softball has seen a decline – a small one.
Even so, Goldie said there are still a few challenges to meet, and outside agencies are helping to cause those.
For example, there are 1,300 young soccer players, plus older groups, in Centre Wellington – and that puts a big strain on the fields. Goldie said that creates two challenges: a need for more soccer fields, and being able to maintain those fields to a high standard.
He noted, “Maintenance becomes more difficult as the province looks at a pesticide ban. We need more fertilizer and more watering” but there has been watering restrictions for several years.
Goldie said in Guelph, fields got so bad officials cancelled all tournaments for several years, simply to give the turf a rest. He noted that the municipality is struggling with balancing services and keeping taxes reasonable, and that means little extra funds for field maintenance. In fact, all departments involved in the strategic plan must offer ways to provide service just a tax hike.
“We need to look at this as a community,” he said. “Being good water stewards, and yet providing fields that can be played on, and be safe.”
Bringing on two new fields, one in Fergus, and one in Elora, will likely remove some of the stress. One is in Elora Meadows subdivision, and will include two minor fields, parking, a washroom, and play equipment. The other is near Gartshore Street at the Eastwood subdivision, and will provide two full size soccer fields and a trail connecting the woodlot to the Elora Cataract Trail.
Swimming pool
The opening of the pool has been received well by citizens. Hundreds of people use the new facilities, including the weight room.
But, Goldie said, with all the new equipment and more sophisticated facilities, there are training issues, and more staff needed. Lifeguards, he said, are constantly training and honing their skills.
He added, people now demand a certain level of comfort, and that means keeping the pool’s waters warm, which brings about humidity issues. But, he said, “What we have is what is wanted today.”
Goldie added the pool is good for everyone. Young people learn survival skills by learning to swim, and older folks can do exercises farm more easily in water than on land, so seniors, too, can keep fit.
“We’ll see more use as people get older,” he said.
The difficulty is it is tough to demand fees high enough to cover all the costs, and there is only a nominal fee for such things as public swimming. Goldie said township recreation programs must accommodate everyone who wants to use them, and they have never been about making a profit.
“We have a mandate to provide access to all the community, and not just for those who can afford it.”
Other programs
Parks and Recreation has more than just Sports under its auspices.
Goldie said the Victoria Park seniors’ centre is bursting at the seams, with up to 600 members, and he wondered how long the community can continue with only one facility.
As well, work is going to be done over the next few months at the Victoria Park field, to include washrooms and more parking.
The Fergus Grand Theatre, at 80 years old, is showing its age. Council spent money for a new roof and is putting in a venting system.
“We need to protect it,” he said, adding that since the township took ownership, it is growing in use. He would like to see a new box office system there capable of accepting credit cards, as well as giving it internet capability.
“I don’t have the ability to connect electronically to Alan [Argue] down there.” Ideally, he said, the theatre would be able to sell tickets over its website, and also provide credit and debit ticket sales.
Meanwhile, it might be possible to have “satellite ticket sales” at the Sportsplex in Fergus during its hours of business.
He said, too, there are a number of volunteer groups working for the theatre, and it is getting good use, and, “That’s good news.”
His department is also working with other groups, and Goldie likes the idea of developing partnerships. The department is working with the Elora Centre for the Arts and the township’s Art in Public Places committee, there is now artwork hanging in one boardroom at the Sportsplex, which, he said, is a great idea. He hopes to expand that to the other boardroom soon.
“It’s a pilot project,” he said. “We love it.”
Finally, Goldie said, the master plan will help the township decide what to do with its lands at the centre itself.
“We have a lot of events and growing festival,” he said, noting there are already new tennis courts this year, and an agreement with the local tennis club.
Goldie also said that there will soon be a major announcement about a partnership and project with Bissell Park in Elora.
The Elora Lions Club has already made a significant contribution to that project, and Goldie said, “We’re excited” about that partnership.
Getting ready
Goldie said there will continue to be public consultation with user groups and the public in general as the plans get created.
He said of those plans, he is looking for a picture of “Here’s where we are, here’s where we want to be, and here is how we get there.”
He hopes all is ready by the end of the year.
