recreation and leisure services master plan final … · strategic directions and policy...

RECREATION AND LEISURE SERVICES MASTER PLAN FINAL REPORT

MUNICIPALITY OF BROCKTON

IBI GROUP

F. J. Galloway Associates Inc.

Insights Inc.

JULY 2011

I B I G R O U P F I N A L R E P O R T

Municipality of Brockton

RECREATION AND LEISURE SERVICES MASTER PLAN

JULY 2011

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The Municipality of Brockton wishes to thank the many residents, community organization representatives, staff and others who were active participants in the preparation of the Recreation and Leisure Services Master Plan 2011. Special thanks goes to the over 200 residents who participated in the public meetings and discovery sessions supporting the research and development of both the Community Resources and Trends Report and the Recreation and Leisure Services Master Plan. Their active participation provided important perspectives on recreation and leisure service needs, priorities, strategic directions and policy requirements in Brockton. Their input defined the important community foundation for the Master Plan’s Vision, Mission, Strategies and Action Plans.

Master Plan Steering Committee

David Inglis Roland Anstett Brian Dales Don Moore Tim Mancell Dan Wilken

Walkerton Parks and Recreation Committee Members

Maureen Schuler Olivia Ribero Don Moore Jan Radford Bill Carroll Jeff White Charlie Reidl Bill Clancy

Municipal Staff Parks and Recreation Staff

Richard Radford CAO Kathy Wagner Barb Hauri- Nixon Mark Gaynor CFO Lynne Davidson Rick Reich

Wayne Meyer Murray Wales Ken Schlorff

Other Committees Input

Municipality of Brockton Complex Steering Committee Walkerton Minor Soccer Walkerton Sports Walkerton Minor Hockey Walkerton Minor Ball Bradley School House volunteers Elmwood and District Community Center Board Cargill and District Community Fund Walkerton and Cargill Lawn Bowling Clubs

Project Consultants

IBI Group, London

F.J. Galloway Associates Inc. Insights Inc.




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1. INT R ODUC T ION .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1

1.1 Overview ............................................................................................................................................. 1-1

1.2 Community Resources and Trends Research ................................................................................. 1-2

1.3 Master Plan Format ............................................................................................................................ 1-2

2. S T R AT E G IC T HE ME S F R OM T HE C OMMUNIT Y R E S OUR C E S AND T R E NDS R E P OR T .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1

3. AC T ION P L ANS F R AME W OR K .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-1

3.1 Vision Statement ................................................................................................................................ 3-1

3.2 Mission Statement .............................................................................................................................. 3-2

3.3 Guiding Principles .............................................................................................................................. 3-3

3.4 Master Plan Objectives ...................................................................................................................... 3-4

4. P AR K S , T R AIL S , HOR T IC UL T UR E AND OP E N S P AC E AC T ION P L ANS .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1

4.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................................ 4-1

4.2 Parks Framework ............................................................................................................................... 4-1

4.3 Parkland Action Plan ......................................................................................................................... 4-3

4.3 .1 Parket tes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 -3 4.3 .2 Neighbourhood Parks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 -4 4.3 .3 Communi ty Parks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 -5

4.4 Trails Action Plan ............................................................................................................................... 4-6

4.5 Horticulture Action Plan .................................................................................................................... 4-7

4.6 Open Space Action Plan .................................................................................................................... 4-8

4.7 Parks and Open Space Provisioning Levels .................................................................................... 4-9

4.8 Park Space Acquisition Policies ....................................................................................................... 4-9

5. R E C R E AT ION F AC IL IT IE S AND L E IS UR E S E R VIC E S DE L IVE R Y P L AN .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-1

5.1 Facilities Action Plan ......................................................................................................................... 5-1

5.1 .1 Mult i - Use Recreat ion Complex . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 -1 5.1 .2 Soccer F ie lds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 -7 5.1 .3 Basebal l Diamonds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 -7 5.1 .4 Other Outdoor Fac i l i t ies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 -8 5.1 .5 Communi ty Cent res . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 -9

5.2 Service Delivery Action Plan ............................................................................................................. 5-9

5.2 .1 Service Del ive ry F ramework . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 -9 5.2 .2 Recreat ion and Leisure Serv ices Prior i t i es . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 -11 5.2 .3 Partnerships and Jo int Ventures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 -12 5.2 .4 Volunteers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 -13


TABLE OF CONTENTS (CONT’D)

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5.2 .5 Communi ty Based Governance and Management o f Munic ipa l ly Owned Faci l i t ies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 -13

5.2 .6 Communicat ion St rategies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 -16 5.2 .7 Communi ty Use of Schoo ls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 -17 5.2 .8 New Program s or Faci l i ty Development In i t ia t ives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 -18 5.2 .9 Programm ing Themes and Di rect ions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 -19

6. MANAG E ME NT , S T AF F A ND F INANC ING AC T ION P L AN .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1

6.1 Municipality of Brockton Role ........................................................................................................... 6-1

6.2 Operating Budget Action Plan .......................................................................................................... 6-3

6.3 Capital Budget Action Plan ............................................................................................................... 6-4

6.4 User Fee Policy ................................................................................................................................... 6-5

6.5 Individual User Financial Support .................................................................................................... 6-7

6.6 Community Partnership Fund ........................................................................................................... 6-8

6.7 Recreation and Leisure Services Department Staff ........................................................................ 6-9

7. L OB IE S MUNIC IP AL C AMP G R OUND AC T ION P L AN .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-1

8. IMP L E ME NT AT ION P L AN .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-1

8.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................................ 8-1

8.2 Implementation Framework ............................................................................................................... 8-2

8.3 Implementation Estimated Costing .................................................................................................. 8-2

9. MONIT OR ING P L AN .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-1

9.1 Master Plan Review ............................................................................................................................ 9-2




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1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 Overview The Municipality of Brockton initiated the Recreation and Leisure Services Master Plan in June 2010. The need for a Master Plan was identified through the Fun, Fit Brockton 2009, update to the 1990 Town of Walkerton Five Year Recreation Development Plan and the initiation of the Brockton Municipal Complex Study in 2010. Together these three documents along with the amalgamation of Walkerton with the Township of Brant and the Township of Greenock provide the initiative to consider this Master Plan.

The focus of this 2011 Master Plan is on establishing a framework for decision making, investments and staffing of all recreation and leisure services components. It is intended to establish specific action plans for parks, trails, horticulture and open space; action plans for recreation facilities and services delivery; action plans for finance, management and staffing; and finally an action plan focused on the existing municipal campground. The Master Plans directions and recommendations are focused on the time period of 2011 through 2031. The Plan provides the tools necessary to achieve the intended objectives and adjust those objectives in response to changing demographics, trends, and resource availability.

I B I G R O U P F I N A L R E P O R T Municipality of Brockton


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1.2 Community Resources and Trends Research The first phase of the Recreation and Leisure Master Plan for the Municipality of Brockton involved a comprehensive community resource and emerging trends work program. This research included an inventory of community resources, recreation and leisure services delivery models, recreation trends assessment, demographic and physical features inventory for the Municipality. In addition to the research component Phase 1 included community engagement and consultation. The community engagement incorporated several levels and forms of consultation including the following:

• A random survey of 200 adults in the Municipality of Brockton eighteen years and older;

• A community organization survey including service clubs, not-for-profits; and sport organizations of more than 20 groups;

• Discovery sessions with specific interests groups of more than 100 individuals;

• A community workshop held September 29, 2010; and

• Input and participation from Councillors, senior staff and recreation and leisure services staff.

Combined the research of physical, financial, staffing and community inputs provide sound basis for the development and preparation of recommendations for action plans in the Municipality of Brockton.

1.3 Master Plan Format The Community Resources and Trends Report is the basis for the development of the following recreation and leisure services recommendations. The recommendations in the Master Plan have been developed on three levels moving from action plans framework, functional specific action plans and an implementation and monitoring strategy.

Level 1 Action Plans Framework

Section 3 of the Master Plan provides the principles and conceptual basis for the Action Plans through a Vision, Mission, Guiding Principles and Objectives for the Plan. This philosophical foundation will support the overall Master Plan directions, priorities, policies and implementation strategies.

Level 2 Parks, Facilities, Management and Municipal Campground

Sections 4, 5, 6 and 7 focus on establishing Action Plans related to the specific functional areas, parks, facilities, service delivery, finance, management and staffing, and the municipal campground. These sections identify resources, activities, and investments required to enhance and sustain community recreation and leisure resources.



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Level 3 Implementation Plan and Monitoring

Sections 8 and 9 focus on the actions and costing related to implementation of the Master Plan. It will provide Council and staff direction on costing and availability of resources to finance various activities. The Monitoring Plans provide annual information and analysis on the availability and use of recreation and leisure services in the Municipality of Brockton.

The Master Plan was presented in draft form to the Brockton Recreation Master Plan Steering Committee in April 2011. It was presented at a community workshop and public meeting April 28, 2011 for discussion and comments. Minor changes were made to the recommendations and updates were made to this report. The Final Report was presented to the Steering Committee June 20, 2011 and will be presented to Municipal Council in July 2011 for adoption in principle as the long term Master Plan for Recreation and Leisure Services in the Municipality of Brockton.




JULY 2011

2. STRATEGIC THEMES FROM THE COMMUNITY RESOURCES AND TRENDS REPORT

The following strategic themes were identified through the Community Resources and Trends Report and form the basis of the Master Plan document. These themes are based on the research, community consultation, focus groups and community survey to reflect the recreation and leisure needs of the community. Trends in recreation and leisure activities will shape the facility and venue requirements to accommodate these changing needs.

The following are the key community resources identified through the community engagement process:

• Population is forecast to remain stable or increase slightly to approximately 11,000 persons by 2026.

• Brockton has a significant institutional role in Bruce County being the County seat and historically has provided services to a larger geographic community.

• The population profile is generally aging with potential for a stable number of children and youth from families relocating to work at the Bruce Nuclear Plant.



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• There is an increasing interest by residents to participate in passive, non-structured recreation, leisure, culture and heritage activities.

• There is a strong tradition of volunteer community groups in Brockton that are based on partnerships, joint ventures and not-for-profit service delivery that sustain and offer a wide range of recreation and leisure activities.

• The role of the Public Board of Education in providing facilities or fields may be reduced with the consolidation of two Public schools into a larger Kindergarten to Grade 12 public school site. Consolidation of schools will result in a reduction of school gymnasium access.

• There are unique and significant natural amenities with respect trails, conservation areas, the Saugeen River, Brant County woodlots and related outdoor features in Brockton.

• There is increasing interest to provide more soccer venues and a decreasing interest in baseball usage.

• There is increasing pressure on established not-for-profit organizations to retain membership and to develop succession plans for volunteer leadership positions.

• There are a large number of subcommittees that operate community parks and facilities that require significant staff resources to support and maintain.

• The Municipality invested and plans for investment in capital upgrading of key facilities such as the arena and outdoor pool.

• Facility usage of the Walkerton Arena is 88.2% for prime time in 2009/10. The Horse Place Arena is a portable second ice pad with a smaller surface area and of lower quality facility. It will reach the end of its life expectancy within the next few years.

• Some effort and community discussion has occurred around the future development of a Multi-Use Complex in the Walkerton area of Brockton.

• Lobies Park is a unique, on-river open space resource. The campground portion requires future direction due to the generation of costs, limited current utilization and related factors.

The following material summarizes the trends and strategies perspectives.

• An aging population profile is evolving with fewer overall numbers of youth. Therefore, a need to have a more balanced services delivery focus that moves beyond a strong youth orientation focus since the 1960s;

• The ability to address, both through the principle of inclusiveness and participation, the needs and impacts of a changing ethno-cultural mix within the population. A mix that will have other types of interests based on their traditions and experiences, as well as will want, in some areas, to adapt to Canadian leisure activities. Education, communications, engagement and focused contact with these communities represent important strategy considerations;

• Key trends related to sports activities, which are one of the traditional bases of parks and recreation services delivery, as follows:

o Increased participation of females in sports, particularly related to girl’s and women’s adult hockey;



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o Expected growth in soccer at both the youth and adult levels;

o Increased interest in extreme sports and specialized sports, such as year-round outdoor ball hockey, more skateboarding facilities, etc.;

o Some declines in baseball, racquet sports, tennis and related activities;

• Ever increasing expectations amongst users relative to facility quality, driven both by consumer and fee expectations, as well as what is being developed in other communities. This has significant capital and operating cost implications;

• The increasing merger of sport and cultural tourism with parks and recreation services facilities and operations as one of the key rationales and points of investment;

• An increasing interest in the environment and the conservation of key environmental features, such as water / wetlands, woodlots, ravines, etc., which often brings additional lands and management responsibilities to a municipality;

• An increasing emphasis on energy efficient facility and venue designs, using LEED standards as a baseline;

• The growing importance and value for arts, culture and heritage as part of a healthy and creative municipality and in support of changing resident values and population characteristics;

• The increasing integration of community, health, education, social and policy services relative to holistic servicing strategies, often led by health units and both public and community-based social service providers;

• The increasing sophistication, emphasis on and impact of user fees and rental rates development relative to how they are prepared, their fairness and equity, transparency; and the ability to develop them in a meaningful and consistent way;

• The growth in market segmentation and services differentiation between recreational use, higher skill interests and other types of uses that define different market niches and varying types of expectations and levels of needs amongst participants;

• The increasing role of not-for-profit, private sector and community organizations in the delivery of leisure services and the potentially changing role of municipalities with a greater emphases on facilitation and community development;

• The growing use of partnerships, joint ventures and community engagement as a basis to facilitate services development and delivery;

• The increasing use of a wider array of capital and operating financial sources to support services delivery, including corporate sponsorships, community fundraising, senior government grants, etc.;

• The increasing emphasis on the evaluation of services delivery to ensure that the right services are being delivered within the appropriate frameworks and with the desired outcomes;

• The increasing emphasis on multi-use facilities and the potential to use more of the community’s facilities in terms of institutions, schools, clubs / associations, etc.;



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• A growing emphasis exists to balance the need for rehabilitation of aging facilities in conjunction with the development of new facilities. Also the importance of ensuring adequate resourcing for ongoing capital facility maintenance, renewal and serviceability is important.




