Mhm.
» Okay, so I'm going to go into our
meeting.
So,
we're going to go to confirmation of the
agenda. I'm going to go over to clerk.
Be it resolved that the agenda for the
special council meeting held on June 17,
2026 be confirmed as circulated.
Councillor Best, thank you. Councillor
Jacks, thank you. That's mover and
seconder. All those in favor?
That's carried. Thank you, Council.
Disclosures of pecuniary interest.
This is when members of Council identify
any disclosures of pecuniary interest
and the reason thereof.
If you find yourself in that position as
we go through the evening, please notify
the chair. And Councillor Rappin,
please.
» I declare pecuniary interest in the
sports dome, item one. I'm a contractor.
And if you've seen my brand new truck
out in the parking lot and all the paint
splashed around it, then you know what
it is I'm doing for them.
Thank you.
» I thought you were parked too close
under a tree when I saw that white stuff
on it, but that's just me.
Um so anyhow, okay, so we have a
conflict of interest.
So,
good evening, everyone, and welcome. On
behalf of Council, I'd like to thank you
for being here this evening and for your
interest in the matters that are before
us tonight.
This evening's meeting will begin with
the scheduled presentation, after which
Council will hear from the registered
deputations before opening the floor to
members of the public.
In the interest of respecting everyone's
time, we would ask you to keep your
deputations to a maximum of 7 minutes
and have one spokesperson per
organization or community group
to ensure everyone has a chance to speak
before council tonight.
At the conclusion of the deputations,
council will then move into discussion,
consideration of reports, and ask
questions.
So, we appreciate everyone's cooperation
helping the meeting proceed in an
orderly and respectful manner.
And after the presentations and the
deputations, depending on the time, uh
as the chair, I may call a 5-10 minute
break and then convene everybody back.
So, please be on time
if we get to that stage. I appreciate
that. Thank you very much.
So, we're going to move right in and
the first item is number one. I'm going
to go to um
our director, Mobs, please. I I do have
a question though before we begin. The
items are placed on the agenda one, two,
and three.
What was the rationale on how they were
placed on the agenda, please?
» Thank you, Mayor Norcross, to members of
council and to the audience. The
sequencing of the three reports uh is
important is important for council
consideration today. The first study,
the sports dome study, allows council
the opportunity to expand indoor turfs
turf sports in New Tecumseth to
accommodate sports such as soccer and
baseball, among others. Should council
approve this project, council's programs
currently located in the field house
could effectively be moved to the sports
dome.
This then brings up the opportunity to
review the pool feasibility study, which
includes an expansion of the NTRC to
repurpose the field house. If the sports
dome in the first report is not
approved, this effectively limits the
opportunities in the second report, um
which includes repurposing the field
house to include sports like ball
hockey, roller derby, as well as
pickleball.
This then presents what I call the third
domino. The Beeton Community Centre
project, as council knows knows, has
many moving parts, including the option
to have ice or non-ice programs within
Beaton. Should council choose to approve
the sports dome, this presents an
opportunity to reimagine the field house
at the NTRC to relocate programs into
into the field house, and then possibly
accommodate dry sports such as ball
hockey into the NTRC field house. So,
without making a decision on the first
report, it's difficult to make decisions
on the second report. The The
recommendations would have to be
modified, and then as well as the third
report. So, just to give council all
options in sequence to be able to
consider a systems-wide approach to
delivering recreation infrastructure.
>> Thank you for that very detailed
» Thank you for that very detailed
explanation, Director. And my other
question, these are questions that I've
received from members of the public.
Is there anywhere in the reports tonight
that are making a recommendation
to demolish
the AMA or remove it from programming?
» Uh through your worship, to members of
council and the audience, uh in the
three reports included today for council
consideration, there's no rec-
recommendations pertaining to the AMA.
>> Thank you very much. So, Director Mobbs,
» Thank you very much. So, Director Mobbs,
first up we have our presentation. And
the first one, sports dome phase two
feasibility report. So, Director Mobbs,
can you introduce your team and who will
be making the presentation, please?
» Uh thank you, Mayor Norcross. Through
Through you, to members of council and
the audience, our first presentation
this evening relates to the sports dome
feasibility study phase two. This work
builds on the town's earlier analysis
and provides council with detailed
information on facility sizing, capital
and operating considerations, and staff
recommended operating model.
The study identifies strong and growing
demand for indoor turf
turf
sports, and evaluates a full-size FIFA
standard dome at Jeff Gaston Sports Park
as the preferred solution.
It also aligns how the facility could be
delivered and operated in a way that
balances financial sustainability with
community access and public benefit.
Staff have confirmed with both SSU and
the president of the New Tecumseth
Baseball Association that this would be
a welcome addition that will enhance
service levels, making this amenity a
true multi-sport facility. NTBA could
not attend tonight, though that they
send their regrets and have indicated
they support this project. I will now
turn it over to Steve Langlois, vice
president and principal planner with
Monteith Brown Planning Consultants,
who's joining us virtually this evening.
So, through you, Mayor, with your
permission, I'll turn it over to Mr.
Langlois.
>> Thank you.
» Thank you.
>> Thank you, Director. Go ahead, sir.
» Thank you, Director. Go ahead, sir.
>> Excellent. Good evening,
» Excellent. Good evening,
your your worship and members of
council. I'm excited to share our team's
findings and vision for a new
air-supported dome in New Tecumseth. I
also appreciate you accommodating me
remotely this evening.
Also joining me online and will be
available for Q&A, should you have any
questions relative to the business plan
component of this report, is John
Frittenburg of the JF Group. So, we can
call on John as needed later on in the
evening.
Next slide, please.
So, to start, the sports dome
feasibility study addresses the indoor
turf requirements of a growing
community. This report, this process
really has been divided into two phases.
A reminder that the first phase, which
was led by staff and culminated in a
report to council in November of 20 last
year, was
really helped to lay the groundwork for
this
more detailed feasibility study in phase
two.
One of the items that it did do and and
council had resolved to select Jeff S.
Gallant Sports Park as the preferred
location for the sports dome.
The work that's before you today is
phase two. It's a more detailed
feasibility study.
Uh, looks at space needs, capital cost,
operating cost, business model, and
potential partnerships.
Uh, the study itself does do a goes into
a great deal of of detail around
facility needs. Those needs have been
informed by public input and user group
requests, uh, partially through the
broader, um,
recreation planning initiatives that
have been ongoing over the last number
of months. Also looked at usage levels,
other limitations relative to the
existing infrastructure, and and
potentially, um,
what those regional supplies, regional
demand might be. A facility like this
has the potential to draw from a larger
area, and that's a consideration
within the report as well.
Uh, and as noted, really the project has
been coordinated with a variety of other
ongoing initiatives. So, it's a great
time to do this holistic and and
comprehensive planning. So, we're happy
to have this report in front of council
for your consideration today. Next
slide.
Uh, to set the stage, you'd you'd be
aware that field turf activities,
indoor,
uh, so this is something that is used
largely during the, uh,
late fall, winter, and early spring
months are accommodated through the
field house at the existing field house
at the new tech, uh, new tech comes with
recreation center. That field house was
designed to be converted into an arena
or or other form of rink. So, it's
designed as, um, that that particular
type of dimension, generally like a 200
by 85 ft NHL size type of, uh, floor
area.
Um, that's been somewhat limiting for,
uh, for full use of the space by your
sports associations, uh, but it's
certainly been, uh, progressive and and
has been well used by the by the
community for the last number of years.
Uh we're excited for the opportunity
that the new sports dome will bring
because it allows us to look more
closely at that space and and reimagine
it for other in-demand uses that will be
guided by the work that's forthcoming
out of the action plan and I understand
Councillor Mallows will have an update
on that shortly
later this evening.
So as noted, the South Simcoe United
Football Club or SSU is seeking a larger
venue to support year-round play and
training including economic tournament
tournaments that would provide local
economic spin-offs.
Next slide.
The proposed sports dome is intended to
offer flexible spaces for a variety of
activities in a year-round setting. So
this is a dome that would stay up
year-round. It would allow for
climate-controlled access 12 months of
the year.
It really has an ability to address a
very wide range of needs.
While it will be primarily used for
soccer, we and and on that point, we
know that SSU currently serves around
3,900 players and
has a waitlist, has a very successful
winter program, has a very successful
summer program and the dome would set it
up for success for both of those
programs moving forward for the for the
foreseeable future.
