ARTICLE FROM THE ENTERPRISE BULLETIN, BY IAN ADAMS
COLLINGWOOD — About 80 people made the trek between Central Park and town hall Monday night, urging council to hit the 'pause' button and consider a partnership with the YMCA for aquatic facilities.
They were joined by another 20 or so people in front of the municipal offices, just prior to council's weekly meeting. As in last week's rally — which drew about 225 people — attendees called on council to 'do it once, do it right'.
While fewer showed up this week than last, Friends of Central Park spokesperson Geoff Moran says finding the time to come out at 4 p.m. on a Monday is difficult for most.
COLLINGWOOD — About 80 people made the trek between Central Park and town hall Monday night, urging council to hit the 'pause' button and consider a partnership with the YMCA for aquatic facilities.
They were joined by another 20 or so people in front of the municipal offices, just prior to council's weekly meeting. As in last week's rally — which drew about 225 people — attendees called on council to 'do it once, do it right'.
While fewer showed up this week than last, Friends of Central Park spokesperson Geoff Moran says finding the time to come out at 4 p.m. on a Monday is difficult for most.
"I'm not sure if the numbers make a statement or not, but certainly within my circle of friends there's a strong concern about this," he said. "I think our future for recreation is of interest for the entire community, and it's in council's interest and the mayor's interest.
"I don't believe they're downplaying the importance of recreation, I think it's a matter of communication issues, maybe a PR issue that things happened over the summer and that happened very quickly."
Moran said there seems to be some common ground between all parties that the Y should operate the pool facility, but the difference appears council wants to put a structure over Centennial Pool, while supporters of the Friends of Central Park group believe it would be better situated at the Y site.
"Both sides of this discussion want the Y to run the facility — there's no debate there," he said. "It isn't so much who's running it as where it's located.
"If the town continues with the Centennial Pool project, whether the Y runs it or not, the operational costs will be significant, forever, and that will matter down the road."
The existing pool would then become a therapeutic pool.
"In that setting we would have two pools, side by side, sharing one deck and one space, and sharing all of those facilities: a gymnasium, a weight room, an outdoor arena, a new arena, a curling club, and all the property around there," he told the crowd. "That's a lot of recreational facilities, on one spot of land in the centre of our community, and I think we continue to feel that's the best plan for our future."
Moran said the Friends group wants to see council take a step back and reassess the situation with regard to aquatics, though he acknowledged he's been told by councillors the issue is too far along to change course.
"I've asked council, the mayor and others, to not get so concerned about how we got to this point today.. but simply stop where we are right now, to pause, and say, 'do we have another choice'," he said. "I believe we have two choices today: to continue the current plan, or to reconsider and sit down with the Y and negotiate putting the pool in that location.
"I'm sure there are issues to answer, can the pool go on that site, the cost issue, there's a negotiation that would have to happen between the town and the Y around who's paying for what," he said. "The YMCA across Ontario is doing these partnerships every day — Wasaga Beach, Owen Sound and Innisfil are great examples."
Moran said the YMCA would be willing to address the membership issue, so that pool users would not necessarily need to be YMCA members.
"It comes down to motivation — as of today, is council willing to take a pause for a month, reassess things, not get emotional about it, not get concerned about 'gee, this happened in June, this happened in July', and simply stop where we are right now, and say, 'can that be done'," he said. "If they looked at the two options and came back to the same decision, I would be content with that. At the end of day, our council has to make their decision and it's their vote — they are our elected officials."
"I don't believe they're downplaying the importance of recreation, I think it's a matter of communication issues, maybe a PR issue that things happened over the summer and that happened very quickly."
Moran said there seems to be some common ground between all parties that the Y should operate the pool facility, but the difference appears council wants to put a structure over Centennial Pool, while supporters of the Friends of Central Park group believe it would be better situated at the Y site.
"Both sides of this discussion want the Y to run the facility — there's no debate there," he said. "It isn't so much who's running it as where it's located.
"If the town continues with the Centennial Pool project, whether the Y runs it or not, the operational costs will be significant, forever, and that will matter down the road."
The existing pool would then become a therapeutic pool.
"In that setting we would have two pools, side by side, sharing one deck and one space, and sharing all of those facilities: a gymnasium, a weight room, an outdoor arena, a new arena, a curling club, and all the property around there," he told the crowd. "That's a lot of recreational facilities, on one spot of land in the centre of our community, and I think we continue to feel that's the best plan for our future."
Moran said the Friends group wants to see council take a step back and reassess the situation with regard to aquatics, though he acknowledged he's been told by councillors the issue is too far along to change course.
"I've asked council, the mayor and others, to not get so concerned about how we got to this point today.. but simply stop where we are right now, to pause, and say, 'do we have another choice'," he said. "I believe we have two choices today: to continue the current plan, or to reconsider and sit down with the Y and negotiate putting the pool in that location.
"I'm sure there are issues to answer, can the pool go on that site, the cost issue, there's a negotiation that would have to happen between the town and the Y around who's paying for what," he said. "The YMCA across Ontario is doing these partnerships every day — Wasaga Beach, Owen Sound and Innisfil are great examples."
Moran said the YMCA would be willing to address the membership issue, so that pool users would not necessarily need to be YMCA members.
"It comes down to motivation — as of today, is council willing to take a pause for a month, reassess things, not get emotional about it, not get concerned about 'gee, this happened in June, this happened in July', and simply stop where we are right now, and say, 'can that be done'," he said. "If they looked at the two options and came back to the same decision, I would be content with that. At the end of day, our council has to make their decision and it's their vote — they are our elected officials."
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