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3. ACTION PLANS FRAMEWORK This Section of the Master Plan provides the philosophical foundation and strategic directions for the Plan. This foundation is built on a Vision, Mission, Guiding Principles and Master Plan Objectives incorporating the unique perspectives in Brockton. They provide strategic direction for investments, resourcing and decision making for the next twenty years (2031). This foundation is an important touch stone for the community, participants and Council to identify reasons and support of their decision-making. The Plan recognizes future trends as well as the need to adjust to changing circumstances over time. These foundations will provide the background needed to make these decisions in the future.

3.1 Vision Statement The Vision Statement provides an overarching long term focus and inspires the energy, commitment and participation of all stakeholders to strive towards a common goal and outcome. It should be a statement that creates a sense of direction, common bond within the community. It establishes the basis upon which the Master Plan has been developed and will be used for ongoing implementation. The following Vision Statement has been developed for the Municipality of Brockton Recreation and Leisure Services Master Plan for 2011 to 2031.



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RECOMMENDATION 3-1: VISION STATEMENT

Brockton will be a community where residents and visitors participate in a wide range of recreation and leisure activities, offered in parks, facilities and programming to enjoy a vibrant, engaged and healthy lifestyle.

3.2 Mission Statement The Mission Statement identifies the foundation and key elements of the Master Plan in terms of its application each policy and operational decision associated with the delivery of recreation and leisure services should align with the intent and direction of the Mission Statement. The following Mission Statement has been prepared specifically for the Municipality of Brockton Recreation and Leisure Services Master Plan.

The Master Plan recognizes the core service delivery by the Municipality of Brockton but integrates the network of not-for-profit, school board, private sector and other related service providers to ensure the broadest selection of recreation and leisure opportunities for residents and visitors. The Mission recognizes the importance of partnerships, cooperation and the ability of strategic municipal investments to build on community resources. The Mission Statement recognizes the integration and importance of recreation and leisure services in the broader community context.

RECOMMENDATION 3-2: MISSION STATEMENT

The Recreation and Leisure Services Master Plan focuses on the community’s abilities and resources towards the development of parks, facilities, programming and participation opportunities that enrich the life experience of Brockton residents and visitors through the following statements:

• To enhance the quality of life and liveability for residents and visitors by offering parks, facilities and programs that maximize community benefit through participation.

• To enhance the capacity of recreation staff, community organizations and public agencies as sustainable and vibrant contributors to recreation and leisure services.

• To support the renewal of and reinvestment in parks, recreation facilities and open space to ensure high quality and sustainable venues.

• To provide recreation and leisure services which are sustainable, flexible and affordable in response to changing demographics and recreation trends.

• To improve economic development and residential development opportunities by investing in programming and facilities within the municipality.

The Mission Statement identifies several levels of investments and outcome. The first level speaks to individual health, vibrancy and personal development of residents as the foundation for a strong Master Plan. The second element identifies creating strong community organizations that operate and deliver sustainable programs and venues. The third level recognizes the need to build on the existing resources and facilities to create venues. The fourth level speaks to the broader community outcome, recognizing that individuals and community organizations are needed to provide recreation programming which is sustainable yet flexible enough to respond to changing community interests. The fifth level identifies the importance of recreation and facilities programming as a support to economic development. Outside investment in jobs or living



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accommodation recognize the significance of a strong recreation and leisure services organization to enhance their investments. Together these five Mission Statements form the foundation for the Master Plan activities.

3.3 Guiding Principles The following principles have been prepared as the basis for action plans related to the forms, streams of analysis, parks and open space resource; facilities, programs and service delivery; management and finance; and the municipal campground. They also provide measures for implementation and for the monitoring program to evaluate success of the Master Plan. These principles have two applications at this level of planning. First they provide further definition for key components of the Mission Statement. Secondly, they identify how the Master Plan and the community service providers need to interact with residents, participants and visitors and form the relationships that are needed in order to be successful. The following principles have been developed for the Brockton Recreation and Leisure Services Master Plan.

RECOMMENDATION 3-3: GUIDING PRINCIPLES

Municipal Leadership

The Municipality will continue to provide the leadership role in the planning, coordination, facilitation and evaluation of recreation and leisure services to ensure innovative delivery strategies through partnerships, joint ventures and direct service delivery.

Shared Responsibility

Program development, service delivery, parks and facility investment will be undertaken as a shared responsibility between the Municipality and not-for-profit organizations in the community. The foundation will be the existing contributions of skills, time and resources by volunteers, professional staff, sponsors and related organizations.

Sustainability

The Master Plan will contribute to sustainable facilities, programs and venues based on resources, financial criteria and commitment to create an exceptional quality of life.

Balanced Array of Opportunities

The Municipality will encourage a balanced choice amongst the various recreation and leisure services opportunities through collaborative strategies and partnerships in response to the changing community aspirations and demographics of residents and visitors.

Fairness and Inclusion

Recreation and leisure services will ensure fairness and inclusion for all residents across ability, age, economic and geographic perspectives by encouraging and facilitating their participation.

Maximize Facility Utilization

The achievement of maximum utilization of existing parks, facilities and programs is priority before the development of new facilities, parks, program, along with ensuring cost effective operations.



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Energy Conservation and Utilization

Existing facility operations and renewal of facilities will strive towards energy efficient use and investments towards conservation measures in order to reduce the overall environmental footprint and energy costs for these facilities.

Quality Services and Evaluation

Recreation services will be delivered at a high quality and continually evaluated to determine the community benefit, cost effectiveness, sustainability and achievement of stated outcomes.

Balance of Accessibility and Revenue Generation

Recreation and leisure services will be achieved at a reasonable balance between facilitating broad based public accessibility and generating revenues that support both community organizations sustainability and align with municipal financial capacity.

3.4 Master Plan Objectives The Master Plan objectives identify specific outcomes that are presented in this Master Plan. These objectives connect the research, community consultation and experience to identify intended outcomes of the Master Plan. The Master Plan objectives are identified as follows.

RECOMMENDATION 3-4: MASTER PLAN OBJECTIVES

• Recommend service levels and delivery strategies for parks, and open space.

• Identify opportunities for trails enhancement and investments.

• Identify the role and responsibilities of the Recreation Department in the provision of horticultural services to other agencies within the Municipality.

• Identify service priorities and levels for recreation facilities including the ice pads, pool and community facilities.

• Identify the recreation facilities and fields components of the possible municipal complex.

• Identify management and staffing strategies and levels to meet existing and future expectations of the community.

• Identify a service delivery model to ensure support and continued participation by the community service sector.

• Establish a sustainable financing model for investment and development of new recreation facilities.

• Identify a campground operation action plan in order to meet the changing service levels and financial sustainability by the municipality.

• Identify opportunities to promote and enhance involvement in recreation and leisure services within the municipality.




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4. PARKS, TRAILS, HORTICULTURE AND OPEN SPACE ACTION PLANS

4.1 Introduction This section of the Master Plan provides a framework and action plans related to the four functional areas of parks provided in Brockton. These lands form the fundamental resource for the provision of recreation and leisure services in the Municipality. Spaces include parkettes, neighbourhood and community parks, trails, horticulture landscaped areas and open space.

This section will provide classifications for each of the park types, policies for their function and provisioning levels across the municipality. This material provides overall perspectives for the delivery of parks and open space followed by specific action plans for the Municipality.

4.2 Parks Framework The following framework develops the principles established in Section 3 of the Master Plan. They identify the connection between the guiding principles and the provisioning of parks space. The Action Plan recommendations demonstrate connections from the Vision and Mission through Guiding Principles and the implementation of each parks type.

Parks, trails, horticulture and open space are the venues where residents enjoy healthy vibrant and engaged and healthy lifestyles. These venues include passive enjoyment, active engagement in sports teams of fields and participation at community events such as the Walkerton Cenotaph.



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These places are a tangible reflection of Brockton’s commitment to improving and maintaining the quality of life.

The Action Plan recommendations allow for a balanced array of opportunities for the siting of facilities and programming to allow choices depending on interests and capabilities of the participants. Furthermore the Action Plan will ensure opportunities for passive and active recreation enjoyment in each of the significant parks.

The distribution of parks within the community will help to ensure equal access for all residents recognizing significant distances between rural parts of the communities and the major urban area of Walkerton. Support and maintenance for the community parks in Elmwood, Cargill and Chepstow are important gathering places for rural areas.

Maximum utilization of parks is intended to ensure that municipal resources and investments in parkland are well utilized and match the changing trends and needs of the community. Reinvestment and renewal in existing parks and open space will be considered prior to the development of new park locations.

The Action Plans recognize a shared responsibility for the maintenance and operations of the rural based community parks. This recognizes the commitment of the community to share responsibility and to provide leadership in fulfilling a park’s roles in a community. The Municipality should establish appropriate service levels and operating guidelines to ensure continued fair and safe enjoyment of these venues.

Natural heritage preservation and enhancement is a significant trend found across the province and in the community Brockton. Retention and development of natural features and natural heritage areas is a key to future parks and open space function. Where appropriate the municipality should consider naturalizing parts of the park system.

RECOMMENDATION 4-1: PARKS FRAMEWORK

That the Municipality of Brockton adopt the following framework for the establishment, renewal, maintenance and operation of parks, trails, horticulture and open space:

• That park locations provide a balance of recreation opportunities in both the urban and rural parts of the Municipality.

• That the parkland and open spaces generally be equally distributed across the Municipality to encourage broad community enjoyment focusing on the serviced communities identified in the Official Plan.

• That all parks be well utilized to meet community interests and needs and be renewed prior to the establishment of new parks.

• That the municipality continue to encourage, partner and fund community contributions for the maintenance and operations of parkland in the communities of Elmwood, Cargill and Chepstow.



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4.3 Parkland Action Plan The following recommendations identify parkland classification and development profiles. Information is summarized for parkettes, neighbourhood parks and community parks. Each park description includes basic requirements, access, site area, service standards and location and the preferred criteria for future investments in these sites.

4.3 .1 PARK ETTES

Parkettes are small open space sites that provide venues for special commemorative events, passive rest areas and contribute to the municipality’s design amenity. Parkettes will continue to have an important ceremonial function commemorating and celebrating various community contributions to the Municipality.

RECOMMENDATION 4-2: PARKETTES CRITERIA

Basic Facility Requirements

• Informal seating area. • Open turf area for play. • Park name and signage. • Waste receptacles. • Formal landscaped areas. • Native species plantings.

Optional Features

• Playground equipment. • Stage. • Electrical service. • Bike racks.

Access

• Walking. • Cycling. • Driving.

Service Area

• Urban area.

Preferred Size

• 0.5 hectares. • May be part of larger venue.

Service Standards

• Passive and commemorative venue / park space. • High visibility.

Identity and Location

• Provide urban design function. • Highly visible to the community. • Recognizes community contributions.

Notes • Often historically related to community and/or donation of land to the community.

• May be operated by a local Legion or other community group.



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4.3 .2 NEIGHB OU RH OOD PARK S

Neighbourhood parks are the primary venues to satisfy the basic open space and recreation requirements of the Municipality. In Brockton this neighbourhood function is provided both at a neighbourhood level and in the community parks which are accessible to a large number of residents in both the rural and urban parts of the municipality. The neighbourhood parks are found in Glamis, Bradley Schoolhouse, Central Park in Walkerton and Elmwood, Lions Park. These parks accommodate both passive and active activities and serve all age groups within the neighbourhood. The preferred size for neighbourhood parks range from 0.5 to 2 hectares. Programming within this classification is based on neighbourhood preferences but normally includes passive activities for sitting, viewing and socializing and play areas for children for unstructured active play. The park may include playing fields or playing courts for informal but active recreation. It is preferable to link neighbourhood parks through community trails, school yards and other open space features whenever possible.

RECOMMENDATION 4-3: NEIGHBOURHOOD PARKS CRITERIA


• Playground equipment. • Informal seating area. • Open turf area for active play. • Provide shaded areas (with planting or shade structure) for passive

recreation. • Park name and signage. • Waste receptacles. • Bike racks. • Native species plantings.

Optional Features

• Play courts. • Play fields. • Toboggan hills. • Horseshoe pits, etc. • Trail linkages. • May include onsite parking.

Access

• Walking. • Cycling. • Trails.

Service Area

• 600m to 800m radius or 5 to 10 minutes of walking, uninterrupted by major roads and other physical barriers.

Preferred Size

• 0.5 to 2 hectares.

Service Standards

• 1 hectare per 1000 population. • A balance of active and passive park spaces. • Minimum of two different street access locations. • Preferred street frontage of 50 metres, but not less than 40 metres. • Parking is on street for informal play fields. • Parking onsite where the fields are programmed.



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• Defined edges to distinguish from adjacent land use and provide extensive street frontage for safety and visibility.

• Location to be central to the neighbourhood / local area it serves in a way that the service area is not interrupted by major roads and other physical barriers.

• Screen park from negative adjacent land use impacts.

Notes • Serves one or two neighbourhoods / local areas. • Location and facilities should be coordinated with elementary schools

where the possibility exists.

4.3 .3 COMMUN ITY PA RKS

Community parks are large venues serving outdoor recreation needs of residents in rural hamlets or large portions of the Walkerton urban area. A preferred location is on a major road to provide easy access and reduce impacts on surrounding neighbourhoods. These parks are multipurpose and offer both passive and active recreation areas for programmed and non-programmed activities. In Brockton the community parks offer year-round recreational opportunities including major sports fields, the arena and community centre facilities, outdoor swimming pool and community centres. The community parks also provide a neighbourhood park function to residents in the immediate area.

Community parks include Centennial Park, Walkerton Community Centre, Cargill Community Centre, Elmwood Park and Community Centre and Chepstow Lions Park. The Cargill Community Centre and Elmwood Park are owned by the Municipality, but managed by service clubs. Chepstow Lions Park is owned and operated by the Lions Service Club organization.

The size of community parks will vary depending on the nature of the existing facilities. There should be a minimum of four hectares to accommodate the array of choices for recreational opportunities. The parks should be well connected to surrounding neighbourhoods in the form of walkways and community trails linking the site to other destinations in the community.

RECOMMENDATION 4-4: COMMUNITY PARKS CRITERIA


• Major playground • At least two competitive level play fields and one play

court (basketball, ball hockey, tennis or multi-purpose), with considerations for lighting.