In addition to soccer, it will have
utility for a wide range of other
activities, baseball certainly being
among them. Baseball training is really
what we're looking at. Demand to get
some early season preseason
type of skills training.
Other field sports, many of which are
easily modified to to use a space such
as this.
And it's not just sports, but moving
further into town programming, camps,
rentals, birthday parties, events and
more.
Next slide.
So, our study went
looked very closely at the potential
market for a facility like this. That
helps us identify demand and come up
with a usage profile for for the
facility.
Um that's going and and which in turn
allowed us to better understand the
configuration that would be best suited
to Tecumseth both now and into the
future.
Um currently, there's about 190,000
people really within market catchment
for this facility. They're not all your
residents.
Um you know, 50,000 or or or so are are
are in New Tecumseth.
There's a secondary market in
Adjala-Tosorontio, Essa, and tertiary in
Innisfil and Bradford West Gwillimbury.
Right now, there's only one dome,
a much smaller, you know, a relatively
small dome in Bradford. It is at
capacity, and there's
much latent demand in that community as
well.
Um on this basis, the analysis found
that a small dome, and and I'll show you
a bit of a graphic on this in a moment.
We're going to use two two terms, small
and large.
Uh small being sort of these two
small-sided fields, large being twice
the size, more of a FIFA equivalent, uh
would be So, a small dome would be
unable to support current and future
demand.
Um and is also something that's uh has
not been supported by SSU in their
program model. And I think that's an
important consideration as well.
Next slide.
So, a little further on sort of those
those two size options that I uh
spoke to there. The phase one study
recommended that small dome, about
60,000 square feet,
uh that would consist of of two, you
know, divisible into two programmable
spaces.
Um this is not recommended. It'd be
insufficient to support that existing
and future demand. Doesn't meet those
technical requirements of your local
user groups. And uh, would be very
limited use during the summer season.
Uh, rather our report recommends the
larger dome option.
Uh, so
about 100,000 square feet give or take
consisting of four small-sided fields.
So, doubling from two to four playable
surfaces.
Uh, usage can still occur on a large
template, but what we find with these
facilities most of it occurs on these
smaller small-sided fields. This is
something that SSU uh, is supportive of
as a practice, game, and tournament
venue.
Um,
that would offer multiple multi-sport
functionality, greater options for town
programming, rentals. Uh, would be able
to the town would be able to grow into
it as as demand continues to build. And
um, interestingly also has greater
potential for summer use. As as you'll
see in a moment, the idea is to um,
erect this dome over a an existing
outdoor soccer field. We don't want to
lose that space during the summer. Uh,
we want to be able to make sure it
continues to be programmed. The the
large dome option offers that. Next
slide.
So, I mentioned the field layout a
little um, just to to hammer home I
guess the point of what we are looking
at. You'll see a graphic uh, there on
your right.
And and if you've been in domes or in
the return venues across the province,
there is
not generally one standard size for
them. Uh, some are are played on very
modified structures.
Um, so
but in designing this from the start, we
have the opportunity design with
intention and with end use in mind. Most
of the soccer that you do see and most
of the baseball training and a lot of
the other sports will use these sort of
small-sided fields which are really 7v7,
so seven players on a side, 10 plates.
Uh you'll see the large dome, the FIFA
option, which is recommended by um the
study, allows for four of those. The
smaller dome option would really,
you know, take about half of that space.
Uh so, it would offer two of those uh to
allow for
two concurrent activities as opposed to
four.
Next slide.
As noted, an existing full-size grass
field would be converted to artificial
turf and domed for all-season use.
You'll see a bit of a graphic there and
have others as we go through the
presentation on what this could look
like in Jeff Gaston Park. This is an
image that's really sort of looking
south. Uh you'll see the
more or less the existing roadway and
entrance into the park. You'll see your
wastewater plant. Um
uh some of those silos there um sort of
poking into that graphic. So, this is um
I believe it's field one. I could be
wrong on that, but it'll be the the the
first major field that you see as you
drive into the complex. That's the
location of the dome.
The
uh importantly here, the dome would also
be supported by uh a support building.
This would be a permanent structure. Uh
it would be you can sort of see it
through the transparency, really on sort
of the south side, so at the top end of
of that dome. This building would
provide washrooms for uh year-round use
of the dome as well as summer use of the
entire site. Right now, uh
the the site is served uh does not is
not serviced and is
supported by uh portable washrooms
throughout the summer year. This is uh
improvements to the site such as this
were recommended in the town's uh 2024
Parks, Trails, and Open Space Plan.
By siting this uh dome on this
particular site, uh and with SSU
indicating that they would it would they
would continue to use this site to
accommodate their summer programming, it
results in no net loss of fields.
And additionally, there's a potential to
establish a new 9 v 9 grass field near
the eastern perimeter of the park. So,
that field that you see that outdoor
field not shown on this graphic, that
would be new as needs allow. Uh,
currently that's a fallow uh,
property. Um, a little bit low, but some
of the fill could be uh, transferred to
that location. And uh, we stay out of
any sort of NVCA regulated limits with
that.
Uh, next slide will show the site plan.
A bird's eye view. So, you'll see a
slightly reconfigured entry drive into
the property.
>> [snorts]
» [snorts]
>> Uh, that's
» Uh, that's
an area that would be paved. It would
allow for some paving of of portions of
that parking lot. The
for the most part existing field uh,
configuration would remain and the dome
goes over that large field as you enter
into the property.
Next slide.
The proposed sports dome and all of the
additional site work, so servicing, uh,
uh, storm water and so on would uh,
comes in a estimated capital cost of
$10.5 million.
This is total project cost. It's it's a
class D project estimate. Um, there's
many similar models in Ontario that have
been built in in recent years
in and around this number. Uh, we worked
with uh, a landscape planning limited,
uh, a group that has uh,
designed and
uh, worked on several of these dome
projects in Ontario, including most
recently in Brampton to help confirm
those costs. Next slide.
Now, in terms of operating model, uh,
there are certainly many options and
you'll see that throughout the province
where other sectors are involved,
whether municipal, uh, not-for-profit,
or private. Um, and and really
it's it's a matter of looking at the
specific circumstances within your
community to decide what the best fit
is. Um, our recommendation is that the
town, uh, be take the lead in developing
and managing the proposed sports dome.
Uh, there's a number of reasons for
that. Uh, most notably, town operation
helps to ensure fair scheduling and
access for a range of community groups.
Uh, while so again, soccer would likely
be the most dominant, uh, renter of the
space, it also allows for use with, uh,
for use from from other sports, other
activities, other town programming.
Uh, the dome could also be coordinated
with other town fields, facilities,
recreation programs to optimize
year-round use. Uh,
you have you have control of it. Uh, you
can, uh,
use and leverage your recreation
software, your marketing, and your other
tools to make sure that it's, uh, used
to its full benefit.
And municipal oversight also prioritizes
broad public benefit, affordability,
inclusive programming. So, you set the
rates, and you set the hours,
uh, and and you, uh, hope to dictate,
uh, how it's used and how it's, uh,
benefits your community.
Next slide.
Uh, the dome itself, uh, from an
operating perspective, and and we tend
to approach these in a very conservative
manner. Um,
indoor turf, as a general rule, has the
potential to be, um,
I'll say I'll say revenue neutral. In
some cases, it can be profitable, but
there's there's always a story behind
the story, and it depends how you're
you're counting your costs. Um, and what
I mean by that is
if we just look at pure revenue
uh, against costs,
um, they're pretty close. Uh, and and
this is in initial years of operation.
We anticipate there would be some
additional capacity in in the early
years. As the municipality grows, that
would
it would reach more full capacity, so
allow for better
revenue generation without any real
impact on costs.
But it would have a slight surplus in in
the initial in the initial years.
However, there are certain elements of
this, whether it be field turf itself,
the dome fabric, the HVAC system, that
they do have a finite life. And those
are those are generally 15, you know,
from around 12 to 15 years for the turf,
20 to 25 years potentially for the the
dome fabric, the HVAC. So, we like to
provide some full, you know, from fuller
cost sort of accounting around this. If
we look at
what those replace capital replacement
costs are, and if you're putting money
away each year, so that when the year
comes up for those items
to be replaced, it's already there in
reserve, that changes the equation a
little bit, and the facility itself
would have a net operational cost year
over year in and around $276,000.
