Yarmouth municipal councillors express support for Mariners Centre expansion
Steering committee members for a proposed $30-million expansion at the Mariners Centre want to keep the ball rolling.
A presentation on the project was made on Jan. 10 to Yarmouth municipal council.
The project would include a new YMCA with a 25-metre pool and therapeutic pool, a public walking track and a multi-purpose space to include a curling rink.
Both the YMCA and curling rink are presently challenged with outdated facilities.
Melanie Mooney, a member of the steering committee and chair of the YMCA volunteer board of directors, spoke to council about the potential benefits of the proposed expansion.
“It has the potential to double the membership of the Y,” she said.
“It certainly will generate social and economic growth in the area and has the ability to address recreational shortfalls in the tri-counties, including a fullsize pool.”
Her presentation included a number of statistics. In south- west Nova Scotia about 45 per cent of the population is moderately active compared to 54 per cent in Nova Scotia, she said, while 71 per cent of this region’s population is overweight or obese, compared to 62 per cent in Nova Scotia.
“Having a facility like this would certainly help contribute to a healthy population,” she said.
She said it’s important to keep the project moving forward.
“You may be thinking, well, we’ve got other priorities. We don’t believe this can wait. There’ a lot of momentum right now, with our needs assessment and feasibility study. We don’t want those to become outdated or not relevant. We have some old infrastructure, including the YMCA that is going to need some investment,” she said.
“We cannot move forward without your support, the Municipality of Argyle and the Town of Yarmouth. Currently we don’t have support from all three,” said Mooney.
The Town of Yarmouth has the development of an arts and culture centre on Collins Street, along with other projects, as their top priorities. While the YMCA and curling club are also listed as top priorities, the future of the Mariners Centre remains on a future list.
Mooney’s presentation was received with approval from the councillors present (councillors Daniel Allen, Patti Durkee and Warden Anthony were absent).
“The Mariners Centre is a good thing and what you’ve presented to us, we need that,” said Councillor Gerard LeBlanc.
“It’s important for us to have this project go forward, there are compelling reasons. There’s widespread public support for this,” added Councillor Trevor Cunningham.
Councillor Loren Cushing said he had not seen any presentations regarding the airport or the ferry terminal, items that are higher on a regional priority list for municipal units in the county.
“You folks are the only ones I see action from. It’s a very good cause and it will certainly enhance all of Yarmouth County and beyond. It’s a win-win situation,” he said.
Deputy Warden John Cunningham said there wasn’t one day in the past year when someone didn’t express support to him for the expansion of the Mariners Centre.
The Yarmouth and Acadian Shores Tourism Association (YASTA) is looking to remind the province that there are iconic tourism sites in this part of the province.
And it is asking municipal units in the region YASTA serves to do the same by sending letters to the Nova Scotia government.
The provincial government previously announced that it is investing $8 million in tourism infrastructure – specifically, YASTA says, iconic tourism sites in the province.
But YASTA says initial discussions with Tourism Nova Scotia representatives and the Department of Business suggest that no sites in Yarmouth and Acadian Shores have been identified as potential locations for investment.
YASTA notes that sites such as Peggy’s Cove, the Halifax waterfront, Lunenburg, Bay of Fundy and the Cabot Trail have been identified as being the most competitive destinations for investment by the province. But it says there is also great tourism potential in the Yarmouth and Acadian Shores region.
“Considering that Yarmouth and Acadian Shores has a need for investment in our iconic tourism sites and that our destination is experiencing growth from high yield out-of-region visitors, we feel investment is not only a good idea but one that should be obvious,” YASTA says in literature it is looking to send to the province.
It says this region can help the province reach its target goal of $4 billion in tourism revenue but there needs to be investment here too.