• Seating area for viewing as appropriate • Parking and parking lot lighting • Provide shaded areas (with planting or shade structure)

for passive recreation • Provision of bike racks • Park name and signage • Waste receptacles • Native species plantings • Washrooms • Fulfill requirements of a Neighbourhood Park



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Optional Features

• Additional play fields or courts. • Splash pads • Toboggan hills • Natural areas, horticultural displays. • Informal activity areas, e.g: horseshoe pits, etc. • Informal seating areas. • Open turf areas for play. • Concession, change and storage facility / facilities. • Trail connections and support facilities.

Access

• Walking • Cycling • Trails • Cars

Service Area

• 1.6 to 2.6 km radius in urban areas

Preferred Size

• Minimum of 4 hectares

Service Standards

• 1 hectare per 1000 population • Primarily active park spaces with the provision of

passive spaces to fulfill the requirements of a neighbourhood park where applicable

• More than two street access points • Minimum street frontage of 50 metres


• Defined edges to distinguish from adjacent land use and provide extensive street frontage for safety and visibility

• Location to be central to the community it serves and be accessible from a major road

• Screen park from negative adjacent impacts • Screen neighbouring residences from negative park

impacts (play court noise, lighting, etc) where applicable

Notes • Serves identified communities • Location and facilities should be coordinated with

secondary schools where possible • May attract visitors from other areas of the Municipality

and outside the Municipality

4.4 Trails Action Plan Recreation trails are a valued part of the parks and open space resources. They provide opportunities for passive non-structured outdoor experiences. The trail systems development aligns with the changing demographics of older outdoor participants and increasing awareness of outdoor environmental activities. There are two primary trail systems within the municipality one within the urban area of Walkerton and a second is the Brant County Rail Trail. In addition to the land based trails, Brockton also enjoys access to the Saugeen River Canoe Route and the Teeswater River offering opportunities for canoeing, kayaking and fishing.



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The development and use of trails is an important in providing community access and the ability to link various parks within the community. The relationship between the trails and the parks is twofold. Firstly the park system creates a destination for the start or end of a trail system and secondly, they provide support locations for vehicles, trail signage, rest stops, washrooms and related support facilities. The future development of the trail network will focus on providing trail connections to park locations, schools, community centres and other major sport fields’ locations. Within the urban area of Walkerton opportunities to connect the existing trail system on the west and east sides of the Saugeen River should be explored.

RECOMMENDATION 4-5: TRAILS

That the Municipality support and invest in the following trails plan actions:

• Identify and prioritize connection of trails within the urban area of Walkerton on either side of the Saugeen River and a connection to the Brant Rail Trail at the southwest corner of the Municipality.

• Identify existing trails within the Municipality and publish information electronically or in hard copy to identify and promote both land and river trail systems.

• Continue to maintain and invest in trail amenities to encourage and to identify trail connections and destinations through the municipality.

• Where residential, commercial or industrial areas are being proposed or redeveloped that consideration be given to opportunities for trail system through these areas especially along the Saugeen River connecting municipal parks and other major destinations.

• Prepare a Trails Master Plan in the mid term.

4.5 Horticulture Action Plan The horticulture function in the Municipality includes a responsibility for parks turf, parks and boulevard trees and shrubs, sports fields and establishment and maintenance of flowerbeds. More recently the establishment of the Heritage Water Garden has added a significant responsibility to the horticulture function in Brockton. Through the focus groups staff and service clubs identified challenges related to the provision of horticulture services.

The primary function for horticulture services is to provide for the health of the natural environment, the safety of public user groups, the function of the park venues for active recreation and playing fields and finally for beautification of the Municipality through trees, shrubs and flowerbeds. Within the urban area of Walkerton and parks maintained by the municipality this function is completed by municipal staff. In the community operated parks in Chepstow, Cargill and Elmwood this is undertaken through volunteers and municipal grants.

Two significant trends with respect to horticulture are the aging membership of the Horticultural Society for Walkerton and the limited availability of volunteers to support municipal horticultural initiatives. The second trend is investments by the Business Improvement Area and business organizations for beautification projects in horticulture without the associated operating budgets. In order to address these concerns the municipality has recently created a permanent full time position of municipal landscape gardener to manage and to achieve the greatest results from the available resources. In order to support these functions the following horticulture action plan recommendations are provided.



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RECOMMENDATION 4-6: HORTICULTURE ACTION PLAN

That the Municipality adopt the following actions with respect to the provision of horticulture services in the municipality.

• That Council adopt priorities for the location of horticulture resources including investments to maintain the function of parkland, safety of the park environment, health and beauty of permanent landscaped elements and finally the planting and maintenance of flowerbeds.

• That the Recreation Department submit a budget and staff allocation recommendation annually in advance of any requests from outside organizations for horticulture commitments to ensure the priorities are maintained.

• Where requests are made from outside organizations for field maintenance, flowerbed installation and maintenance, tree plantings and related horticulture activities that Council adopt an associated maintenance budget item for new investments.

• That the Municipality through the Recreation Department establish contracts with community organizations where municipal grants are provided for the maintenance and operation of community parks in Elmwood, Cargill and Chepstow to ensure safe operations, healthy landscape features and a consistent level of service delivery throughout the Municipality. Where community organizations require direct municipal maintenance and operation the Department will negotiate a level service which is consistent with existing service levels in the Municipality.

4.6 Open Space Action Plan The interest in open space and naturalized areas has been increasing throughout Ontario along with the interest in environmental protection, global warming and the loss of bio-diversity. Throughout society there are significant initiatives to protect, conserve and enhance the natural environment. The Municipality owns Riverbend Park, Fish Ladder Park and Cummingham Park where trails, picnic areas, fishing and scenic lookout are provided in the community.

In addition to the municipally owned lands there are two significantly publically owned areas including the Greenock Swamp Complex and the Brant Tract Woodlands. The Saugeen Valley Conservation Authority owns and manages approximately 3440 hectares of the swamp and is initiating a trail system for public wildlife viewing, birding, canoeing, snowmobiling, cross country skiing and related outdoor activities. The second site is the Brant Tract Woodlot owned by Bruce County. It contains approximately 316 hectares of mixed hardwoods and softwoods and approximately 30 kilometres of hiking, snowmobiling and mountain biking trails. Together both of these open spaces provide an important resource for both residents and visitors to Brockton. The following open space action plan items are recommended in order to ensure continued enjoyment of these resources.

RECOMMENDATION 4-7: OPEN SPACE ACTION PLAN

That Brockton undertakes the following actions with respect to open space areas:

• That existing open space lands continue to be maintained and enhanced through appropriate signage, rest stops and benches and associated parking areas.



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• That consideration is given to naturalizing portions of all neighbourhood and community parks to recognize the importance of naturalized area and reduce potential maintenance costs.

• To partner with the County of Bruce and the Saugeen Valley Conservation Authority in the promotion of significant open space venues in the municipality to residents and visitors in promotional material.

4.7 Parks and Open Space Provisioning Levels The Municipality of Brockton has over 55 hectares of municipally owned and not-for-profit owned parkland in the municipality. This provides a rate of 5.7 hectares of parkland per 1000 population and places Brockton at the high end of parkland provisions when compared to other municipalities in southern Ontario. In addition when combined with the publically owned school sites there is an additional 28 hectares of land and when added to the existing municipally owned land allows provision of 8.6 hectares of publically accessible land per 1000 population. Based on these standards there is no immediate need for the acquisition for additional parkland in the municipality. New parkland should be acquired upon growth through subdivision development, the redevelopment of school sites or donations.

RECOMMENDATION 4-8: PARKLAND PROVISIONING STANDARDS

Where new development occurs within the municipality the following parkland provisioning standards shall be adopted.

• Neighbourhood parks standard of one hectare per 1000 population;

• Community parks and open space standard of four hectares per 1000 population;

• An overall standard of five hectares of municipality owned parkland for 1000 population growth.

4.8 Park Space Acquisition Policies The following policies provide guidance to future parkland acquisition decisions by the Municipality. These policies implement the guiding principles of the Master Plan and are intended to ensure effective and efficient use of municipal park resources to achieve maximum benefit from municipal investment and parks open space and trails.

There are wide range of acquisition policies available including parkland dedication under the Planning Act; purchase of former school lands; donations of parkland from private or community organizations; acquisition of natural areas; and direct purchase of parkland and open space. The following subheadings provide an overview for each acquisition strategy and can be applied in the context as opportunities arise throughout the municipality.

Parkland Dedication

The Provincial Planning Act allows for parkland dedication based on the development or redevelopment of land within the community. These provisions allow the municipality to receive up to five percent of the residential development land for park purposes or an equivalent value in money. When accepting these lands they should be suitable for the desired park functions



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including sports fields, playgrounds and ancillary buildings or trails. Where dedication occurs in new subdivisions the preferred funding sourcing for the development of these lands for playground equipment, playing field infrastructure or amenity features should be subdivisions development charges. Where there are no development charges available the municipality should fund these improvements through capital budget amounts from the general tax revenue.

Former School Sites

Brockton is experiencing the consolidation of the Walkerton Public School and the Brant Central School site into a new Kindergarten to Grade 12 Walkerton District Secondary School. The new school will be open in 2012 resulting in a reduction in the number of soccer fields available to the community. The School Board must offer these surplus sites to the municipality prior to disposing of them in the open market. The purchase of these sites should be aligned with the Master Plan Mission, Guiding Principles and specific recommendations following this section. Criteria should include

• The need for additional park space;

• The proximity of public school lands to municipal park space;

• Are there recreational fields used on a programmed basis by the community?

• Does the site have sufficient visibility and road frontage?

• Can the surplus school buildings be severed from the site and conveyed separately for other community uses?

Donations

Parkland donations are often received as a legacy to a family or person who has passed away. While these donations should be considered they must be evaluated within the overall Master Plan directions and policies prior to acceptance. These donations should be accepted where the following criteria are met:

• They have a significant lot area to provide an acceptable range of activities;

• The location should be within a residential or commercial area with convenient access and on a public street;

• It should serve one or more park functions within the parkland hierarchy; and

• Restrictions on donations should be accepted where they could be sold and the proceeds placed in a parkland reserve fund.

Natural Areas

The Municipality of Brockton has recognized the importance of natural areas with the development of trails along the Saugeen River and the Cunningham Park scenic lookout. This recognizes trends in parks development for the value of natural areas and the role of open space linkages and important passive recreational venues.



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Natural areas may be acquired through dedication, donation, conservation easements, municipal purchase and land trusts. There may be opportunities for the municipality to partner with local not-for-profit organizations, the Conservation Authority and the County to promote, manage or enhance natural areas such as the Greenock Swamp, Brant Tract or Bruce Rail Trail. The Municipality could establish a reserve fund in support of partnerships for the acquisition, maintenance and enhancement of natural parks within the municipality.

Municipal Purchase

The Municipality may identify the need to purchase additional parkland in response to a community need, changing demographics, or a unique opportunity available to the municipality. The purchase of additional lands should be based on the following criteria:

• Alignment with the Master Plan’s Mission and Guiding Principles;

• Demonstrated need for additional park space to meet community recreation interests;

• Evaluation of alternative parkland acquisition opportunities;

• Availability and capacity to fund parkland acquisition.

RECOMMENDATION 4-9: PARKLAND ACQUISITION POLICIES

That the Municipality adopt the following parkland acquisition policies:

• That parkland is acquired through Planning Act dedication provisions, where lands are being developed or redeveloped for residential purposes.

• That the Walkerton Public School site be identified to retain a outdoor neighbourhood park space abutting the existing Cenotaph, lawn bowling and day care centre of approximately 0.8 hectares (2 acres) to retain the outdoor playground accessibility to the surrounding neighbourhood.

• That the Brant Central School site remain accessible for the next three to five years as a community soccer venue and be part of a reciprocal agreement / leased from the School Board pending identification of a new municipal and recreation centre location.

• That parkland donations be accepted where they meet appropriate size, location and function for the community.

• That natural areas be acquired through dedication, donation, Conservation Authority easements or land trust to protect important natural features in partnership with other not-for-profit and public agencies.

• That municipal purchase of parkland is considered only after all other options have been evaluated and there is an identified need for lands that align with the Mission, and Guiding Principles of the Master Plan.




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5. RECREATION FACILITIES AND LEISURE SERVICES DELIVERY PLAN

5.1 Facilities Action Plan This section discusses the opportunities and challenges related to the development of a multi-use recreation complex, soccer fields, baseball fields and related recreation facility venues in Brockton. The purpose of this section is to create a framework to maintain existing facilities through invest, reposition facilities that may have limited demand and are not sustainable and identify opportunities to match the recreation and leisure needs of the community with the capacity of the municipality.

5.1 .1 MULTI - USE R ECR EAT ION COMPL EX

The purpose of this section is to discuss the future interest and need for a multi use recreation complex as set out in the terms of reference. Through the research and community consultation this study has identified the interests and the potential for arenas, gymnasiums, swimming pools and related facilities. The recommendation is for a phased long term approach to achieve a long term renewal and replacement and repositioning the facilities to accommodate sport tournaments in Brockton.

Brockton has two single pad arenas. The Walkerton Community Centre was built in 1972 with an ice surface of 80’ x 180’, 950 seating capacity plus 200 person standing capacity. The area has four dressing rooms, concession area, minor sports room, public washrooms and a first aid room. There has been an increasing demand for prime time ice hours with the addition of a Senior Hockey



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Team, women’s hockey and recreational hockey leagues. From 2007/08 the prime time utilization increased from 74.7% to the 2009/10 season where prime time utilization increased to 88%. Where the demand for prime time ice exceeds 90% it signals an interest in more ice capacity. In addition to the Walkerton Arena, the Horse Palace Arena located on the Agricultural Society is operating on a mobile ice making refrigeration unit providing additional practice ice time at a lower rate than the Arena. In 2010 there was a significant investment in the Walkerton Arena through Federal and Provincial Recreation Infrastructure Canada program.

In the long term, Brockton should consider closing both arenas and moving to a twin pad arena concept at a multi-use venue. This initiative must be based on a strong demand of 90% for prime time ice in order to sustain the development and operation of the arenas. Twin pad arenas have become the primary means to deliver indoor ice resources in communities across Ontario. There has been significant development of new twin pad arenas for several reasons:

• Potential annualized operational cost savings of up to 25% compared to operating two stand alone single ice pad facilities.

• Up to 25% reduction in capital costs in comparison to building two stand alone single ice pad facilities.

• Improved program operations for volunteer community organizations / service providers.

• Increased capacity and attraction related to sport tourism activities, such as youth and adult hockey tournaments, skating shows, off-season floor utilization and entertainment and related uses depending on seating capacity and facility amenities (lighting, audio and visual systems, etc.)