Again, we anticipate that that will
become more and more profitable
over time as the community grows. Again,
your costs stay relatively the same, but
your revenue potential rises faster.
And one last slide,
just to give you a sense of what this
could look like from a development
perspective.
There's there's a bit of site prep and
servicing involved here, and that's
really the bulk, frankly, of of the
work. We have to consider seasonality
and access to the site, and the ability
to do the work without
unduly impeding existing uses. So, we
anticipate a development timeline of 12
to 15 months. There's a number of steps
that would be required by the town to
step in and
seek the necessary approvals, ready the
site, work with partners to ensure that
there's a solid understanding of of
what's required there. So, there's still
work ahead,
but we're excited around this potential
vision for the for the site and um
with that I'll I'll conclude my
presentation and I will hang back in the
in the in the abyss here and wait to be
called back on for any questions.
>> Okay, thank you very much. I'm going to
» Okay, thank you very much. I'm going to
go to the director. Please, would you
like to do the next one? Thank you.
» Uh thank you, Your Worship. If I may,
I'm happy to introduce the next
presenter just so we can keep the the
tempo going. Uh the next presentation,
as they get ready, focuses on the indoor
pool feasibility study. This work
examines the need for indoor aquatic
services in New Tecumseth and goes
further by outlining a more
comprehensive multi-use expansion at the
NTRC that integrates recreation
components, including a new gymnasium,
walking track, an expanded wellness and
fitness space, and some working
amenities such as change rooms and
program areas. This addition provides a
systems-based approach for service
delivery aligned with recommendations in
the draft R plan.
Staff have consistently heard residents
express a desire for a true multi-use
community center similar to neighboring
municipalities. This work provides
Council with the option to consider that
type of integrated facility aligned with
community needs and future growth. We'll
now invite Anant Desai, principal
planner with Monteith Brown Planning
Consultants, to present and introduce
his respective team.
» Thank you, Director. Welcome. Go ahead,
sir.
>> Thank you, Mr. Mayor, members of
» Thank you, Mr. Mayor, members of
Council. Appreciate you having me here
as well.
Joining me, you've already met
virtually, Steve Langlois and John
Frittenburg. They were also involved in
the pool analysis
in that report. Also in person with me
today is Victor Ziolkowski from MJMA
Architecture and Design. Uh They helped
with the conceptualization and the the
costing, the capital costing. So,
um
So, yeah. So, we have the we have the
slide deck up.
As you
are
probably well aware, the topic of indoor
aquatics has been something that has
been
you know, discussed in this community
for a number of years. The last master
plan in 2018
spoke to the need for an indoor aquatic
center.
The draft recreation culture and library
action plan, the ARCLAP, was presented
to council in May.
And at that time we would have mentioned
and rationalized the need for indoor
aquatics in your community. This study
really now takes it to the next level
where where we have established the need
and are providing council with
information
regarding what this could look like,
where it could go, ultimately what it
may cost to build and operate. That is
the intent of today's
presentation to you. And the report also
delves into the types of programming.
Do I click or you?
Okay. Next slide, please.
So,
as part of the broader analysis,
your a number of your area
municipalities provide indoor aquatic
centers.
There are within roughly a 35-minute
drive, there are eight municipally built
pools. There are a handful of other
um
public or sorry, quasi public or private
sector pools than Auto Saga. For
example, the the CFB Borden base.
Um and and what we do find is that
again, just with the linear distribution
of your community,
folks in Alliston tend to travel perhaps
maybe more to Innisfil to CFB Borden. Um
Folks in Tottenham as we understand may
head into King or Caledon, maybe
Orangeville. Folks in Beeton BWG hop
skip and a jump away I suppose from
from from that location.
Next slide please.
But
really you know one thing that we did
hear
from the community is that getting into
some of those non-municipal pools, the
pools operated by your neighbors or the
private sector.
There may be non-resident fees or the
residents of those municipalities will
have kind of first dibs for
registration. So you know there are some
you know
barriers I suppose
that that your residents may face in
accessing the pools operated by other
municipalities. When we look at the
private sector pools they might not be
of a size or configuration that are
suitable for all the range of aquatic
programs that your
community is looking for. And so again
as you will recall perhaps from
the the presentation back in January
for both the arc lab and the pool study
indoor aquatics really was
by far what we heard the most about in
terms of a community need.
May not be a surprise to you folks again
but
you know really
they it was the most popular activity
recreationally that they reported doing.
It was their top request for a type of
facility.
But they were also again looking beyond
the the traditional
lane swimming and lessons but hey can we
do aqua fit? Can we get into more warm
water or leisure
type of aquatic experiences. So
those are some of the things that that
we had heard. Next slide please.
So we undertook having established the
need for the aquatic center we started
to do a site selection
analysis and we started off and and
looked at just for for all intents and
purposes,
municipally owned properties, properties
that you already have in your
possession.
And there are 259 of those.
We went through those and applied a
screening
criteria
based approach where we were able to
shortlist those 259
into what we believed were five viable
candidates
distributed across the town of New
Tecumseth.
Three of those sites were in Alliston,
one in Beeton, one in Tottenham. So the
sites that you see up there being the
the high school,
the Banting Homestead,
and then the NTRC here in Alliston. We
looked at the JOC
in in Beeton,
the Joint Operations Center, sorry, as
well as then the Tottenham Community and
Fitness Center.
Some of the criteria that we looked at
was proximity to residential
populations,
distribution in relation to other
municipal facilities and services and
parks,
as well as schools.
We looked at the transportation network,
that's an important piece.
Compatibility with surrounding land
uses, co-location potential,
so that if there was an opportunity to
again create one-stop shop, some
economies of scale in operation as well.
That was part of the equation.
Site readiness and
obviously if there were any
encumbrances, physical, legislative, or
otherwise.
And after all that shook out, the NTRC
was was emerged as the preferred site
for the
indoor aquatic center. Next slide,
please.
So some of the again, when we look at
the pros and cons of of the NTRC, really
we do see that
you know, again, by having an existing
community center in in place, you have
the potential to tie in and
again, you're not necessarily
duplicating staff one-for-one. There's
already going to be staff working there.
There's already programming that's
occurring out of that facility.
The site itself,
you know, there are portions that that
appear to be readily developable. We've
checked with your engineering staff,
your planning staff as well for insight
there.
It is located along a you know, again,
you know, with Industrial Parkway, it's
it's connection to County Road 10. You
know, that that's readily accessible in
terms of your transportation network,
but
the links bus goes back goes by there at
the moment right now. There is sidewalk
connection. So,
you know, one major major factor though
that
you know, was was
apparent with the NTRC.
It is a site that is located probably in
proximity to the largest number of of of
people of all the sites considered.
You know, by virtue of being in the
Alliston settlement area, but also
again, you know, by virtue of County
Road 10 and other road networks access
to Beeton
and maybe even Tottenham to a degree. We
felt was was was
satisfactory.
And you know, again, just in terms of
maybe the cons one might want to think
about the limitations.
Again, we think the benefits outweigh
some of these limitations, but you know,
really it is surrounded by industrial
land uses on on three sides largely.
Two sides I guess.
If one were to expand that site, really
a pool and some other components as
we'll talk about in a moment,
that would take that site largely to
build out when you factor in parking.
So, you know, after a pool and some
other
amenities,
That kind of what you're going to have
there. Uh and really there were just
some architectural nuances that that we,
you know, saw, but our architectural
team, as you'll see in a moment, uh has
uh we believe been able to to address
some of those concerns. Next slide.
Uh
so the folks at MGMA
did
some test fits really to the to the
north, south, and west of the existing
building. Uh we were able to make all of
them work, but what we've uh you know,
established as you know, what we felt
would be preferred
uh was uh a westerly expansion uh really
on the basis that that saves some space
uh creates uh that
uh spot in yellow as as a common
circulation area. Was able to tie in a
little nicely uh a little nicer to that
lobby.
Next slide, please.
