In March 2022, the Township of Cavan Monaghan launched an update to the 2011 Parks and Recreation Master Plan which included an examination of existing facilities such as the old Millbrook Arena as well as the remaining land just west of the new Cavan Monaghan Community Centre. Dubbed “Vision 2035,” the review, conducted by Robert Lockhart of Rethink Group Leisure Services Planning and Management, will be completed in two phases. Last week, Council reviewed Phase I along with a series of background reports outlining the progress to date. Phase Two will include long-term vision and goals for the plan, additional public consultation, facility recommendations, including open space, implementation strategies and the fundamental short and long-term plans for parkland, facilities, programming and service delivery in the community. In his report, Parks and Recreation Manager Chris Allison recommended the study be extended to a third phase which would include conceptual designs for the Millbrook Arena location as well as the remaining land at the CMCC. No decision on this recommendation has been taken at this time.
The future of both these significant municipal recreational assets will be the subject of significant public engagement, some of which has begun. Of the twenty nine surveys sent out to user groups last summer, twenty five responses were received and the four groups who did not respond no longer operate in the township facilities.
Another survey designed to gather information from households rather than individual residents was made available this summer on the township website, where 319 people responded. The consultant suggested that this represented feedback from approximately 900 residents or roughly ten percent of the population, which he considered a good response rate. The survey was advertised on the township website, social media and the display screens at the CMCC. While the report also indicates that the survey was advertised in this paper, that is not the case. Mr. Lockhart indicated that among the responses, 82.5% stated a preference to repurpose the old arena site and convert it into a park, influenced perhaps influenced by the renovation price tag of $5.25 million embedded in the question. This estimate was provided by an engineering firm which clarified that this investment would extend the facility’s useful life by 25 years but would not expand the facility or its possible uses. More community engagement will occur in Phase Two.
A 2019 evaluation by the same engineering firm suggested repairs of $209,000 for immediate and short term remedial work would be necessary to “improve the long term serviceability of the building.” There is currently federal and provincial funding of $722K in conjunction with a municipal expenditure of $257K earmarked for this facility from a 2021 grant approval. It is not clear at this point how many of these repairs have been performed since that report.
As the consultant, Council and the community examine the current status of recreation options across the township and how they might be enhanced, establishing priorities and working with strategic partners including the school board will help extend our leisure activities while respecting budgetary constraints. Translation? We won’t be building an indoor pool. KG