Twin pad facilities are being developed in most communities based on several key demand / use rationales:

• Continuing growth in girls and women’s hockey.

• Lower than expected reductions in men’s adult hockey due to the introduction of leagues for sixty and seventy year old age groupings.

• The sustainability of ringette in some areas.

• Growth in specialized uses, such as sledge hockey, master’s skating, synchronized skating etc.

• Replacement of aged existing arena facilities in order to overcome significant operating cost inefficiencies and capital cost reinvestment needs related to both building code and OWDA requirements, energy use inefficiency and aged systems and building components.

Twin pad facilities, especially if they have sport tourism capacities, typically have the following space profiles:

• Two ice pads of 85 feet by 200 feet.

• Ten to twelve dressing rooms to facilitate female participation and sport tourism needs;



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• Two referee rooms to facilitate mixed gender refereeing teams.

• A combined large concession area and foyer.

• A tournament organizer’s room that can double as a meeting room to support fifteen to twenty individuals.

• Often includes a program / meeting room that can support fifty to one hundred individuals.

• A warm viewing area for seniors, the disabled and others.

• Highly variable seating levels, ranging from no seats to one of the pads having 500 to 1,000 seats depending on junior team play, sport tourism and entertainment applications.

• Possibly a walking track and fitness rooms.

In many municipalities, there is also interest to link a twin pad arena facility with other community facilities, such as a community centre, gymnasiums, indoor swimming pool, branch library, seniors centre, daycare / early years centre and other types of uses. This is undertaken principally due to the following perspectives:

• Increased operational and capital cost efficiencies.

• Creation of a single destination, multi-use perspective that supports user convenience, marketing and related features.

• Often results in enhanced facility quality and greater multi-use opportunities.

• Can be located close to commercial services to support sport tourism and other activities.

Another variable that needs to be considered when planning a major recreation facility development initiative is whether it is beneficial from operational, program, sport tourism, marketing and other perspectives, to also incorporate outdoor facilities such as soccer, baseball and other sports fields. There has been a strong indication of future demand in Brockton for soccer which continues to grow at the youth level, adult men’s leagues and women’s soccer. Proposals have been identified by the Walkerton Football Club and others for the possibility of developing four full sized soccer fields in at centralized recreation destination on a major travel route for access across Bruce County. The potential exists based on the site design to gain operating and capital economies of scale, such as the twin pad arena dressing rooms supporting season use of the sports fields, a large concession, reduced parking need, etc., depending on the use schedule of the twin pad in the non-ice core season. In addition the Saugeen Fustal League indentified the need for additional gym time for indoor soccer activities. There are also baton twirling and cheerleading recreation activities that require high ceiling gym space.

Through the Community Consultation process every session invited comments on the scope of services and facilities in a multi-use facility. Strong interest was shown in the development of a double gym facility to adjust for the loss of the two gyms with the closing of the two elementary schools and the replacement of the two arenas with one twin pad arena; a walking track and fitness facilities. Through discussion with High school students a youth room with access to computer labs and video equipment was identified.



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The convergence of various community proposals, user trends, the presence of aged and high re-investment requiring facilities, the loss of sports fields and gymnasiums and trends in sport and recreational activity, provides sound rationale to undertake a significant assessment and investigation into the development of a comprehensive, integrated recreation and sports complex to better serve the broad array of activity interests in Brockton. Such a facility could also enhance resident quality of life experiences that attracts and retains residents, builds community volunteer capacities and organizational sustainability and contributes to a growing positive community spirit.

The key benefits that would be achieved through this significant investment, based on senior government and municipal funding support, as well as community fundraising, would involve the following:

• Significant contribution to broadening the array of leisure, recreation and wellness opportunities for Brockton residents.

• Provide a facility of contemporary quality, capacity and design that would encourage additional use and participation.

• Enhance the community’s ability to pursue sport tourism events, on a more competitive basis.

• Eliminate aged facilities that have significant re-investment costs, will require additional investments to meet evolving Ontarians with Disabilities Act requirements and are inefficient in their operations, relative to energy, the environment, capacities, etc.

• Create a destination for recreation, sports and leisure within Bruce and Grey counties to provide a unique regional destination and a potential gateway / attraction upon entering the community.

There has been significant interest expressed for the development of an indoor swimming pool in Brockton through the previous Fun Fit Brockton initiative, in the community survey with the highest interest of 63% in the likely use of the facility and through our community consultation. The challenge with an indoor pool is the high fixed operating costs. The operating deficient for an indoor pool ranges from $300,000 to $400,000 annually. Unlike arenas where the rental of hours can offset a large portion of the operating cost over a limited/defined ice season there is no large recreational or competitive team program that can generate the revenue to offset this level of investment. The use of the nearby Hanover indoor Pool is reflected in the Brockton community survey where 62% participated in various activities at the indoor Pool. Instead of an indoor pool Brockton could develop a double gym that could be available to the Town of Hanover through a reciprocal agreement for the pool. In the interim an annual operating grant to the Town in lieu of an outside residents surcharge could accommodate greater participation from Brockton and help to offset losses for the indoor pool. Based on the proximity of the exiting pool an indoor pool is not recommended for the multi-use complex.

Through a discussion with the Steering Committee the following recommendation is phased to show an evolution of a site in Brockton where sports fields, a multi-use centre and an arena develop on one integrated site. This project is multi-faceted and multi-layered. The timing and implementation will likely extend through the life of the Master Plan and is intended to provide long term direction and vision for the facilities and recreation amenities identified through the focus groups and discussion. It is dependent on the resources, finances and abilities of the Municipality to create the funding for the project.



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RECOMMENDATION 5-1 SPORTS FIELDS / MULTI-USE CENTRE/ ARENA

That Brockton undertake the following investment in sports fields, a multi-use centre and arena based on timelines associated with need, funding availability and community support and on the following Phases:

PHASE 1: That the Municipality adopt the following strategy for the acquisition and development of soccer fields:

• Meet with the Bluewater District School Board and the Walkerton Football Club to establish user fees to be allocated on the renewal and maintenance of the two fields and one mini field at the Brant School site for the next 3 – 5 years.

• Identify a location for the development of a four field soccer tournament location of approximately 7 – 12 ha in association with a Multi-use complex venue of 15 – 18 ha in the 5 – 10 year time frame and the decommissioning of the Brant School venue.

• In the long term 10 years or longer, invest in washrooms, change rooms, lighting and concession / maintenance building for the soccer venue.

PHASE 2: That the Municipality adopt the following strategy for the development and construction of a Multi-use Centre in the 5 – 10 year time frame:

• To develop a multi-use recreation space with a building area of 10,000 square feet to 15,000 square feet including:

o One double gym;

o Meeting rooms;

o Multi-purpose meeting room(s;

o Fitness room;

o Computer/gaming room; and

o Washrooms, change rooms, concession and maintenance facilities for the outdoor soccer fields,

to accommodate youth, seniors, teens, people with disabilities and other specialized audiences, as well as appropriate space to support sport tourism and a broad array of other recreational uses and leisure programming.

PHASE 3: That the municipality adopt the following strategy for the development and construction of a single pad evolving to a twin pad arena in conjunction with the playing fields and Multi-use centre in the 5 – 10 year time frame.

• To invest in selected existing arena buildings to achieve energy conservation; accessibility and equipment maintenance benefits.



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• That the mobile ice making refrigeration equipment for the Horse Palace not be replaced and that the Municipality contract prime time ice in neighbouring municipalities in the 3 – 5 year term until a new arena is built;

• To develop a new twin pad arena facility that will replace the Horse Palace in the 3 – 5 year term and a second ice pad to replace the Walkerton Arena in the 5 – 10 year time frame based on continued demand for prime time ice of 90% or greater with the following potential features:

o Two ice pads of 85’ x 200’ with seating in one arena for approximately 200 individuals and the other arena up to 1,000 individuals, along with an appropriate number of dressing rooms, heated viewing areas, etc.;

RECOMMENDATION 5-2: BUSINESS PLAN AND SITE SELECTION

That Brockton complete the site selection process and initiate a Business Plan for the proposed soccer fields, multi-use recreation space and twin pad arena in the next 2 – 3 years, focusing through the technical analysis and community consultation with user groups and the public, on:

o Soccer fields features related to size, lighting, viewing stands, quality of fields and configuration.

o Twin pad arena features related to the number of dressing rooms and seating.

o The primary uses and space configurations for multi-use facility components.

o Capital and operating cost requirements, as well as potential sources of funding from governments and community fundraising.

o To incorporate opportunities for sport tourism, community fundraising and promotion events related to the three phases of the site development.

o Identifying a preferred site location with 15 to 18 hectares (30 to 40 acres) to provide for outdoor sports fields, multi-use centre and twin pad arena to be incorporated based on a site selection analysis

o Incorporating a site master and staging plan for the long term development of the project for future growth, buffering and the provision of open space areas for walking, playgrounds and other amenities supporting both other outdoor recreational activities and people using the sports venue.



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RECOMMENDATION 5-3: COMMUNITY PROJECT STEERING COMMITTEE

That in support of the Business Plan’s development, a Community Project Steering Committee be formed by the Municipality to undertake:

To work with staff and others on the Business Plan’s project development, site analyses and related components;

To facilitate community consultation and communications on the project;

To organize and undertake community fundraising as the project evolves;

To participate in the development of recommendations to Council;

To prepare a fundraising preparedness study.

5.1 .2 SOCC ER F IELD S

Trends in soccer participation show increasing numbers of youth, women’s and adult leagues. Brockton is no exception to this increasing demand. There are more than four leagues competing for a total of 11 fields. The Municipality owns two full sized fields in Cargill and three mini pitches in Walkerton. The school boards own five full sized fields in Walkerton and on mini field. Two of the full sized pitches and one mini field are located on surplus school sites and may not be available in the long term. Furthermore, because the school sites are not a priority for the Boards during the summer there are maintenance and field renewal concerns for the safety of the players.

The Public School Board has indicated they will likely maintain the two full sized fields at the Brant School site after the opening of the new Walkerton K-12 school in order to ensure there is sufficient field area to complement the one field at the new school. This may create an opportunity for the Municipality over the short term by leasing the lands and or renewing and maintaining the fields for local players.

Combined the Walkerton Football Club including Walkerton Minor Soccer and Saugeen Soccer Club has a 2010 registration of 700 players. Their goal is to develop up to four full sized fields with four mini fields across two of the fields. A 2007 Waterloo Minor Soccer Study indicated an average of one field per 90 registered players. This suggests a goal of 8 fields for the Municipality. The preference is to create a tournament venue with four full sized fields, one lit field and washroom, parking, change rooms, a concession and equipment storage room for the venue. This soccer venue could be part of the multi-purpose recreation centre.

RECOMMENDATION 5-4: SOCCER FIELDS

The recommendation is incorporated into Phase 1 of Recommendation 5-1.

5.1 .3 BASEBALL DIA MONDS

There are a total of 10 adult and minor baseball diamonds in Brockton for a ratio of just over one diamond per 1000 population. Six of the diamonds are maintained by community groups in Cargill, Elmwood and Chepstow. Four of the diamonds are maintained by the Municipality. While some municipalities have shown a decline in baseball, other areas such as the Town of Tecumseh and the City of Burlington have strong baseball programs. In Brockton the community survey indicated



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33% of the households with children participated in baseball compared to 48% for soccer. The diamonds are an important part of the annual Dirt Pigs baseball tournament contributing to sport tourism. During the community consultation, there were concerns about maintaining numbers of players for baseball and the availability of baseball diamonds in comparison to slo-pitch diamonds. At the same time staff indicated the Elwood baseball diamond was used infrequently.

RECOMMENDATION 5-5: BASEBALL DIAMONDS

That the Municipality continue to monitor the utilization of municipally owned and community managed baseball diamonds to ensure there is sufficient use of the diamonds in comparison to the community investment in the next 3 years and consider the repositioning of the diamonds as for soccer fields or decommissioning the fields if the programming has been relocated to other diamonds in the Municipality.

5.1 .4 OTH ER OUTD OOR FAC IL IT IES

Brockton has invested in several other outdoor recreation facility types including eight playground equipment sites, three tennis courts and an outdoor wading pool. There was a skateboard park located on the Walkerton District High School site which has been dismantled to allow for the redevelopment of the school. These venues allow for unstructured recreation activities suitable for children, youth and adults. The Municipality should continue to reinvest in these facilities to allow a broad mix of passive recreation opportunities.

Two trends in recreation that are suitable for Walkerton are splash pads and dog parks. A splash pad is an appropriate repositioning of the wading pool in Central Park. If the wading pool is replaced with a splash pad a location with high public exposure, possibly near the core area of Walkerton could complement other outdoor festivals and events. A dog park is a popular venue for owners and their dogs to run free and socialize with other dogs in a controlled environment. If Lobies campground is redeveloped to a naturalized area a portion of the park could be redeveloped into a dog park with restrictions due to spring flooding.

RECOMMENDATION 5-6: OUTDOOR FACILITIES

That the Municipality undertake the following renewal and investments in outdoor recreation facilities:

• Existing playground equipment be maintained in all community parks in Walkerton, Cargill, Chepstow and Elmwood through regular inspection and reconstruction through community investment in accordance with safety and liability requirement s of the Municipality.

• That the Municipality develop a new skateboard park with excellent access and public visibility to provide a venue for skateboard and BMX bike activities to replace the skateboard facilities that have been removed from the Walkerton District High School location.

• That the existing tennis courts in Centennial Park be renewed and the lighting be maintained for public use. When the courts are redeveloped they should be repositioned to allow multi-use activities including basketball courts, roller blading and ball hockey.



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• All existing picnic pavilions be maintained and renewed to allow informal and family outings in all community parks;

• That the wading pool at Central Park be replaced with a splash pad at a location with high public visibility and good access to the Walkerton core area to complement special events, tourists and visitor to the community;

• That a portion of Lobies Park be developed for a dog park and that a dog-owners steering committee be established to develop and enforce behaviour codes for visitors to the park to ensure safe and clean operation.