Um
the site plan again this just takes it
uh illustrates uh a little bit to in
more detail uh in in plan view uh that
that westerly expansion where you'll see
the aquatic center. Uh you'll see a
gymnasium that was brought forward to
council again through the draft our
clap. Uh a new and larger wellness
center. So right now you do have a
fitness space on the second floor
uh of the NTRC. Uh a capital project
like this would perhaps allow you to uh
position that facility uh fitness
facility to be provide an experience
more uh akin to what you're experiencing
in Tottenham.
Uh and uh again as was talked about uh
if if council were to, you know, support
that indoor turf indoor dome,
uh that that allows programming
potentially to move out of uh the field
house uh and and reallocate that uh
space to another use. Next slide,
please.
Um so again really where we're
continuing just show this in in
different uh dimensions. Uh ball hockey
is identified here largely on the basis
that you know, we feel that you know,
well, that that space, the field house,
was originally designed to kind of arena
uh dimensions. Um and so if uh if if the
turf uh activities were to be moved, you
know, ball hockey is is one option
there. Again, I've spoken to the to the
fitness uh and the gymnasium components.
Next slide, please.
Uh parking, you know, we we'd be at
about 700 uh parking spots. You know,
the expansion would occur on an existing
parking lot, but we believe that
additional parking could be added uh and
does not result in any net loss uh I
believe uh to what is there today.
Next slide, please.
So, the concept itself is uh is anchored
by a 25-m eight-lane pool. We believe
that positions you well for the future
and and future growth.
Um it's a multi-tank configuration. So,
again, in addition to uh the more
traditional uh uses that would occur in
a rectangular pool, such as again, you
know, lessons, aquatic sport, uh there
is a leisure tank as well uh that would
allow for again more warmer water
experiences.
Uh full-size gymnasium with storage uh
and uh and again,
um the opportunity to then
uh reimagine that second floor
uh and and renew the fitness experience.
Uh those are all part of the uh of the
proposed concept. Next uh slide, please.
Um so, uh in addition to that uh concept
uh that MJMA architecture uh and design
had done, uh they prepared a capital
cost estimate here. Again, they
uh uh have been involved uh in a number
of these projects. and so, you know, we
we feel reasonably confident in these at
about a class C level.
Um whereby the
uh the really after soft costs,
contingencies, design fees, uh where
we're looking at about $66.2 million
uh
associated with an aquatic center,
gymnasium, and uh revitalized fitness
center. Next slide, please.
Uh the operating projections, again,
this is where the JF Group provided a
lot of insight. Uh you know, I I'm maybe
it isn't common knowledge, but pools are
not revenue positive uh facilities. Uh
anyone that has a backyard pool uh
probably knows that. Um but uh really
the the prevailing thought is by
providing access to
uh you know, learn to swim,
uh you know, sport, you know, some of
these uh intrinsic benefits may offset
uh in principle uh some of the financial
costs. Uh but really the pool and the
dry land components together uh have a
projected revenue generation of $1.3
million
annually. Uh this is in current year
dollars.
Uh expenditures uh again, largely around
staffing, uh but also pools are uh you
know,
intensive in terms of the utilities that
they use. Uh you know, those those would
be about $2.6 million.
So, therefore, council could probably
expect somewhere in the order of $1.3
million
uh annually from uh from an operational
standpoint. Uh as uh you know, as um my
colleague earlier said with the dome,
potentially again, you know, there if if
people see that value, that strong value
in having a pool, a fitness center, a
gym all together, that may help drive
memberships. Uh so so again, the revenue
side of things could change in in the
future. Next slide, please.
Uh we uh
you know, looked at various models. A
number again of those
>> I'm sorry. Excuse me, sir. Can I just um
» I'm sorry. Excuse me, sir. Can I just um
I have to get you to speed it up a bit
because in the interest of fairness, we
only have so much time allotted, and we
want to make sure we're fair across the
board. So, thank you.
>> Absolutely. This is I think the last
» Absolutely. This is I think the last
slide. So,
um really uh
we would recommend that uh the
municipality operate the indoor aquatic
facilities. Uh most of that that is
common practice.
And uh you know, we did talk to to
others that that operate. The YMCA was
was part of our our conversations, but
really we do believe that um you know,
the the the town would be the best uh
positioned to operate this type of
facility. Next slide, please.
So, typically, you know, these are 4 to
5-year processes from the time we say,
"Hey, do we need a pool?" to the time
that a door opens. You're already kind
of already, you know, we've established
the need. We've looked at the
feasibility. So, realistically, from the
time, you know, council made a decision,
uh probably, you know, 24 to 36 months
or so,
uh you know, after after the approvals
are are received, uh one could expect uh
that that to uh you know,
be in place. Next slide.
So,
with that, uh thank you, council, for uh
indulging me in the in the presentation.
We'll be happy to respond to questions
later on. Thank you.
>> Thank you. I'm going to go back over to
» Thank you. I'm going to go back over to
Director Malts, please.
» Thank you, Your Worship. Uh
before we move on to the next
presentation, I just wanted to chat
about the field house for a second. Uh
just wait for the
rendering to go on the screen.
As council is aware, the field house was
originally designed with flexibility in
mind. And as council considers the
future indoor turf provision provision
levels, there's an opportunity to
reimagine the field house space to
better meet the evolving community
needs. The rendering before you
illustrates that reimagined space,
including the conversion of the field
house into a ball hockey dry pad with
the new concrete playing surface, full
height dasher boards, spectator seating,
and glazing. The glazing there is just
for illustration purposes only. It could
be moved easily.
Staff have worked with the New Tecumseth
Ball Hockey League throughout this
process to ensure that the concept
reflects their operational requirements
and could possibly function as their
primary facility for their programming.
This approach demonstrates how we can
maximize existing existing
infrastructure while responding to
identified longer-term service gaps, in
particular with pickleball, and we can
also accommodate roller derby while
delivering a coordinated multi-use
facility strategy.
I'll now turn over to the next
presentation. Um this that will focus on
the Beeton Community Centre project.
This work focuses on the re-
redevelopment of the existing Beeton
Memorial Arena site, which, as outlined
in the report, is nearing the end of its
useful life and no longer meets modern
service and programming expectations.
Through the study, three preliminary
design options are being presented for
council's consideration, each reflecting
a different approach to balancing
community space, recreation programming,
and indoor ice provision levels on a
constrained site. These include a single
gymnasium community center model, a
larger double gymnasium model and
expanded with expanded program capacity,
and an arena focus model that
prioritizes maintaining indoor ice
within the community.
NHL ice is deliberately included in
option three, as this is aligned with
work previously undertaken. In addition,
ice hockey user groups have
overwhelmingly expressed support for an
appropriate sized ice pad that will
allow the the sport to grow and mature
both in Beeton and beyond.
At this stage, it's important to note
staff are not seeking
full approval [clears throat] on a
preferred option.
Rather, the purpose of this work is to
seek council direction on a preferred
facility approach which will allow the
project to advance.
Excuse me. [clears throat]
It do further preliminary design,
refinement of the program, and site
layout in more detailed costing. It's
important to note that the cost
estimates presented today at this stage
are preliminary and do not include soft
costs, which will be addressed in future
phases and analysis.
It's also important to note that should
council wish to approve this project in
full tonight, staff are still able to
complete the work and bring back any
budget implications for council
consideration. Pending feedback tonight,
we would expect this would be in late
July.
I now invite Philip O'Sullivan,
representing Perkins and Will as lead
consultant, to introduce his team. Uh
through you, Mayor, back to you.
>> Thank you.
So, I believe the presentation will be
from over here, members of the public
and those watching at home.
So, go ahead, please, sir.
And when your light comes up red, it
means you're live.
>> Yep.
» Yep.
>> Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Thank you,
» Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Thank you,
Council. Thank you, Director Moses. We
appreciate the opportunity to be here
this evening and present our work. My
name is Philip O'Sullivan, as Director
Moses said. I'm an associate principal
working in sports and recreation at
Perkins and Will. I'm joined by
Christina Grimes, a senior associate and
designer at Perkins and Will, who is the
designer of this project. She'll speak
through the plans as we go through. As
well as our industry colleague, John
Hack from Sierra Planning and
Management, who has helped us with the
costing and business model relative to
the options that you're going to see
this evening.
Next slide, please.
