CBRM rec plan goes to council
Review looked at about 900 facilities
The direction for the future of recreation facilities in the Cape Breton Regional Municipality could be set today, when the recreation master plan and its implementation strategy goes before municipal council for approval.
The plan is among the items on the agenda for council’s regular monthly meeting.
Council earlier received an overview of a draft recreation master plan, a part of a process that began more than a year ago. The review began in 2015, and in his presentation to council’s general committee in January, Jim Scott of consultant Trace Planning and Design noted it has taken about six to eight months longer than initially anticipated.
In all, the review looked at about 900 facilities throughout the CBRM currently offering recreational programming, from parks to arenas. Among the challenges facing the CBRM is trying to ensure it offers recreational opportunities in a sustainable way under present staffing and investment levels.
The four main issues to be dealt with under the plan are contemporary active living; outdoor living; communities, culture and sport; and administration and economic development.
The plan would likely have a 15-year window before it would have to be revisited but the implementation plan will likely need to be reviewed in about five years due to changing demographics.
They identified preferred distances from a CBRM resident’s front door to different varieties of parks — 800 metres
for neighbourhood parks, 1,600 metres for community parks, 12 kilometres or 20 minutes by car for regional parks.
The plan is coming at a time when there is some community discussion of the future of some aging recreation infrastructure such as the Whitney Pier rink, which has faced some financial challenges.
CBRM chief financial officer Marie Walsh is also due to present a report on the CBRM’s assessment profile, with representation from Property Valuation Services Corp.
Council will also be asked to approve a new municipal grants program policy, which its general committee has already recommended, as well as to formalize a motion that would see heavy garbage pickup proceed if the CBRM is in the black at the end of the fiscal year.
Also to go to council will be recommendations to approve citizen appointments to CBRM committees and the Port of Sydney Development Corp. board. The names of the port board appointments are to be released to the public after the successful candidates are notified and they accept the positions.
The council meeting will be preceded by a meeting of the fire and emergency services committee. John Dilny, manager of emergency management, will also present an evaluation report on the municipal emergency management program.