5.1 .5 COMMUN ITY CENTRES

Brockton enjoys 12 community centre / banquet hall facilities throughout the municipality. They represent strong commitments by many not-for profit organizations that offer important social venues based on volunteer commitment and management. The Department role is related to the granting of capital improvements to the facilities to meet changing accessibility and building code requirements for public health, safety and alcohol policies enforcement. There is a significant range in the level of service and utilization of these facilities. Victoria Jubilee Hall is an outstanding restored heritage building that offers a wide range of community activities. In contrast the Bradley School House has a limited function for small family gatherings on limited occasions. Where community organizations or changing regulations require significant upgrades and capital investments the Department shall evaluate the community benefit to the investment based on criteria related to number of users, sustainability of the community function, suitability of the venue for a wide range of leisure activities, revenue generation in comparison to operating costs. Where the community benefit is not sustainable, alternative public or private redevelopment of the sites should be considered.

RECOMMENDATION 5-7: COMMUNITY CENTRES

That Brockton maintain the existing community centres where they can demonstrate long term sustainability for community benefit and a positive operating revenue;

That Council and Staff undertake a business case to assess the community benefit for capital investments of greater than $10,000 in any community centre.

Where the centre cannot demonstrate a sustainable use and operating revenue, the municipality consider the reallocation of the facility to another public agency or sale to private interests to redevelop or renew the venue.

5.2 Service Delivery Action Plan 5.2 .1 SER VICE DEL IVER Y F RAMEWORK

Brockton faces expectations to deliver a broader range of recreation services, often requiring new recreation facilities, integrated service delivery and long term capital and operating financial commitments. There are a growing number of groups wanting more unique activities at higher and higher quality levels as indicated through the Fit Fun Brockton: Preliminary Needs Analysis, community consultation and the community survey.



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Further defining service delivery, is the reality that participants have different levels of engagement needs that require different levels of coaching, facility, programming, accessibility and time availability requirements:

• Competitive levels that focus on higher performance activities and training.

• Recreational / hobbyist levels that represent the majority of users who are looking for regular, recreational level participation opportunities.

• Tryout / experimental / new activity levels which involve users who participate occasionally, people trying out different interests or emerging, new activities finding their niche.

The service delivery framework establishes the principal role for the Municipality, in the planning, development, delivery and evaluation of recreation services in the community. It also helps to identify that the municipality is sharing service delivery responsibility with the community and recognize that the municipality’s role is unique where staff have the skills, capacities, facilities and financial resources and related delivery factors which are not available to community organizations.

The Community Resources and Trends Report recognized the important role of community groups in the provision of services and the challenges related to community group sustainability. It will become increasingly important for the Recreation Department to expand the community development role and capacities. The importance of the Development’s role is multi-fold:

• To actively work with community volunteers and voluntary organizations to both sustain and enhance their capacity to deliver recreation and sport related programs for the community.

• To ensure the broadest possible array of recreation program availability, through a healthy and growing voluntary services delivery sector particularly considering that if voluntary delivery organizations were to contract or disappear, the Municipality could not begin to afford to deliver these programs, such as minor sports.

• To engage the community to use all its skills and capacities, and to take leadership in the delivery of recreation and leisure programs in which they have an interest.

• To focus on the Municipality’s strengths related to facilities, parks, open spaces, research and planning and related activities, and to build services on the strengths of the community where they are best applied, which is recreation programming.

The Municipality cannot be all things to all people. Community organizations often bring capacity, passion, technical skills and some different funding capabilities to program development and delivery. The Municipality, related to its limited investment resources, will be better served by focusing on its strengths, i.e.: facilities, parks, technical and community development supports, marketing, research and evaluation, with volunteers and community organizations delivering recreation programs within their areas of strength.

RECOMMENDATION 5-8: SERVICE DELIVERY FRAMEWORK

That community-based organizations represent the principal service delivery approach for recreation programs in Brockton. They represent the primary strategy for maintaining and expanding the accessibility, affordability, variety and sustainability of the recreation programs available to municipal residents.



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That the Department focus service delivery priorities related to recreation programming, on community development initiatives via a community consultation and development process investing in:

• Building community capacity and organizational sustainability to deliver both existing and a broader mix of new recreation and leisure programs.

• Developing systems of supports and services that enhance community organizations’ governance capacities, marketing, volunteer recruitment and recognition and related activities.

• Facilitating access to venues and sites.

• Supporting grant applications, sponsorships and fundraising related activities.

• Providing common services where viable that support a broad range of community organizational needs, ranging from potential integration of registrations, volunteer recognition, marketing, training and development and related initiatives.

• Assessing current Division delivered recreation programs, relative to the ability for existing, new or enhanced community organizations to delivery these programs on a sustainable and qualitative basis.

5.2 .2 RECR EATION AND LE ISUR E SER VICES PR IORIT IES

In considering various program requests, the Municipality must establish a process to give priority to various parks and recreation initiatives. The following recommendations establish a policy guide for the decision-making process to ensure the Municipality best meets the vision and mission for parks and recreation services as established in this Master Plan.

RECOMMENDATION 5-9: SERVICES PRIORITIES

That Brockton adopt the following process to prioritize recreation services, focusing first on municipal residents as the primary users within the following framework:

Support Council’s Strategic Directions

Recreation and leisure services that are primarily intended to support the strategic directions of the Municipality as identified by Council and as updated from time to time.

Broad-based Participation: Recreation and leisure services that facilitate and encourage broad-based participation for all municipal residents at the recreational participation levels, and at regional and provincial competitive levels for children and youth.

Inclusion Recreation and leisure services that support accessibility linked to the recreation interests of specific groups, including those with disabilities, seniors, young children, youth and other identified groups.



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Competitive Participation and Events

Recreation and leisure services that support competitive, high performance participation, tournaments, events and related activities.

5.2 .3 PARTN ER SHIPS AND JOIN T VENTUR ES

The Municipality has a successful record of community use agreements for parks, facilities and services. The use of partnerships and joint ventures are seen as an effective and essential strategy that uses all the resources of the community, allows organizations and individuals with expertise to more effectively deliver service, expand opportunities within the community and potentially achieves greater cost efficiencies through economies of scale and coordinated delivery efforts. The Municipality should actively maintain and enhance existing partnerships and service agreements; enter into new agreements where there is a demonstrated need; and develop new skills in terms of contract management, partnership evaluation and supervision, along with enhanced risk-taking frameworks regarding future collaborative initiatives via partnerships and joint ventures. Therefore, there is greater benefit if the municipality invests in community development in support of partnerships and other collaborative initiatives, versus undertaking a more limited range of recreation programs.

RECOMMENDATION 5-10: PARTNERSHIPS AND JOINT VENTURES

That Brockton continue to both lead and broaden the use and range of partnerships, joint ventures and related initiatives across the community where:

• A recreation need is identified and demonstrated.

• Community access, participation and affordability are assured.

• The partnership arrangement is financially sound and has reasonable long term sustainability.

• The municipal investment and scope of service reflects the benefits to be realized by Brockton residents.

• Ensure partnerships involve other municipal organizations, such as Bruce County tourism, not-for-profit sector, community-based organizations, the private sectors and other institutions.

That Brockton review its relationships, reciprocal agreements and partnerships with external agencies including the Bluewater School Board, the Grey Bruce Catholic School Board, the Saugeen Valley Conservation Authority, Bruce County Tourism and other service providers to explore and shared integration and joint delivery possibilities that could be achieved by pursuing increasingly innovative partnerships. Such a strategy needs to focus on increasing public accessibility to recreation and related services, and on generating improved operational investment outcomes for all parties involved.

These initiatives could involve joint maintenance, exchanging operational services, integrated marketing, fee for service program delivery, repositioning of selected services, etc.



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5.2 .4 VOL UNTEER S

Volunteers and volunteer organizations represent the core element in the development and delivery of recreation programs in Brockton. They are actively engaged at all levels of service delivery from minor sports to special events. The future program delivery direction within the Master Plan has identified an opportunity for Brockton to engage with community volunteers and their organizations to enhance their capacities and role in the future delivery of recreation programs. This policy direction builds on the participation of more than 25 volunteer organizations, service clubs, and sports organizations across the Municipality. A policy direction to enhance and build on these capacities is an important initiative to sustain recreation and leisure programming across the Municipality, as the Municipality is not in a position to replace these important services if the voluntary sector were to diminish.

Through the research and community consultation, community volunteers are recognized as extremely active and take pride in their services to the community. The Municipality will need to provide support in order to assist volunteer organizations to realize their capacities and to meet the needs of the people they serve. The Municipality must work from a principle of collaboration, support, respect, effective listening and other strategies that continue to forge and achieve outcomes that grow, sustain and actively engage the community. The following recommendations should be adopted to build capacity in the volunteer sector.

RECOMMENDATION 5-11: VOLUNTEERS

That the Municipality recognize individuals, community groups and not-for profit organizations as a vital partner in the delivery of recreation programming and that Departmental leadership capacities and resources be allocated to support the existing and future service delivery role of volunteer organizations.

That the Municipality engage with all the volunteer organizations in a manner consistent with their individual capacities, experiences and approaches, at a level which best supports the capacity and goals of the organization.

That the Municipality pursue the provision of common supports, such as program marketing, volunteer recruitment and training, program research and evaluation, and related perspectives that offer benefits to community organizations that are not available within their own resources.

That the Municipality annually undertake a volunteer and voluntary organization recognition program with respect to longevity of service, special program initiatives and community health benefits to develop enhanced community awareness of their contributions.

5.2 .5 COMMUN ITY BA SED GOVERNANC E AN D MANA GEMENT OF MU NIC IPALL Y OWN ED FACIL IT IES

Brockton enjoys a significant number of joint use agreements and volunteer organizations that manage parks and facilities at a variety of venues owned by the Municipality as a basis to deliver recreation programs. They provide an array of recreation services in many geographically dispersed venues. There is also varying levels of utilization, quality of services, programming scope and governance models.

The first consideration is the leadership change in community organizations. Input received from various community organizations that operate these facilities and venues through the consultation process indicated a general concern as to the ability of local groups to successfully recruit and



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retain leadership volunteers. In several situations, the volunteer operating group relied on a few individuals who are retired and there was concern as to who would replace these leaders over transitional periods.

A second consideration, from the municipal perspective, are concerns involving health and safety; consistency and continuity of these operations; fairness and equity to citizens; and the ability for tendering, financial, accounting and other accountability measures to be appropriately undertaken. Also evident, was the importance of local identity and “ownership” of facilities and programming, especially since many of the facilities have been developed via local fundraising and dedicated volunteer support over the years. While this commitment needs to be sustained and supported, it must also be recognized that there are strategic transitions occurring within the recreation service delivery field, regarding volunteer screening, accountability and public health and safety standards.

A third consideration is the variety of contracts that Brockton utilizes for the operation of various facilities, parks or open spaces. Both the community organizations and the Municipality would benefit from a more comprehensive contract template that focuses on ownership and asset management and the benefits to be derived from not-for-profit service provider programs. The clarity of roles and functions should identify risks and management expectations related to these facilities.

The following recommendations evolve from a need to provide a governance model and community supports for not-for-profit organizations. The intent of these recommendations is as follows:

• To create a consistent and equitable recreation service delivery model across the Municipality.

• To ensure compliance with health and safety, tendering, financial accountability and other activities that have potential liability considerations for Brockton, volunteers and user groups.

• To respond to volunteer leadership challenges identified by local organizations in order to support long term consistency and continuity of service delivery.

• To clarify the role of Brockton and local volunteer leaders and organizations, allowing local groups to focus on services, programs and other activities while the Municipality focuses on asset management, health and safety, and related accountability perspectives.

RECOMMENDATION 5-12: COMMUNITY BASED MANAGEMENT

That Brockton develop a governance and management model for municipally-owned facilities and parks operated by community organizations as follows:

That the Municipality be responsible for recreation venue and facility maintenance for all municipally-owned assets, including the management of all capital improvement projects.

That local service clubs or not-for-profit service organizations continue to plan and operate recreation programs and venues in conformity with municipal policies and criteria, including health and safety, participant inclusion, accessibility, affordability and an integrated operations strategy.

That a member of the Recreation and Leisure Services Department represent Brockton on each of local service clubs or not-for-profit service organizations to provide coordination, communication, policy interpretation and related supports.



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That where a local not-for-profit organization is unable to continue its governance and management role, the Municipality undertake an evaluation as to whether another group is able to operate the venue or a direct delivery role by the Municipality should be undertaken.

That Brockton establish a consistent user fee schedule for service charges and participation fees established by local not-for-profit organizations based on a user fee policy to be developed by the Municipality.

RECOMMENDATION 5-13: COMMUNITY SERVICE CONTRACTS

That the Municipality ensure a current valid contract exists for the operation of all municipally-owned venues and facilities, and that all contracts are reviewed and aligned with the following content:

• A preamble that identifies the parties involved and the benefits and services to be delivered through the agreement.

• Reinforces the Municipality’s ultimate responsibility for effective asset management based on the ownership of the venue or facility.

• Use, scheduling and maintenance undertaken by the not-for-profit organization needs to conform to the following policy criteria and standards established by the Municipality for:

o Risk management, alcohol, etc.; o Health and safety; o Insurance coverage; o Cleanliness;

o Public access; o Fees, rates and charges; o Onsite advertising; o Accounting and reporting

requirements.

That the contract identify details regarding capital and annual cost responsibilities between the parties and how revenues will be generated and shared, and the rates to be charged.

That the contract has detailed rates and performance clauses for both the Municipality and not-for-profit organization related to regular maintenance, scheduling limits, variety of permitted uses, and a regular performance review criteria. It should include a termination clause and conditions that can be used at the sole discretion of the Municipality. It should also;

• Identify a timeline for renewal, review of conditions and terms.

• Provide a detailed conflict resolution process.

• Establish an annual reporting requirement to Council on the recreation programming delivery and financial performance.



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RECOMMENDATION 5-14: RECREATION ADVISORY COUNCILS

That Brockton continue to support a limited number of specialized activity advisory councils as a means to generate community input relevant to these groups for the purpose of better supporting communications, assessing and reviewing programs and facilities and pursuing planning activities that improve access to community support services. These advisory councils may include the following:

• Youth Council

• Horticulture and Trails Council

• Seniors Council

• Sports Council(s)

5.2 .6 COMMUN ICATION ST RATEGI ES

The Department’s communication strategy will provide Brockton with an opportunity to increase participation in recreation and leisure programs through various media. The purpose of a communication strategy is to provide the information on the value of participation in recreation, to increase participation rates, to promote community awareness and to encourage more healthy and vibrant lifestyles. An integrated communication strategy can also bridge gaps with targeted groups including seniors, teens, youth and people with special needs. Brockton, through various printed promotional material, public service announcements, the Brockton web portal and other media, can have a positive impact on participation and volunteer organizations. An annual communication strategy also allows staff, not-for-profit, public agencies, health unit and for profit service providers to collaborate in developing promotional themes and / or priorities for the upcoming year.