As a brief project overview, Perkins and
Will and Sierra Planning were were
brought on in and around December 2025
to undertake a feasibility study uh for
a community center in and around the
Beaton Memorial Arena, including the
Beaton Memorial Arena. Um the the
project is essentially broken up into
two phases. One being site investigation
and community engagement, and the second
phase being conceptual design. It's
supposed to be run kind of
consecutively. Um there are are to be
two two presentations to council. Today
is the first one where as Director Moes
noted, we're seeking direction on some
of the options we're going to present
this evening. Um and the feasibility
study is intended to be complete again
as Director Moes said in July of 2026.
We have overlapped these phases for the
interest of time and to be able to allow
our process of community engagement to
inform the design as opposed to having
it happen in tandem, having it happen
together. Um I sorry, in tandem. So that
way we can make sure that we're it
bringing that into our design thinking
as we work through the process. Next
slide, please.
Our community engagement process took
place on in in five different ways. We
had an online community survey that was
open for the duration of the other uh
events I'm about to describe. We had
pop-up events, three in-person pop-up
events. Uh we also had public a public
information session that took place at
the town hall. We interviewed user
groups and we also had council
interviews.
Uh so we started in July of 2020 uh
pardon me, January of 2026 with council
interviews where we met with council to
understand the history and context of
previous developments and thoughts
around how the Beeton Memorial Arena had
been thought of in the past from
different councils and that was very
helpful. Uh then we started to popu-
have pop-up events and these pop-up
events were for the public, open to the
public. Um they happened in three
different locations, the Tottenham
Community Centre, uh the D.A. Jones
Library and of course the Beeton
Memorial Arena.
Uh and those were focused on
conversations with the community about
program, what was desired, what wasn't
being provided, what could be provided
and really looking at how the any design
for a new community centre in and around
the Beeton Memorial Arena could be
impacted by that need.
Uh the public information session, that
was the session that was held here at
town hall. That was a session where we
began to take all the information that
we had heard uh from the community and
from council itself and build in
conceptual ideas about how the design
could be reflected or placed on the
site. And this was done so we could seek
community input, have conversations and
understand how the needs are being met
or not being met and where we could have
alternate revisions to um to make those
meet the needs. And what you see tonight
is a is a product of that. And then
lastly, we had user group meetings. This
was a specific user groups where we
brought them to talk about the overall
concepts, but also to talk about the
existing context and how that the
physical impacts or limitations of those
spaces are impacting their business and
how there was potential for future
correction of that in new facilities.
And it's worth noting at this point that
and you can see in the images here
that while we did in community
engagement see quite a clear need for
ice and want for ice and and emotional
connection to ice, we also heard quite a
bit of commentary about things that
weren't offered, things like gym spaces,
indoor walking tracks, availability for
alternate sport, and ability to
congregate and gather indoors.
So, we thought that was quite useful in
terms of helping us develop an initial
program. Next slide, please.
So, from all of that conversation with
with the public, we developed a project
vision and it reads like this. Shaped by
community input and grounded in themes
of community, place, and value, this
project reimagines recreation in Beeton
at a pivotal moment of growth. Building
on the legacy of the Beeton Memorial
Arena, this new community center will
become a vibrant, inclusive hub that
brings residents together, supports
diverse needs, and strengthens
connection and belonging. Centrally
located, it will honor its role as a
long-standing community anchor while
serving future generations.
Next slide, please.
From the project vision, we created
guiding principles. These are
touchstones that we go back to during
the design process up until this point
and make sure that we're in alignment
and and continuing to service the the
the needs of the community. We again,
community, place, and value were the
three guiding principles that we we
landed on and the New Beeton Community
Centre will support in terms of
community the evolving social, cultural,
and recreation needs of the current and
future residents of New Tecumseth.
From a place perspective, the Beeton
Community Centre will be thoughtfully
rooted in its context, reflecting both
its historic setting and its future
potential as a modern, efficient
recreation centre.
And from the point of view of value, the
centre will be designed to maximize
long-term value in its construction,
operation, and spatial efficiency.
» [clears throat]
>> So, the next series of diagrams will
» So, the next series of diagrams will
take a closer look at the BMA site. On
this side, we have a perspective aerial
view of the BMA site. It's a very
prominent central site on Main Street
within the Beeton Heritage District.
It's been home to the Beeton Memorial
Arena since 1947.
So, the site's really served in
generations of residents through
skating, hockey, and a wide variety of
community events. It's a very
well-loved, active gathering place that
the design of the new community centre
and arena looks to build upon.
Next slide.
The site itself forms part of a broader
ecological corridor linking Main Street
to the Beeton Community Park north of
Prospect Street.
So, existing open green spaces kind of
weave around the arena and existing
parking areas,
creating an informal but continuous
landscape network.
It's important to note that there is a
natural water course that runs along the
west edge of the site. So, for our
preliminary site planning purposes, we
have assumed about a 15-m setback from
the top of bank of that water course as
this site is under the Nottawasaga
Valley Conservation Authority
jurisdiction.
Next slide.
The new community centre design presents
an opportunity to,
you know, reimagine and better organize
both indoor and outdoor amenities on the
existing BMA site.
By locating the new building along Main
Street next to the library,
a more direct connection from Main
Street through the site to the Beaton
Community Park can be established and
that's kind of shown here in in the
the red graphics.
This space can become a linear
multi-year use plaza
serving not only as kind of a key
pathway through the site but also as an
arrival plaza, an informal gathering
area, perhaps a reading garden next to
the library
populated with both seating and and
landscaping.
Next slide.
And then lastly it's important to
highlight that this site's located
within the Beaton Heritage District. So
the new community center design will
draw from this context with careful
attention to scale, rhythm, form and the
predominant brick materiality to ensure
the building kind of fits within that
heritage streetscape.
Next slide.
So we're now going to walk through the
three design options.
We're calling them design options but
they are essentially test fits, you
know, they're they're trying to test
different building areas and and the
parking requirement on a site and
regardless of which design is kind of
selected to move forward with there
would be much more design exploration
that kind of continues on.
So this is design option one, it's the
single gymnasium model
and it's the smallest of the three
options.
So that smaller community center
footprint and the smaller parking
requirement
uh preserves about half of the site for
open green space and maintains the
existing splash pad and basketball court
on site.
This design does have space for the
existing BMA to potentially remain on
site if required and this has been
analyzed as a possible scenario and will
be described in more detail at the end
of presentation by John Hack. In
looking at the site plan on the here,
it's important to note that there would
be impacts to the parking efficiency if
the BMA does remain,
either reducing the amount of parking
provided or increasing the parking area
shown currently.
Next slide.
On this slide, we have the floor plans
for the two building levels. Uh the
ground floor is on the left and includes
the single gymnasium and community hall
programs with some support spaces, the
building amen, and an entry lobby off of
Main Street.
The second floor on the right will have
a couple of multi-purpose rooms and a
walking track around the two-story
gymnasium space.
And then the community hall space on the
ground floor would also be two stories.
So, that kind of provides a nice general
generous volume of space for a wide
variety of community events.
Next slide.
And then here we have a hand sketch of
how the new community center would
integrate onto the Main Street
streetscape. So, it's a very high-level
sketch. It's not intended to be a
design, but more of a representation of
the scale of the building next to the
library. Starting to imagine how a plaza
space emerges between the building and
the library, how building entries are
identified, how brick, glass, and other
materials could come together in a
variety of expressions, and you'll see
that represented both in this sketch in
the sketches to come for the next design
options.
Next slide.
>> [clears throat]
» [clears throat]
>> Design option two is the double
» Design option two is the double
gymnasium model. So, what's different
here is it's larger than the first
design option. So, instead of a single
gym, it has a double gym with a much
larger walking track around that
gymnasium and some additional
multi-purpose rooms.
The building and parking lots here have
kind of an offset bar design. So, this
allows for a larger plaza space along
Main Street in front of the building's
main lobby space.
The site is also showing the potential
for an outdoor skating trail and covered
ice rink. However, this program was
identified as a separate cost from the
overall construction costs
of the building.
And then again, technically the BMA
could remain on site for this option.
However, the site would be significantly
impacted. There would be major impacts
to parking capacity as well as
significant complexities to the
construction of the new facility.
And next slide.
So, you can see the
um the two floor plans for this option
here. Uh the ground floor is on the
left-hand side has the double gymnasium,
the community hall, a multi-purpose
room, and some support spaces, and a
generous lobby space off of Main Street.
