Open houses seek input on recreation master plan

The city is asking people their recreation wants and needs, as part of a $200,000 examination of its pools, arenas, sports fields and all the programs that happen there. The Recreation Master Plan will serve as the guiding document for the city’s recreation department for the next 20 years. The last one was done in 1989, “so it’s well overdue,” says Ray Mensour, executive director of recreation and culture. “It’s going to analyze the number of facilities we have, venues, playing fields, and determine, based on user input, what’s required for the future.”

The study will also examine what people want to do going into the future, from swimming to skating, from cooking and art classes to fitness sessions and children’s programs.

The study was initiated at budget time in January after Ward 8 Coun. Bill Marra unsuccessfully tried to secure $585,000 for the design and engineering work on yet-tobe-approved $6-million community centre in Fontainebleau. The majority of council decided that before they begin approving new community centres, a master plan should be completed to determine if and where they’re needed. A master plan will take a look at not just community centres, but arenas, pools and all the other recreation venues, to determine “what we have, what do we need, and what should be our plan moving forward,” said Mensour. Two open houses are planned on Tuesday for community input: from 2 to 4 p.m. in Devonshire Mall’s food concourse area, and from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the main lobby of the downtown Windsor International Aquatic Centre. City staff will be on hand to hear what people like, dislike, or want to see changed. Even if you’re not a recreation user, staff want to hear what they can do to attract you to city facilities, Mensour said. The city has also set up an online survey to gauge public opinion about recreation amenities and programs. A London-based firm, Monteith Brown Planning Consultants, was selected in a tendering process to develop the master plan, which will also look at policies for user fees and sports field allocations. It’s supposed to be finished by the middle of 2019.