Where the Municipality is successful in developing a shared use agreement with the Town of Hanover for the indoor swimming pool consideration should be given to publishing and promoting pool lessons, recreational swimming and competitive swimming opportunities in the Brockton media.

RECOMMENDATION 5-15: COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES

That Brockton prepare and implement an annual communication strategy for the purpose of creating broader public awareness of recreation programming and facilities, to promote healthier lifestyles, and to encourage greater resident and visitor participation. The following activities are identified as elements for a communication strategy:

• Work collaboratively with the Town of Hanover, the Saugeen Valley Conservation Authority and other service providers to prepare an integrated, annual/semi-annual catalogue of recreation opportunities at all venues.

• Engage all community service providers to promote their activities, registration and contact information in the program catalogue, on the website, etc.

• Promote opportunities for private sector recreation providers to advertise their programming opportunities in Brockton.



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• Develop and continue a variety of program registration options, including internet, telephone, mail-in and in-person registration.

• Incorporate other communication tools as needed, including flyers in municipal water billings, taxes or seasonal flyers.

• Ensure special events, celebrations, milestones, new initiatives and connected achievements in recreation are spotlighted.

• Explore emerging digital communication tools, like social networking to reach younger recreation and leisure service audiences.

5.2 .7 COMMUN ITY USE OF SCH OOLS

The upcoming consolidation of the Walkerton Public School, the Brant Public School and the Walkerton District High School will signal an opportunity for Brockton and the Bluewater District School Board to develop investments and protocols to allow the effective and productive use of these new investments. The community use of schools is a long established practice in Ontario and Brockton. These facilities include gymnasiums, resource rooms, outdoor sports fields, specialized facilities classrooms and related amenities. Sports fields on school sites often complement facilities found in park areas providing convenient access for recreation programming. Efforts should be made to maximize the use of existing school-based sports fields wherever feasible. However, this strategy must also recognize the limitations of such sports fields related to lower school board maintenance, fields of limited quality and potential land use conflicts related to lights, noise and ball intrusion onto private property. The Municipality should continue to explore with the local school boards the opportunity for the Municipality and local service providers to access publically funded schools in order to provide more local recreation programming and reduce pressures for additional long term municipal investments in similar facilities and venues. The funding for public education and recreation is the same tax base, albeit these functions are provided through two distinct organizations. This common funding base supports greater community use of schools. Also involved is the increasing importance of the Provincial policy and funding support intended to significantly increase community use of schools.

There is an increasing provincial and public focus on maximizing community use of all facilities, especially secondary school facilities with their gymnasiums, tracks, resource rooms, sports fields, etc. Communities are examining different approaches in order to maximize accessibility and use. These approaches include the Halton Region District School Board, where cities like Burlington maintain the outdoor venues but have full use of all the sports fields outside of school times. This approach could be used for the investments and maintenance of the two full sized and one mini soccer fields at the Brant Central Elementary school site which is becoming surplus.

A joint initiative takes considerable cooperation between municipalities, school boards and community groups. School boards need to be more flexible and open to community use, municipalities and community organizations also need to be flexible and make contributions that respond to some of the constraints school boards work within. Whatever the educational institution, the Municipality needs to become proactive and more intense in facilitating recreation and community program access to educational facilities. This initiative will take considerable negotiations and the leadership from the Municipality. A coordinated approach between the Municipality and the school boards is required to facilitate community access avoid duplication, competition and confusion, for the after hours use of school grounds and facilities.



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RECOMMENDATION 5-16: COMMUNITY USE OF SCHOOLS

That Brockton continue to explore and develop strategies and protocols with local school boards and educational institutions that effectively and significantly increase community accessibility to school sites for recreation programming and sports activities as a key support for not-for-profit and Municipally delivered recreation services.

That these strategies explore all possibilities, ranging from reciprocal agreements to venue maintenance, to shared facilitation of access, to joint ventures related to facilities / venue development and management.

That where the Municipality makes a capital contribution in an education facility’s development, the Municipality ensures it first negotiates a Community Access Agreement to ensure the Municipality’s investment achieves appropriate public access, affordability and time frames that benefit the community, users and service providing organizations.

5.2 .8 NEW PROGRAMS OR FACIL ITY DEVEL OPMENT IN IT IAT IVES

This Master Plan is a process that brings together research, community involvement and experience to identify recreation directions for the next twenty years. Master Plans do not typically deal with policy development and business plans for individualized new recreation programs or facilities due to the changing characteristics of the market and demand over the life of the Plan. Community growth patterns, recreation trends and the Municipality’s financial resources will change over the course of this Master Plan’s timeframe.

Before committing to new program or facility developments, Brockton should undertake a business case evaluation for each proposal. These business plans establish the decision-making framework for making sound investment choices for programs and facilities. The following elements should be included in business plans prior to Council consideration:

• Demonstrated need and demand profiles and market requirements for the new initiative.

• Alignment with the Master Plan’s mission, vision and guiding principles; and related planning documents.

• Assessment of partnerships, joint ventures and not-for-profit development and delivery strategy alternatives.

• Identification of space and size needs specialized equipment and conceptual designs.

• Evaluation of alternative development strategies in terms of reinvestment or redevelopment of existing parks, facilities or programs prior to investing in new resources.

• Capital cost estimates and funding sources.

• A three-year operating pro forma to identify potential revenues and expenses related to the new initiative.

• Governance and management plans; and

• Evaluation criteria and targets for participation, cost recovery and overall community benefits.



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RECOMMENDATION 5-17: NEW PROGRAM OR FACILITY BUSINESS PLANS

That Brockton develop a Business Plan completed by Department Staff for Municipal projects or completed by community organizations for other projects related to all new program or recreation facility proposals as follows:

• That any new facility major addition or renovation to existing facilities with a potential capital cost of greater than $100,000 or any new program initiation with an annual program operating cost of more than $25,000 be supported by a comprehensive Business Plan.

• That the Department direct the undertaking of Business Plans, seeking broad-based public consultation and community engagement, along with the not-for-profit organization or other partner input as appropriate.

• That the outcomes of the Business Plan, upon finalization and acceptance for the new program or facility, be incorporated into the ten-year capital budget forecast for the Municipality, related to timing, capital cost projections, municipal responsibility and service delivery.

• That capital cost projections be reviewed annually and re-incorporated into the Municipality’s ten-year capital cost forecast in order to respond to:

o The potential impact of inflation that may be not predicable or certain over time;

o Potential changes to the facility design which are to be approved by Council; and

o Opportunities for provincial or federal funding for new initiatives as emerge from time to time.

5.2 .9 PR OGRAMMIN G THEMES AND D IRECTION S

Changing trends in demographics and recreational activities will shape future programming expectations of Brockton participants. The Community Resources and Trends Report recognized the increasing proportion of older adults and the stable proportion of youth population within a low population growth context of Brockton. At the same time, changes in societal expectations of work and recreation can reduce the availability and commitment to regular exercise and sometimes increase the emphasis on more one time community events. There is an increasing interest in walking, hiking, cross country skiing and cycling activities that are not programmed and allow individual or group participation. With respect to new activities, extreme sports, such as skateboarding, mountain biking and rock climbing are evolving in Brockton. Also new activities, combining geographic information system technology with outdoor activities, create new events, such as geocaching and new forms of orienteering.

New programming themes and directions evolving out of the community consultation, focus group information and community survey included the following:

• An increasing interest in passive recreation activities, including walking, cycling and hiking on established trails.



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• Low impact and non-competitive participation activities and programs for older adults, such as dance, Tai Chi, yoga, low impact aerobics, adult fitness programs and similar activities.

• Opportunities for extreme sport participation for youth and young adults, including skateboarding, BMX cycling and similar activities; and

• Increasing emphasis on mass participation events, such as walking, running and cycling, often related to fundraising events or mass participation events.

RECOMMENDATION 5-18: PROGRAMMING DIRECTIONS

That Brockton considers the further development and expansion of recreation programming offered, primarily through partnerships with community service organizations or through direct delivery, in accordance with the Service Delivery Policy for the following program areas:

• Increased information and organizational development that supports walking, hiking and cycling trail use in Brockton.

• Programming directed towards older adults, involving low impact exercising programs based on yoga, Pilates and other forms of low impact aerobics.

• Opportunities for extreme sports education, safety and programming related to skateboarding, BMX cycling and similar activities; and

• Development, promotion and partnerships in mass participation, municipal-wide or fundraising-based events in Brockton that support improved health, education and quality of life that promote economic development opportunities.




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6. MANAGEMENT, STAFF AND FINANCING ACTION PLAN

6.1 Municipality of Brockton Role The following policy identifies the role of the Municipality with respect to the delivery of services. There are three elements related to leadership, direct involvement and program evaluation. These roles reflect the skill sets and resources available to staff and their ability to animate new organizations in the development and delivery of programming.

RECOMMENDATION 6-1: RECREATION AND LEISURE DEPARTMENT ROLE

Leadership The Recreation and Leisure Services Department will have a leadership role in the integration, planning and evaluation of recreation and leisure services in Brockton, including:

• Needs and trends identification. • Services evaluation; and • Provision of community development supports to not-for-profit and

community-based organizations, volunteers and initiatives



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Involvement The Department’s involvement in recreation services delivery will be based on the following criteria:

• Identification of a demonstrated need at reasonable participation levels;

• Evidence of long term sustainability for the proposed service; • Commitments to public accessibility and affordability criteria; • Participation by the Municipality at a scale matching the benefits to

be achieved by participants and the community at large; • The use of a business case analysis to support municipal

investments in recreation and leisure service initiatives; • Consistent with municipal cost recovery and revenue generation

criteria

Evaluation The Department will establish an evaluation process, through data collection and performance evaluation, that will assess

• The value of the municipal role in service delivery strategies; • The measure of participation achieved relative to goals / targets; • The achievements obtained and their alignment to the vision and

mission of the Master Plan and municipal strategic priorities.

The following section identifies the municipal delivery of programming to the array of interests and trends in recreation services. The goal is to offer programs and services that respond to the existing and future recreation needs of the community. The service delivery model builds on the extensive capacity at the community organization level to develop and deliver programming to the community. The focus will be to facilitate sustainable practices with community organizations; encourage partnerships and joint ventures with various not-for profit organizations and develop direct delivery of programming by the Municipality where there is a defined and sustained unmet need. RECOMMENDATION 6-2: MUNICIPAL SERVICE DELIVERY

Brockton will achieve its service delivery responsibilities through the planning, development, delivery and evaluation of recreation and leisure services based on the following hierarchy of municipal roles within its financial priorities and strategies as identified by Council.

Facilitation The Department will engage with community organizations to facilitate and support the development and delivery of recreation services by providing the following supports.

• Technical programming; • Access to grants / financial support; • Providing data and information related to proposed programming; • Volunteer training and recognition; • Access to facilities, fields and open spaces; • Trends research; • Monitoring and evaluation of programs; and • Related strategies and supports.



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Partnerships The Municipality will enter into partnerships, joint ventures and related initiatives at variable levels of involvement that result in a shared responsibility for recreation leisure services delivery, based on the following criteria.

The recreation and leisure interests of Brockton residents are realized; There is a demonstrated need / demand for the proposed service; Long term sustainability exists within acceptable risk parameters.

Direct Delivery

The Municipality will undertake the direct delivery of a recreation and leisure services where there is an established need and where facilitation and partnerships delivery strategies are not viable or available.

Utilizing direct capital investment and annual budget support, the Department will provide recreation and leisure services using Municipal staff operating alone or in partnership with volunteers.

6.2 Operating Budget Action Plan The operating budget action plans looks at trends across Ontario in comparison to the opportunities in Brockton. In Ontario increases in user fees have become a growing strategy over for all municipalities with the expectation that user fees will continue to move between 50% and 75% coverage of a department's total budget and even higher over time. Increasing onus is being put on users to fund facility operations. As these funding formulas become more sophisticated, they begin to include not only direct costs, but also allocated corporate and indirect administrative costs, capital maintenance reserves and capital upgrading charges. Another dimension is a focus on the sustainability to continue to operate a facility or deliver a program within the financial resources of the organization and meet the investment goals or benefits defined for the service. This emphasis is intended to ensure community organizations and the Municipality take a longer term view and do not become overly dependent on a funder. It is also intended to focus service providers on the business perspectives of the operation and to intensify self financing and revenue generation strategies.

The coverage rate for the total Department financial activities hovers around 50%. In 2008, the coverage rate was 51.5%. This declined to 50.4% in 2009 and is budgeted at 46.6% in 2010. The coverage rate has been in marginal decline, however, it is influenced by some investment requirements, such as the $52,000 increase in the park’s budget between 2009 and 2010.

The Municipality is effectively subsidizing the delivery of parks and recreation services at an average rate of 50% or slightly higher from year to year. For smaller municipalities, this coverage rate is probably slightly below average as the typical rate is within the 50% to 60% range. For large municipalities, such as Kitchener, Burlington, etc., coverage rates tend to be in the 70% to 75% range. The recommendations are based on targets to improve the position of the Department and reduce the municipal tax burden on the operating expenses to the community.



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RECOMMENDATION 6-3: DEPARTMENT OPERATION BUDGET

That the Department set targets to enhance the coverage of operating budget through the following recommendations:

• Develop a user fee policy for all recreation facilities;

• That opportunities and policies be developed for sponsorship at all recreational venues

• That user surcharges be considered for user fees where there are specific capital costs identified for the program

• That concessions continue to be operated for the purpose service delivery and revenue generation.

• That requirements for business case support of initial operating grants by community groups to ensure long term sustainability of the program.

6.3 Capital Budget Action Plan For the last decade senior levels of government have eliminated capital grants contributing up to one third of capital costs for recreation and leisure facilities. Municipalities have been forced to develop alternative capital sources including fundraising, direct financing, municipal grants, corporate sponsorship and donations to accommodate capital investments. The past year the RINC capital funding was utilized to reinvest in the Walkerton Arena and in 2011 this funding will be used to reinvest in the outdoor pool at Centennial Park. This changing capital funding landscape will engage the Department in innovative and strategic approaches to future project capital funding.