And then on level two on the right, you
have a couple multi-purpose spaces as
well as a large walking track around the
two-story gymnasium. And again, that
community hall space has been designed
as a two-story space as well.
Next slide.
And here's another sketch just kind of
showing the scale of the design along
that Main Street streetscape and next to
the library.
Next slide.
And then lastly, we have design option
three. So, this is the arena option. And
important to note that the ice surface
designed here is an NHL-sized ice pad
model.
Um this is the largest uh building
program of the three options and
therefore will require the largest
footprint of parking. So, you can see
the building and the parking do take up
um a big portion of the site. We're not
able to maintain the existing basketball
court, but the existing splash pad
should be able to remain
uh on site with the building and the
parking requirements.
Next slide.
It's another two-story building. So, on
the ground floor the left-hand side,
we've got the ice rink with those
support spaces. So, change room spaces,
and back of house mechanical spaces,
a small multi-purpose room, a reception
desk admin space, and then a concession
space that's kind of adjacent to that
main lobby off of Main Street.
Up on level two, you have a large
generous walking track that wraps around
the ice rink, as well as a viewing area.
So, upper level viewing along the rink
uh for great views down to the rink
below. Another multi-purpose room.
And then in this design, the community
hall and and associated teaching kitchen
are located up on level two, rather than
the ground floor.
Next slide.
Again, just another sketch kind of
showing what that feels like on Main
Street next to the library um
and just kind of imagining some of those
um spaces in and around the building.
Pass it over to John.
» Um on the on the financial review side,
it it's uh it's probably um
better to view it as as a as a link to a
funding strategy or the implications of
one option over another. So,
as you've seen, there are three options
presented. And on the two options,
options one and two that maintain the uh
that that bring in a new community
center, the options shown are that the
BMA the the Memorial Arena is not
retained. Recognition that it could be
with some challenges. So, with that, the
what I'm about to show for the balance
of the slides is really to understand
based on each of those options, um what
is the what are the implications of of
actually retaining the Memorial Arena on
the side versus its
its removal. And then of course, option
three, which is the uh bringing in a new
NHL-sized
um arena with community hall space. That
one is conceptually a little bit more
straightforward
in terms of the financial implications.
So, next slide, please.
So, just to get into it, and I hope I
don't uh confuse people with uh with a
lot of different boxes here, but
uh for for the two options for the for
the community centers, options one and
options two,
um there are really we've developed some
financial scenarios uh to reflect what
would happen if you kept the
um Memorial Arena going for a period of
time. What is that period of time is
I'll I'll get to that. So, option A
would be that you keep the BMA open
until such time as there was a solution
to replacing it with uh new, likely
larger, twin pad, probably uh ice
somewhere else within the municipality.
The second scenario, B, is uh closing
the BMA
um
uh for uh for construction of a new
facility, and then uh
having essentially to find ice
elsewhere, or recognize there'd be a
loss in service for a period of time.
So, uh just to run it through very
quickly, scenario A, it remains open
until 2036.
There are certain costs, obviously, to
to look at in terms of the BMA going
going operating costs, but also an
increasing likelihood of significant
capital costs.
Um and then if you were to close the
facility, then you avoid those costs,
but you run into the challenge, of
course, of not having
enough uh space to be able to operate
the facility both for the winter use
and the uh the non-winter use as well.
Next slide, please.
So, what are we what are we actually
looking at in terms of the timelines
here? So, the the sort of foundational
assumption of of what we're doing here
and the information we're providing is
essentially to give council uh a
non-design perspective, a financial
perspective on some of the issues Um is
that we're assuming here that that by
2036 there would be investment made to
produce new ice in the town as a result
of the need for that
and as laid out in the various um
planning documents, recreation master
plan in particular for that. So, that
would be the the aim and if we were to
commission if the if the work were
commissioned very soon then obviously
the redevelopment of the memorial site
could happen
you know as as near as 2030 or 2031. So,
those are the timelines.
>> Next slide, please.
» So, I will do my best to simplify what
we are looking at here but essentially
just to recognize the options and so
scenario 1A is to keep the BMA open and
there are certain operating costs that
come with that as well as caper capital
costs.
The buildings themselves
Christina has laid out what they are.
I'll just focus on again the
the uh
the costs associated with each. So, the
the smaller community center
in and around 24 million dollars in
terms of construction cost.
The second one about 40% higher in cost
actually about 50% higher in space
that's made available. So, there are
some efficiencies there the bigger you
go in a building.
Uh
relative to the cost there is an
efficiency there and then scenario three
a new NHL pad which is more than that
it's got community hall space as well
factored into it and some other rooms.
You're in at around 44 million dollars
in construction costs for that as well.
I'll maybe come back in any questions to
to fill out some of the details here but
if you go to the next slide, please.
Let's just focus on this and this is the
last significant table for the
presentation. So this actually gives
some numbers here to what we're looking
at so we can compare between the three
options
as it relates to the issue of whether
you do or do not retain the Beaton
Memorial Arena until such time and we're
assuming about 2036 to be able to
uh bring in new ice that would would
replace what is lost if uh if option
three
uh for a new arena on site is not chosen
and the options one and two are
developed without retaining the arena.
So option 1A capital cost as I'd
mentioned around $24 million in
construction cost.
Because of the particular condition of
the uh the Beaton Memorial owner uh
Beaton Memorial Arena at this point uh
existing capital cost estimates from a
building condition assessment
in uh what we're calling present value
and so putting it in today's dollars it
strings out to around 2036 or just after
is about 15 15.6 million dollars. So
call it 15 million. It's significant.
Um the annual deficit is going to be
true of any facility and in in fairness
the
option three uh for a brand new facility
is going to have a higher operating
deficit than the existing
Memorial Arena. But just to put that on
the page about $2.8 million. This is on
the left hand column there for option
1A1. When you add that together the
total
um value of uh of costs in in present
value terms is around $42.5 million.
If you were to um
close the arena
um there looks there like there's a
significant savings and there is there
is that. Um the challenge though of
course is that the unless a new facility
to replace that
is brought on board. So, to replace the
lost ice and the lost summer use, then
there's a there's a loss of service to
the community.
Um and that can be replaced by if you
look under row down where it says D
about four up from the bottom, the idea
there is that you could purchase the
municipality could look to try and
purchase ice elsewhere
and then provide that to the community
at the subsidized rate. There's
obviously a risk to do that and we don't
have a position on whether that is
more likely or less likely, but it is in
theory something that could be could be
done. But, the bottom line is that that
comparison of 42 million versus the 27
million is because there is uh there is
essentially
um the loss of the Beaton Memorial Arena
and a decision has to be made as to
whether you find ice from elsewhere or
drop the level of service until they get
a new pad.
Really the same conversation for just to
speed up here, the same conversation for
scenario 2A and 2B. It's just a bigger
set of numbers.
Um and so there is a comparison there of
50, you know, 51.9 million versus 36.6
million if you were to keep the Memorial
Arena open until 2036 or close it and
suffer the
the issues that surround a loss of ice.
And then of course, scenario three
uh is one where the initial capital
costs associated with the new arena that
would be put on site is substantially
higher than building a community center,
but
um what you don't have because you would
be required in this in this design
scenario to close the BMA as soon as
you're starting construction. So, let's
just say that happens tomorrow or
beginning of next year, whenever the
design is complete, uh you would have to
find ice for a period during the
construction period, uh let's say 3
years, or you would have to
um suffer the loss of of service that
that happens knowing that you're
bringing back a bigger, better facility
in a few years time. But, you can see
the numbers there that it it shows that
there isn't the same level of cost
because you're not maintaining the
existing arena.
So,
I will leave it at that. I'm sure I've
numbed everyone with numbers, but I'll
be happy to go through any questions
that you may have.
» Thank you. I'm going to move on to
capital projects financial impact
assessment, and our presenter is Raj
Narine.
May I hand it over to you, Raj?
» Good evening, Mayor Norcross and members
of council.
Um
My name is Raj Narine, and the manager
of financial services.
Thank you for
giving me the opportunity to present
tonight.
I will be presenting our financial
impact assessment for the three projects
that was discussed earlier, and it's the
aquatic center, sports dome, and the
community center.
Um my
assessment will focus mostly on the town
debt debt capacity, and annual repayment
limit, and the projected tax impact.
So, this slide just give a brief
overview of the
aquatic center.
It's expected to cost $70 million.
