ELORA – Councillor Bronwynne Wilton thinks council made the wrong decision when it voted for construction of a refrigerated multi-use pad at Bissell Park, and she hopes to convince council to reconsider that decision on Monday night.
Wilton has included a notice of motion in the Oct. 28 agenda outlining what she believes is the most user-friendly and environmentally-friendly option at Bissell Park – a multi-use pad without refrigeration and with a roof.
This option was not among the five options presented to council at its Oct. 15 meeting.
Wilton voted with councillors Lisa MacDonald and Jennifer Adams in favour of option two on Oct. 15, “but upon reflection, option two is probably the worst for the environment,” she said in a phone interview on Oct. 24.
“Without a roof over refrigerated ice it will probably cost more and do the most (environmental) damage. I felt it was not a good way to leave it.”
It’s a complicated procedure for council to change its mind.
Wilton’s notice of motion first asks council to waive the requirement to give notice before making a notice of motion and then asks council to rescind its Oct. 15 decision and consider a new option.
A motion to reconsider a previous decision requires the approval of two-thirds of council.
The new option Wilton will present is for an unrefrigerated pad with a roof.
“I think it’s a good compromise,” she said, noting the roof will be welcome shelter from the weather year-round and a non-refrigerated pad is less expensive for both operating and capital budgets.
The current multi-use pad has a long history, with volunteers flooding it in winter to create an outdoor rink and the rink is well-used by all sorts of groups and individuals.
But with warmer winters, it has become really hit-or-miss if a rink will survive the winter.
Last winter there was no rink at all.
That was the rationale behind the option recommended by staff: a refrigerated rink with a roof to ensure there can be free, outdoor skating at Bissell Park.
The byproduct of making ice, however, is heat.
So artificially freezing the pad is bad for the environment, and protecting the environment is one of the pillars council agreed on in its strategic plan, Wilton pointed out.
BRONWYNNE WILTON
She said staff made an “educated guess” at the cost of this new option, pegged at $2.3 million, by assuming the difference between options two and three is what a roof would cost – $1.7 million – and adding that to the cost of an unrefrigerated pad ($677,000).
There is pressure on staff to submit a grant application, which is why council felt compelled to reach a decision at the Oct. 15 meeting, Wilton said.
“It did feel rushed,” she said. “I was wishing we had more time to think about it.”
The province is offering grants from its Community Sport and Recreation Infrastructure Fund (CSRIF) that would pay up to 50 per cent of an approved project.
Staff had proposed funding the project by using:
- $373,195 from the MacDonald grant and funds raised by the Elora Lions and Elora Rockers Sports Association;
- $28,208 from general capital reserves;
- $17,000 from donations;
- $700,000 from a proposed top-up in the 2025 budget; and
- the CSRIF grant.
Any shortfall is proposed to be covered by sponsorship or donations. If Wilton’s motion is successful, that would bring the fundraising need to about $200,000.
It all hinges on receiving the grant however, which is why Wilton hopes council will give it some thought before Monday’s meeting.
“I feel it’s worth reconsidering,” she said. “I hope council will think so, too.”
Mayor Shawn Watters has previously declared a conflict of interest on Bissell Park due to his involvement with Riverfest Elora, which uses the multi-use pad during the music festival. So he won’t be able to vote on this motion.