In Brockton for the past three years, the parks and the community centre have represented the largest points of investment, approximately $650,000 for parks and $960,000 for the community centre. Marginal investments have been made in other areas, such $7,000 in the campground and almost $20,000 in programs.

In terms of the sources of capital funds, provincial grants, which are principally from the stimulus program provided over $1 million, with reserves providing over $400,000. Lesser amounts were achieved through donations and agreements.

In terms of net municipal capital investments, this has ranged from $11,313 in 2008, to $76,500 in 2009, to $55,000 in 2010. Reserves and special government programs have been the major sources of capital funding to support the investments made.

In order to position the Municipality for future senior government funding should these become available, the Municipality should establish the reserve funding for large capital projects and complementary approaches to raise capital for initiatives to meet the long term goals of the community. The following recommendations identify these initiatives.



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RECOMMENDATION 6-4: DEPARTMENT CAPITAL BUDGET

That the Municipality and the Department undertake the following actions for capital budget allocations and strategies to position the Municipality for the multi-use complex and renewal for existing recreation facilities:

• An annual reserve fund contribution for the development of the multi-use complex;

• That opportunities and policies be developed for sponsorship at all recreational venues in the Municipality with funds being allocated to capital improvements.

• That user surcharges be considered for user fees where there are specific capital costs identified for the program

• That the Department prepare an information package for potential donors and legacy gifts from residents, local corporations or public agencies for contributions to the facilities.

• That the Department create a sponsorship package available to community organizations, local businesses, and special interest groups where the funding is allocated to a capital reserve account.

• That the Department assist community organizations through promotion, staffing, and in kind contributions towards capital improvement projects and fundraising activities.

6.4 User Fee Policy Over the last number of years, there has been an increased focus on the development and application of user fee for municipal parks, recreation and leisure services. Municipalities continue to be under financial pressure due to service downloading from the provincial government, increasing infrastructure investment requirements, health and safety considerations and various other costs of service pressures. These influences have created the need to increase user fees as a way to limit tax increases. As a result, user fees have grown steadily often above rates of inflation, creating concerns related to fairness, equity, affordability and access.

Implementation of the Master Plan service delivery policy and organizational recommendations will directly influence Department operating costs and user fees. The user fee policy has links to other policy areas, specifically municipal investments related to recreation facilities and sports fields and fee subsidies to support low income and other disadvantage populations. These policies need to be integrated to ensure consistency, fairness and equity, and a user friendly implementation approach



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RECOMMENDATION 6-5: USER FEE POLICY

That Brockton undertake an assessment and development strategy related to program services and facility user fees that result in:

• User fees that are based on a two part development strategy:

o the full cost of service delivery, including direct costs, a Department overhead allocation and facility renewal / reinvestment surcharges;

o the full cost being reduced (subsidized) by annual municipal investments that are based on need, sustainability, benefits delivered and funding availability.

• Fairness and equity amongst all user groups being established within the user fee model.

• The user fee model establishing coverage targets by service area, as well as for the Department as the foundation to establish fees and budgetary directions.

• Staged implementation of user fee strategies of up to five years where possible, to allow service organizations to adjust to user fee increases.

The intent of the user fee policy is to encourage broad based participation throughout the Municipality in achieving the vision of a healthy community. It is intended that all taxpayers have access to, can participate in and realize the benefits of recreational activities regardless of their ability, background or financial considerations. Fairness and equity are therefore key principles for the user fee policy’s development. In support of user fee policy Recommendation 6-4 outlines a user fee development process.

RECOMMENDATION 6-6: USER FEE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS

That Brockton establish a comprehensive user fee policy based on the following principles:

• Development of a fair and equitable user fee model across groups, activities and locations.

• Maximum utilization of facilities.

• Maximum revenue generation from ancillary income sources, including concessions, naming rights, advertising and similar activities.

• A user fee policy that is transparent and easy for community organizations to understand.

• Cost effective facilities and program delivery by the Municipality.

That the development of the user fee policy ensures stakeholder consultation on its key principles and strategies.

That the user fee strategy incorporate market-based approaches to balance utilization levels and maximize income in high demand activities.



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That the individual user fees be reviewed annually, and the fee policy and its structure be reassessed at least every three years to adjust the primary cost inputs as appropriate.

That policies on organizational and individual participant financial support not form part of the user fee policy, but rather be considered in accordance with specific recommendations on these topics in the Master Plan.

6.5 Individual User Financial Support The provision of individual program user fee support is important to reinforce the principles of inclusion, fairness and equity and the resulting personal well-being and healthy lifestyles for all residents. Most municipalities and minor sports programs have developed a financial subsidy program for individuals, families and other groupings who do not have the financial means to pay participant fees and who would benefit from participation in programs. These organizations reduce or waive fees in order to facilitate participation for low income families or other challenging circumstances. The Municipality participates in the “All for Kids” program to address these principles of fairness and inclusion.

Through the community consultation program, a number of examples were provided of formal and informal approaches to ensure full participation by interested individuals. Brockton is in a position to work actively through its community development role, to identify these needs and to assist community organizations to ensure they have the capacity to support broader and more inclusive community access and participation.

RECOMMENDATION 6-7: INDIVIDUAL USER FINANCIAL SUPPORT

That Brockton continues its involvement in providing individual participants financial support to access recreation programs for its directly delivered services based on the following principles:

• Identified benefit of participation to qualified individuals.

• A reasonable assessment of the financial or other limitations that prohibit participation.

• Selective monitoring of financially supported participants to ensure engagement and to assess benefits.

That individual participant financial support programs be positioned outside the user fee policy in order to separate individual financial subsidies from Department revenue generation targets.

That financial support offered to individual participants be aligned with their assessed capacity to fund portions of fees where applicable.

That the financial support programs be identified in formats and strategies that ensure awareness of this opportunity and be subject to annual budgetary approval.



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That an annual report consistent with the Freedom of Information Act limitations be submitted to Council on the degree of participant financial support provided based on the following:

• Program and / or service.

• Full or partial fee contributions; and

• Individuals, families and age profiles supported.

That the Municipality actively promote and provide advice to not-for-profit community service providing organizations to develop a policy framework and the resources necessary to facilitate participation by individuals who have limited financial capacity for their programs.

6.6 Community Partnership Fund Brockton should establish a community partnership funding for organizations interested in developing new programs or investments in recreation facilities. Through the consultation program with stakeholders, several organizations indicated the need for additional partnership funding support to provide recreational services. These investments will help better utilize volunteers and voluntary governed organizations, and to sustain community development and organizational supports to provide these services. It should be recognized that Department staffing for community capacity building will need to be reallocated in order to maintain a dynamic and sustainable community-based service delivery model.

RECOMMENDATION 6-8: COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP FUND

That Brockton create a sustainable community partnership funding program for community-based programming, facilities and event investments as a key service delivery and development strategy. That the Community Partnership Fund have the following targeted investment components:

• Funding support for youth ice, field, floor and other recreation facility use on a consolidated basis for all municipal recreation resources.

• Operational funding support for qualified recreation and sports organizations.

• Operational funding for special needs populations, including those with disabilities, seniors and related groups for community-based programming.

• Operational funding support for emerging recreation activities within the first three years of development after which future funding support would be derived from other appropriate categories.

• Opportunities to fund, with a funding cap, one time recreation initiatives consistent with the mission and principles of the Municipality and the Community Services Division.

• A capital funding support program for requests between $5,000 and $25,000. For requests greater than this amount, applications would be undertaken outside of the Community Partnership Fund.



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• Operational funding for recreational events to a maximum of $10,000, after which further funding would be approved by Council on an individual basis outside of this program.

RECOMMENDATION 6-9: COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP FUND TERMS OF REFERENCE

That Brockton prepare and adopt a comprehensive Terms of Reference for the Community Partnership Fund related to community investment and development requests, including eligibility criteria and limits for each funding category based on the following principles and criteria.

• More than 80% of the requesting organization’s participants are residents of Brockton.

• The requesting organization is clearly linked to Brockton in terms of its volunteer Board of Directors, is a non-profit entity and has been operating more than three years except for emerging recreation services.

• The recreation programming venues are located entirely within Brockton.

• The organization and its programming have been assessed as sustainable.

• Participation is open to Brockton residents without significant restrictions.

• An upset funding limit is established to ensure no one organization receives a disproportionate amount of the available annual funding.

• Preference is given to targeted populations in each funding category, including youth, teens, seniors and other individuals with barriers to participation.

• Organizations are able to identify the evident benefits of their recreation programs related to the vision, mission and principles of the Department and Municipality.

That the application process be developed to efficiently use the time required by the organization to prepare and request funding support by building on previous application materials and providing annual updates as to program outcomes.

That the grant process be flexible in determining how financial support is provided based on procedures that are most appropriate for the organization.

6.7 Recreation and Leisure Services Department Staff This section identifies staffing roles and responsibilities for the management, indoor, outdoor and contract services in the Municipality. It provides direction to all staff levels relative to the expectations of Council, community organizations and user groups. This section will provide resources to assist in focusing the efforts of both management and frontline staff in providing their day to day services.

The Director of Recreation and Leisure Services has the responsibility of providing leadership to the overall Department. The position requires direct participation in programming decision, budget allocation, staff recruitment and selection and the monitoring of their performance. Council looks to



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the position for recommendations and guidance on budget and investment decisions that meet the changing needs of the community and are at the same time fiscally responsible to the Municipality. The following recommendation identifies opportunities for the Director to show leadership in recreation and leisure services deliver.

RECOMMENDATION 6-10: DEPARTMENT LEADERSHIP

That the position of Director Recreation and Leisure Services establish a strong leadership role in the following areas:

• Develop initiatives in support of all volunteer community organizations to maintain, enhance, and maximize their community contribution with respect to playing fields, parks, trails and program activities.

• Improved maintenance of municipally-owned facilities, parks and trails, including the management of the department’s capital works projects.

• Development and provision of new direct and indirect recreation services.

• Improved marketing, advertising and promotion of programs, facilities and venues available in Brockton.

• Co-ordination of access for the use and delivery of recreation services.

• Provide support to community organizations to co-ordinate the scheduling of recreational facilities, sports fields, hockey and related ice sports and all other municipal venues to maximize utilization.

Operational staff are responsible for indoor facilities, maintenance and operations and report to the Director. They include the Recreation Foreperson and the Recreation Facility Attendant. Their responsibilities are intended to provide safe, reliable and consistent level of operation to ensure the maximum enjoyment by user groups. They must provide the highest quality of service, while maintaining public health and safety for both the users and staff. The Foreperson supervises the Recreation staff assigned to work in the maintenance area and is directly responsible for electrical and mechanical maintenance, plumbing and welding, building maintenance, grounds maintenance, pool maintenance, community centre maintenance, ice resurfacing and related activities. The operational responsibilities of the Foreperson will evolve over the life of the Master Plan to include increasing responsibility for lifecycle analysis and reinvestment in existing facilities. As other facilities such as community centres require review and investment, the position could be realigned to ensure the facilities meet ministry standards, accessibility requirements and related capital budgeting requirements for the Municipality.

RECOMMENDATION 6-11: OPERATIONAL STAFF

That the position of Recreation Foreperson, Facilities be identified as the position responsible for the following areas:

• Develop schedules and implements repairs and maintenance to all recreation facilities, parks facilities and the outdoor pool to ensure long term safe, enjoyable use in keeping with provincial recreation and safety standards.

• Provides leadership in the scheduling, setup, monitoring and facilitation of special events, fundraising activities and community events at all recreation facilities.



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• Maintains and monitors the condition of all Recreation Department equipment, tractors, mowers, ice-surfacing equipment, compressors, chillers, filtration equipment, chlorination equipment and related heating and ventilation equipment and makes recommendations regarding investments and reconditioning.

• Develops a lifecycle program of the capital reinvestment of Recreation Department Facilities with the opportunity to apply this model to other Municipal facilities over time.

• Develop operational practices that promote conservation of water heat and electrical resources and improved building efficiency where feasible.

• Maintain excellent visitor and user relations to the facility by addressing complaints in an expeditious manner in accordance with Department protocol.

Horticultural and turf staff are responsible for outdoor development, conditioning and maintenance of all parks, trails, open space and horticulture resources in the Municipality. The Municipal Landscape Gardener will be responsible for supervision of seasonal and volunteer staff for the assignment, monitoring and training of activities. An important community liaison roll is expected in working with horticultural and tree committees. The development and maintenance of new soccer fields will evolve in the next few years as the Municipality takes some role for outdoor fields.

RECOMMENDATION 6-12: HORTICULTURAL AND TURF STAFF

That the position of Municipal Landscape Gardener be identified as the position responsible for the following areas:

• Develop, schedules and implements annual programs for the design, planting and maintenance of outdoor flower beds, trees, public open space, natural areas and trails.

• That the position provide a leadership role for the collaboration of horticultural groups and volunteers for the beautification of the Brockton municipal lands by attending meetings, providing advice and makes recommendations to these organizations.

• That the position consider long term investments in parks equipment, lands and rehabilitation of existing parks for capital and budget purposes to ensure safe and enjoyable use of all Municipal outdoor spaces.

• That the position inspect, repair and recommend improvements to all playing fields and turf areas to ensure quality of playing fields and appropriate standards in accordance with sound turf management practices.

• Maintain excellent player, visitor and user group relations to the outdoor playing fields and spaces by addressing complaints in an expeditious manner in accordance with Department protocol.

The Recreation Programmer is primarily responsible for the initiation, implementation and assessment of all recreation programming in the Municipality. The position also assists with special event planning and delivery in association with community and volunteer organizations. The position is responsible for the recruitment and hiring of seasonal aquatic supervisor, summer program and volunteer staff. This position promotes recreation programs and services, evaluates



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existing programs, researches and develops recreation programs and special events. This position will evolve over the life of the Master Plan to support programming by community and not-for-profit organizations in the Municipality.

RECOMMENDATION 6-13: PROGRAMMING STAFF

That the position of Recreation Programmer be identified as the position responsible for the following areas:

• Develop, schedules and implements summer aquatic and summer day programs, supports community special events in the community.

• That the position provide a leadership role for the collaboration of leisure and recreation groups and volunteers for the offering of various sports leagues, recreation programs and activities.

• That the position be responsible for the annual communications strategy and publication of recreation programs and activities.

• That the position monitor and report on activities and participation in various recreation and leisure programs and their sustainability relative to participation, costs and revenue.