Included in this amount is a
$3.7 million for a ball ball hockey
space. Um this project is expected to be
fully debenture and um
repayment of that is uh expected to be
from taxation and DCs.
Next slide, please.
So, this is the sports dome um
$10.5 million uh dollars
expected to be fully debenture as well
and um repayment of that to be funded
from DCs and taxation.
Next slide, please.
And this is the Beeton Community Centre
and all three options are presented
here.
And um when you go through back the cost
the consultants just went through the
cost, but it is expected uh all options
are expected to be
um fully debentured and um funded from
DCs and taxation as well. Soft cost was
not included in this model um because
that was not included in the
consultant's report.
Next slide, please.
Um before I move on to the numbers
slide, just want to give you a little
bit of a context on annual repayment
limit or ARL.
Um this is a provincial legislation. Um
it is really how much um that the town
is able to carry on its own source
revenue.
Um the limit is 25%
uh that's the the threshold uh the
legis- legislated limit. Um
we can in order to be for me to be
prudent and uh follow best practice, it
is advisable to do um stay within 20% or
or less.
Um it's very important to to
for the town to do that because it
allows flexibility and help us to
respond to any emergencies.
Next slide, please.
Um this slide shows a projection of um
our a comparison of our annual repayment
limit um for the period 2028 to 2035.
Um the gray line represents um any
current debt that we have
and any
commit- existing planned debts to 2035.
And as you can see, it's uh it's within
the range of 14 to 17% ARL, which is
acceptable
much lower than our 20% uh threshold.
And if we factor in
the three uh proposed recreation
projects, then we're going to be um over
uh
over our 20% uh threshold, but below the
25% uh legislative limit. You can see
it's peaked at offer option one at 22.6%
and ranging to 23.9
at option three.
Next slide, please.
So, um this slide uh gives a a
several scenarios here. And the the
column that I am to focus on is the
funding relief. It's the very last
column.
And it is really how much money we will
need upfront to stay to to put into any
one of these combinations to stay within
a 20% threshold.
So, for example, the if we're going to
go with the aquatic center and dome the
and the Beaton Community Center option
one, that will cost will need to inject
26 million upfront.
Option two, it's on 33 and it's
increases to further to 45 million
dollars if we go with Beaton option
three and the other two projects.
Next slide, please.
So, the the slide uh gives uh
a picture of the um
estimated tax rates in park in terms of
pro projects per project. So, the
aquatic and wellness center um is
expected to be at a 4.59%
um
the dome is the lowest at 1.28 and the
Beaton Community Center ranges from
option one to 2.81% to option three at a
5.47%.
Yeah.
Next slide, please.
So, this uh this slide um
presented um
the
combination of um what the combination
would be and what the how what what the
tax burden uh per scenarios and also
what the equivalent tax rate would be.
So, in terms of dollars, if we go with
the the two project with Beaton option
one, we're looking at a 4.
uh 1 million dollars, which is
equivalent to an 8% tax increase. And uh
option two with 4.79 and
uh
option three 5.45. That's tax burden
equivalent to 11.35%
tax rate increase.
Next slide.
And um I think this is my final slide um
and this really is a combination of the
other slides just to present it into one
slide. And it's for each situation each
scenario uh combination um
we have the
total levy burden, what that would be,
the equivalent tax rate, and the funding
relief
um to stay within our 20% um
ARL threshold.
And uh that's it uh for my presentation
this evening. Thank you for your time.
Mayor and council.
>> Thank you very much.
» Thank you very much.
So, now we're going to move on to our
registered deputations.
And up first we have Kelly Summers from
South Simcoe United in reference to the
sports dome. Kelly, would you like to
come up to the microphone, please?
Thank you and welcome.
» Hi everybody. Hopefully everybody can
hear me okay. Good evening, Mr. Mayor
and members of council. Thank you for
giving me the opportunity. My name is
Kelly Summers and I am the secretary of
the South Simcoe United FC board. I'm
speaking today in support of the
proposed sports dome project.
SSU has experienced tremendous growth
over the past 2 years, growing from
approximately 2,400 active registered
athletes to just under 4,000 today.
This growth reflects the increased
demand for youth sports and recreation
opportunities across NewTec and the
surrounding area.
Beyond our athletes, SSU has built a
much larger community of players,
parents, guardians, coaches, volunteers,
alumni, supporters, and local residents.
Today, our club's community reaches
close to 10,000 people.
While this growth is something we're
very proud of, it has also highlighted
an important challenge. Our community's
recreational infrastructure has just not
kept pace with demand.
For the first time in our club's
history, growth is no longer limited by
interest. It's limited by
infrastructure. Children want to play,
families want to participate, volunteers
want to coach. The demand exists, but
what we lack is the space to support it.
This challenge is most evident during
the winter months. Our athletes train at
the NewTec Recreation Centre Fieldhouse,
and we're grateful to have access to
that facility, but it simply cannot
accommodate the size of our program.
The town's own report confirms that the
facility operates at full capacity
during prime hours, and SSU accounts for
the majority of those bookings.
Outside of scheduling limitations, the
facility's playing surface is not
representative of a true soccer pitch,
and as a result, our players train in an
environment that is considerably
narrower and shorter than the fields
that they compete on during the outdoor
season. This impacts player development,
tactical awareness, decision-making, and
the ability to properly prepare athletes
for higher levels of competition.
Our coaches work very hard to overcome
those limitations, but the reality is
that the current facility was never
designed to meet the needs of a club of
our size.
The proposed FIFA-size sports dome would
address these challenges directly. It
would provide year-round training and
competition
facility capable of supporting current
demand and also accommodating future
growth that the town's own studies have
identified.
In addition, the sports dome would help
address the growing demand for
year-round recreational space, providing
opportunities for local sports
organizations, schools, and community
groups to expand their programming and
better serve residents of all ages.
Beyond meeting the current needs, the
sports dome would create significant
benefits for the broader community. It
would create opportunities for local
tournaments, attract visitors to our
community, support local businesses, and
provide those recreational
opportunities.
The sports dome would also position New
Tec as a destination for regional and
provincial sporting events. SSU's
participation in the provincial indoor
soccer league, along with other
competitive programs and tournaments,
creates opportunities that bring teams,
players, coaches, and families from
across Ontario into our community.
These visitors support local
restaurants, hotels, gas stations,
shops, and businesses, while showcasing
New Tecumseth as a vibrant and growing
municipality.
Beyond the economic benefits, hosting
high-level competitions raises the
profile of our town and provides local
athletes with opportunities to compete
and develop close to home.
This project is not only an investment
in recreation, it's an investment in
economic development, community pride,
and the reputation of our town across
the province.
Just as importantly, this project isn't
simply about soccer. It's also about
investing in youth development, health
and wellness, community engagement, and
the future growth of our town.
Every hour spent on a field is an hour
not spent in front of a screen.
It's an hour spent about teamwork,
discipline, leadership, resilience, and
community. The Sports Dome isn't simply
a building.
It's an investment in thousands of young
people and the values that we want them
to carry into adulthood.
As council considers this important
decision, we respectfully ask that the
needs of the community remain at the
forefront. This project is bigger than
anyone neighborhood, anyone ward, or any
individual interest. It's about
investing in the future of New Tecumseth
so that our families, our youth, our
residents have access to the facilities
that they both need and deserve.
We hope that when the vote is cast, the
decision is guided not by short-term
considerations, but by a long-term
vision for our community as a whole. The
responsibility of council is to serve
all of New Tec. And we believe that this
project represents an opportunity to
make a lasting investment that will
benefit residents for generations.
20 years from now, nobody's going to
remember this meeting or the details of
it. But, they will remember that we
chose to invest in this community and
its future. They'll remember whether New
Tecumseth had the vision to build
infrastructure to match our growing
town.
Tonight, you have the opportunity to
make a decision that will positively
impact thousands of families, strengthen
our local economy, elevate the profile
of New Tecumseth across Ontario, and
leave a lasting legacy for future
generations.
We respectfully ask that you support the
Sports Dome and help build the future
that our community deserves.
Thank you very much for giving me your
time.
>> Thank you.
» Thank you.
>> [applause]
» I know how tough it is to come up and
speak at a microphone in front of a lot
of people. Um so, well done. Next is
Carlo Carlucci, New Tecumseth Ball
Hockey League.