• Maintain excellent player, visitor and user group relations related to Municipal programming and service delivery by addressing complaints in an expeditious manner in accordance with Department protocol.




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7. LOBIES MUNICIPAL CAMPGROUND ACTION PLAN As part of the Master Plan consideration was given to an operation action plan for the municipal Lobies Campground located on the north side of the Saugeen River opposite the Walkerton Community Centre. The park was established through a donation by the Lobsinger family to be used for park purposes. It was developed in the late 1970’s by the Kinsmen Club with the establishment of a pavilion and washrooms. It has been redeveloped as a campground along the Saugeen River with some 70 campground sites, 45 of which have 30 amp electrical service and water, and an additional 15 sites have sewer hook-up. The site is located in the Saugeen River floodway and is normally subject to a spring flooding requiring extensive clean-up. Recently a wind storm destroyed some 65 trees and the park requires tree renewal.

The interest in the action plan for the campground is based on the limited use of the campground for special events such as the Dirt Pigs Ball Tournament and the Pool Tournament. Notwithstanding the proximity to Walkerton downtown, there is limited use of the facility during the height of the camping season. Other nearby private and public campgrounds provides a broader range of amenities, recreational programming and an established traditional campground experience. Through our focus group sessions, participants identified that they had not camped at the location, that the site had limited use except for special events.

Trends in recreational camping suggest larger luxurious camping vehicles require larger sites for manoeuvring, higher electrical service needs, water and sewage hook-ups. The visitors expect high levels of service from staff and quality of the grounds. Nearby municipal campgrounds are challenged to find the fit between quality of service, capital investments and profitability of the operation. In Chatham-Kent the Municipality has entered into a public private partnership through the lease of Mitchell’s Bay Marina with 250 seasonal and transient boat slips, eight boat launches; and over 150 campsites. The attraction for this marina is the sallow lake bed of Lake St. Clair and the excellent fish habitat that supports a strong sport fishing, swimming, and kite surfing activities. It



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also benefits from two other municipal parks within walking distance including a children’s water park facility. Another example is Clearville Park, a not-for-profit seasonal campground on Lake Erie. Here the Municipality has entered into an agreement with a not-for-profit Parks Board Management for 11.4 ha of seasonal and transient campsites, public beach and 18.3 ha of wooded areas. The intent is that the Board ensures the operating and long term capital costs for campground services is paid through the seasonal and transient camping fees.

In comparison to the above examples, Lobies campground does not have the same range of amenities of Mitchell’s Bay nor the size needed for a not-for-profit seasonal campground. Furthermore the announcement of the new hotel in Walkerton will offer accommodation for special events. The existing private campgrounds offer alternative locations with appropriate amenities for tournaments and events. The size of the campground and the campsites does not support full time dedicated municipal staff to manage the site. The municipality has tried unsuccessfully to contract the campground out to a manager who could live on the site for the summer. Over the medium term the Municipality should transition out of the campground service delivery and renew the site as a natural park on the banks of the Saugeen River ensuring continued access for fishing, canoeing and kayaking. The trails should be expanded and consideration of a bridge over the Saugeen River connecting to the Walkerton Community Centre to established a looped system of trails along the riverbanks.

RECOMMENDATION 7-1: LOBIES CAMPGROUND TRANSITION

That the Municipality reposition Lobies Campground over the next 3 – 5 years as a naturalized area with river access amenities through the following actions:

• That Departmental staff continue to maintain the campground for limited special event use for the next several years until the new Walkerton Hotel is operational and provides alternative accommodation in Walkerton.

• That community groups and the Department identify preferred accommodation campgrounds for special events by reserving campsites several months in advance at public and private campgrounds within driving distance of tournament venues and that these sites be promoted through announcements of the events.

• That over the next 3 – 5 years the Department renew Lobies Park as a naturalized area, with tree planting, walking trails, maintain and promote the canoe access point in the Park in co-operation with the Saugeen Valley Conservation Authority.




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8. IMPLEMENTATION PLAN

8.1 Introduction This section of the Master Plan sets out the implementation and financial strategy to undertake the recommendations as set out in the prior sections of the document. The implementation plan considers the priority, timing, capital costs and operational costs for each of the recommendations. The timing to undertake the recommendations is based on the following categories:

• Short term 2011 to 2014

• Mid term 2015 to 2020

• Long term 2021 to 2031

The priorities identify the relative importance of each recommendation to the overall implementation of the Master Plan. The following descriptions define the various priorities.

High priority recommendations are intended to be implemented in the short term. They incorporate ongoing service delivery strategies, the development of recreation facilities and the initiation of new communication strategies. They have important recreation and leisure services outcomes for the short term and help to establish a foundation on which to move the Master Plan towards fulfillment.



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Medium priority recommendations are intended to be implemented after high priorities items have been completed. They are often dependent on outside partnerships, community support and fund raising or outside grant funding to initiate the program, service or facility. These recommendations can be implemented at a later time without compromising the overall intent of the Master Plan.

Low priority recommendations are intended to be completed within the overall life of the Master Plan. They are intended to be completed after other priority items have been implemented and have a limited influence on recreation and leisure services delivery. It should be recognized that through monitoring of the Master Plan priorities may shift to respond to changing needs within the community.

8.2 Implementation Framework The following table entitled Implementation Framework has been prepared to provide an overall perspective of the implementation strategy. The purpose of the Table is to provide the Recreation and Leisure Services Department, Council, the public and other stakeholders with an overview of the Master Plan recommendations, the proposed timing and costing of these actions. It will be important that the Table be reviewed by the Recreation and Leisure Services Department annually to confirm priorities and timing of the various recommendations are appropriate. This Table can also be used as part of the monitoring process for parks and recreation.

The Table is divided into the following columns: recommendation reference; project responsibility; capital costs; and annual operational costs. The title of the recommendations is the same as found in the body of the Master Plan. The reference number corresponds to the section in the report and the number of the recommendation within that specific section. The project responsibility identifies the municipal department that is responsible for leading the initiative and coordinating the project across other departments in the municipality. Estimated capital cost figures provide for initial municipal budget preparation and annual budget commitments into the future over the life of the plan. The estimated annual operation cost is the incremental values to operate and maintain the recommended feature.

The first page of the Implementation Framework, Table 8-1 lists all recommendations which are identified with a high priority to be completed within the next three years. The second portion of the table, Table 8-2 lists all the medium priority recommendations to be completed from 2015 to 2021. The last part of the table, Table 8-3 lists all of the low priority recommendations to be completed at the end of the life of the Master Plan.

The implementation tables are intended as a guide for Council, Recreation and Leisure Department staff, the public and other stakeholders as a tool to manage and budget future projects and activities. The tables are intended to be a dynamic document that can respond to changes in the recreation and leisure services needs and interests of Brockton residents.

8.3 Implementation Estimated Costing The following section summarizes the estimated initial capital costs and estimated annual operating costs for each of the priority tables of the Master Plan. The capital costs of undertaking the recommendations are estimated in current 2011 dollars. The estimated increase in operational costs is shown where they are available. The following figures do not include borrowing costs.

The combined capital costs in the 2011 to 2014 period for parks, facilities and service delivery are estimated to be between $2.7 - $3.6 million. Over the same period the estimated increase in annual operating costs in 2011 dollars is expected to be $98,000.



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The combined capital costs in the mid-term, from 2015 to 2021, are estimated to be between $21.55 – $23.55 million for parks, facilities and service delivery. The associated annual increase in operating costs for these services is estimated to be $890,000. The Master Plan does not provide estimates beyond the mid-term period as there are many variables and potential changes in priorities beyond the 2021 timeframe. Estimates for this period should be reviewed as part of the Master Plan update recommended in 2016.




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Table 8-1 High Priority Recommendations Implementation Framework 2011- 2014

HIGH PRIORTY RECOMMENDATIONS Reference Page No.

Estimated Initial Capital Costs

Estimated Annual Operating Cost

4-1: Parks Framework 4-2 - - 4-2: Parkettes Criteria 4-3 - - 4-3: Neighbourhood Parks Criteria 4-4 - - 4-4: Community Parks Criteria 4-5 - - 4-5: Horticultural Action Plan 4-7 $25,000 $5,000 4-6: Open Space Action Plan 4-8 $25,000 / Park $3,000

4-7: Parkland Provisioning Standards 4-8 - - 4-8: Parkland Acquisition Walkerton Public School 4-9 $100,000 $5,000 5-1: Arenas / Multi-Use Centre 5-5

Phase 1: Land Acquisition and Soccer Field(s) development

5-5 1.5 – 2.5 million land $200,000 – 400,000 per

field for development 0.8 – 1.2 million (4 fields)

$10,000 / field $40,000 (4 fields)

5-2: Business Plan and Site Selection 5-6 $50,000 -

5-3: Community Project Steering Committee 5-7 $50,000 - 5-4: Soccer Fields – Brant School 5-7 $50,000 / 2 fields $20,000 / 2 fields 5-8: Service Delivery Framework 5-10 - - 5-9: Services Priorities 5-11 - - 5-11: Volunteers 5-13 - $15,000 5-15: Communication Strategies 5-16 $50,000 $10,000

5-16: Community Use of Schools 5-18 - - 6-1: Recreation and Leisure Department Role 6-1 - - 6-2: Municipal Service Delivery 6-2 - - 6-5: User Fee Policy 6-6 - - 6-6: User Fee Development Process 6-6 $25,000 - 610: Department Leadership 6-10 - -

9-1: Master Plan Monitoring 9-2 - - 9-2: Master Plan Review 9-2 $25,000 -



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Table 8-2

Medium Priority Recommendation Implementation Framework 2015 - 2021

MEDIUM PRIORTY RECOMMENDATIONS Reference Page No.



4-4: Trails Master Plan 4-5 $50,000 - 5-1:Phase 2: Multi-use Centre – gym/ fitness/ rooms 5-5 $3.5 - $4.0 million $200,000

5-1: Phase3: Twin Pad Arena / Walking Track 5-5 $17.0 - $18.0 million $600,000 5-5: Baseball Diamonds – Decommission/ Reposition as soccer fields

5-8 $200,000- $400,000 per field for development

$10,000

5-6: Outdoor Facilities 5-8 Skateboard Park $300,000 - $500,000 $25,000 Splash Pad $300,000 - $400,000 $25,000 Dog Park $50,000 $10,000 5-7: Community Centres 5-9 $50,000 $10,000 5-10: Partnerships and Joint Ventures 5-12 - -

5-12: Community Based Management 5-14 - - 5-13: Community Service Contracts 5-15 - - 5-14: Recreation Advisory Councils 5-16 - - 6-3: Department Operation Budget 6-4 - - 6-4: Department Capital Budget 6-5 - - 7-1: Lobies Campground Transition 7-2 $100,000 $10,000



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Table 8-3

Low Priority Recommendation Implementation Framework 2021 - 2031

LOW PRIORTY RECOMMENDATIONS Reference Page No.



5-17: New Program or Facility Business Plans 5-19 - - 5-18: Programming Directions 5-20 - 6-7: Individual Users Financial Support 6-7 - - 6-8: Community Partnership Fund 6-8 - - 6-9: Community Partnership Fund Terms of Reference

6-9 - -

6-11: Operational Staff 6-10 - - 6-12: Horticultural and Turf Staff 6-11 - - 6-13: Programming Staff 6-12 - -




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9. MONITORING PLAN Through the Master Plan process the parks, leisure services delivery and facilities have undergone a significant evaluation. The municipal-wide survey outcomes are found in The Community Resources and Trends Report. Moving forward, the Department should take the outcomes and questions developed through the random community survey as a starting point for future Department evaluations. These questions can add to the current statistical information and utilization rates that the Department currently collects to show how these rates are changing over time.

At the five and ten year anniversary dates of the Master Plan, the municipality may consider revising and reissuing community survey undertaken as part of this Master Plan process. Results from this community survey would provide significant yardsticks regarding community recognition, volunteer involvement and stakeholder satisfaction with the various recreation and leisure services provided. On an annualized basis the municipality should continue to measure participation rates, utilization rates, and any responses they receive from the stakeholders regarding the quality of facilities and services available.

Community and volunteer involvement and major fund raising facility building projects can be evaluated by measuring the number of volunteer organizations, the number of volunteers and volunteer hours provided to the community and participation by volunteers in recognition programs held by the municipality. These measures will identify the importance of contributions by volunteers and not-for-profit organizations within the municipality. In terms of evaluating service delivery the Department should identify several programs to measure satisfaction levels at the end of each program. Evaluating summer swimming lessons, day camp programs and feedback from other stakeholders will be helpful to identify opportunities for reinvestments and improvements to services and / or facilities.



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RECOMMENDATION 9-1: MASTER PLAN MONITORING

That the Recreation and Leisure Services Department continue to collect data on the utilization rates for all facilities, outdoor playing fields, sports registrations, lessons and related programming events in order to evaluate changes in demand for various activities.

That the municipality undertake a community survey for recreation and leisure services to evaluate public use and satisfaction with parks, facilities and service delivery at the five and ten anniversary dates of the Master Plan.

9.1 Master Plan Review Ongoing review and updates will be needed to maintain the currency of the Recreation and Leisure Services Master Plan. The purpose of this review is to ensure the relevant recommendations are being implemented and allows a focus for all stakeholders in the implementation process. Annual internal reviews are required as part of the Department’s mandate to provide excellence in parks and recreation services. Significant Master Plan updates are required at the five and ten year anniversary dates, where the municipality would undertake consolidation of initiatives and programs and facilitate a public consultation process. These updates could be undertaken internally within the Department or be contracted out to qualified consultants. It is not intended to replicate this Master Plan process but help to adjust and realign the proprieties of recreation and leisure services to the changing demands within the municipality.

RECOMMENDATION 9-2: MASTER PLAN REVIEW

That the Municipality of Brockton undertake the following recreation and leisure services master plan review process:

• That the Department undertake annual reviews on projected completion dates, tasks and financial commitments with the intent of adjusting these dates and resource commitments as they evolve within the municipal operating environment;

• That the Municipality undertake a five year review including a substantial updating and integration of projects in conjunction with the lifecycle costing updates.

• That the Municipality undertake a review at the ten year anniversary including a broader public consultation and related activities to position the Master Plan for a second ten year planning term to reflect new and emerging priorities, directions and trends of the decade.

recreation and leisure services master plan final … · strategic directions and policy...

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