Or, no.
You're on Mike, Carlo. You are on my
list. Is that correct?
Okay, thank you.
» After that last speech, I think I want
to convert to soccer from ball hockey.
That was well done.
Um
I guess my understanding is
we're going to have a little 5-minute
video here.
And I'll let you watch the video.
Leave me a minute or two to talk.
So
without further ado, I guess
can we queue it up?
>> I'm sorry, Carl. Is that the video video
» I'm sorry, Carl. Is that the video video
from Bill?
>> Yes.
» Yes.
>> Oh, sorry. We thought we could do two
» Oh, sorry. We thought we could do two
separate things but we can get that.
>> Okay.
» Okay.
>> From Bill.
» Madam, are we good to go or would you
like to come back? We're good? Okay,
thank you. Go ahead.
» Welcome to today's explainer. We're
unpacking a really fascinating
municipal crossroads today. You know,
town planning often forces residents
into these tough compromises where
community needs completely clash with
strict budgets and limited space. But
right now, one town's advocates are
pushing back. We're impartially Beeton's
current redevelopment proposal.
» I'm going to let everybody kind of sort
that out and what I'll do is I'll move
on to Suzanne Howey and we'll come back,
okay, once we figure out where we're at.
Uh Suzanne, you wanted to speak in
regards to the Renegade Derby Dames and
the AMA.
Welcome.
>> First off, I'd like to thank council and
» First off, I'd like to thank council and
yourself, Mayor, and everyone in the
community here to uh
>> You're good to
» You're good to
>> Sorry. Uh first, thank you worship your
» Sorry. Uh first, thank you worship your
mayor and council and everyone who's
come out to support sports in Alliston.
Um
the AMA has been the home of the
Renegade Derby Dames since we began 15
years ago and we understand the
importance of small arenas in these
communities.
I've been an advocate for women's sports
since I was 13 years old when I joined
high school or high school rugby. I'm
sorry. I'm not a really good public
speaker, but I was the only one
available. So, you stick with me.
So, I joined uh rugby when I was 13
years old and I played all through high
school, university, and beyond. Uh since
then, I have also raced dirt bikes
competitively for 8 years winning
several provincial championships and for
the last 11 years, I have had the joy of
being a member of RDD, Simcoe County's
only women's flat track derby
association accredited league. And for
the last 4 years, I've been honored to
be a coach for the Simcoe Junior Roller
Derby League.
For 12 months, I've been the main person
in charge of organizing the bookings.
So, I understand how busy these dry pads
are. The AMA is the only dry pad in
Simcoe County.
It's the only one that's 12 months a
year, no ice. So, ball hockey and us,
we're fine in the summer when there's
lots of dry pads, when Beeton is dry. Uh
but we've definitely come together a
couple times when our events have been
back-to-back. Um and you know what? We
understand
the importance of these arenas.
Just going to take you on a little tour
of typical Thursday night at uh
at the AMA.
So, at 6:30, we arrive and the parking
lot is full. There is a blood services
mobile in the corner and lets us know
that there's a blood drive going on
upstairs. These happen about once every
two or three months and community
members come in and donate blood for all
of us.
Uh furthermore, some of those cars
belong to our junior parents and a
couple of our juniors because Simcoe
Junior Roller Derby is open from open
for kids 8 to 18 years old.
Upon entering the arena, you're greeted
by Alliston's history, two display
cases, one that honors the athletic
history and the other that honors the
military history of this town. Rounding
the corner on the right, you'll see a
display case given to us, uh RDD, photos
of past and present skaters representing
Alliston, Ontario, and even Canada
across the province, country, and
continent. There are trophies from
tournaments won in Southern Ontario,
Northern Ontario, Quebec, and even West
Virginia.
And MVP awards donated from all of our
members.
The surface behind us, as I said, is
occupied currently by Simcoe Junior
Roller Derby. Open to kids 9 to 18, this
league is the inheritor of the Alliston
Junior Roller Derby League. This has
skaters trying out for Team Ontario, and
they travel across the province
representing Alliston Athletics.
Here I would love to tell you all the
amazing stats about the benefits of
sports for kids, especially girls,
but we need to get ready. So, we
continue on our way. We're greeted by
one of by one of the amazing and helpful
staff who lets us know that our room is
ready. Since 2011, they've also given us
a locker.
That's where we keep all of our
equipment. I get you some equipment, we
get geared up, and at 7:00 we hit the
surface our wheels sliding. You hear
someone call out that it's kind of
slippery and how it's so much easier to
stop here than other arenas,
like Tottenham.
Throughout the 2 hours, time flies, and
we make new friends, sweat in the June
heat. You'll hear a veteran skater with
an image of a Valkyrie on her chest talk
about how back in the day before they
added heat, we'd skate with oven mitts
on our hands to stay warm, but since
they've added heat, it's great.
Even in the summer, we won't complain.
Upstairs, the blood donor clinic is
wrapping up, and curious donors and
volunteers peek around the blinds to say
to wave to us, and we wave back.
At the end of the 2 hours, we go back to
the change room, we get undressed. As we
leave, we exit the same way we came in
and pause for a moment in front of the
ball hockey case. There's memorial cards
for teenagers
teenagers who were taken too young.
But the moment
stop from getting too sad.
>> Oh, you know what? Absolutely fantastic.
» Oh, you know what? Absolutely fantastic.
>> Stop from getting too sad as a sharp
» Stop from getting too sad as a sharp
crack from a ball behind us hits the
glass. It's 9:00 p.m. And there's still
kids out there on the pad. Ball hockey
is going in full swing.
The Alcona Memorial Arena and other
small community arenas are not vacant
spaces to be repurposed. They're part of
our living community. We need to
protect, preserve, and continue them so
that the generations coming after us in
New Tecumseth have places to build
community as we have. There were
children learn community
children learn confidence
uh where teenagers find belonging and
adults stay active, build friendships,
and give back as coaches, volunteers,
and mentors. These are the places where
community community organizations
gather, where local history is honored,
and memories are made every day.
When talking about the future of New
Tecumseth, we often talk about growth,
and yes, growth is very important, but
it should not come at the expenses of
these spaces that are so important to
our kids and to ourselves. Thank you
very much.
>> Thank you very much.
» Thank you very much.
>> [applause]
» It is really tough to get up in front of
that microphone, I I tell you, and I
applaud everybody that has the courage
to do it. So, thank you.
Moving on will be Russell Woodward from
FAB Beeton Community Centre project, and
I would just like to I know it's been
said before, but just to reiterate, our
deputations are a maximum of 7 minutes,
and we do that out of fairness so that
it spread equally across the board. So,
Russell, come on up.
Welcome.
>> Thank you.
Thank you, council, for taking my
deputation. Uh not necessarily a user
group. Uh we were an organ- organization
uh
started to raise money for the
uh
what we feel will be new community
center with an ice pad
back but 15 years ago. So, most of us
were previous users
uh and our thoughts were that if we
hadn't raised some money or enough money
that we could be ready when the time
comes. So, that's all that's all we are.
We we're here to promote, you know, the
use of it, the the existing users. We we
want it to be inclusive of the existing
users. Plus, we want it to be
functional, multi-purpose. There's a lot
of, you know, a lot of variation for for
new users and and like existing users as
well. So, so I won't take up much time,
but uh we're behind the project
certainly. Uh
you know, number three I would think is
our is our goal. So, thank you for your
time.
>> No, thank
» No, thank
>> [applause]
» Thank you, Russell. And I just want to
point out to all the user groups and
those watching at home, these are all
volunteers who put in a tremendous
amount of their time effort. So, thank
you for even volunteering tonight again.
So, we're going to move on and Abby
Woodward, Beeton Athletic Association,
the Cash Draw, which Councillor Mark
Bitson but anyhow, just come on up.
Sorry, Mark.
Welcome, Abby.
>> Thank you.
» Thank you.
Last time we talked was a very different
conversation.
>> [laughter and gasps]
» [laughter and gasps]
>> Good evening, Mayor Norcross and council
» Good evening, Mayor Norcross and council
members. Thank you for giving me the
opportunity to speak. Um as you know, my
name is Abby Woodward and I'm the Cash
Draw chairperson with the Beeton
Athletic Association and I'm speaking to
you today on behalf of our event about
the importance of preserving an indoor
ice and floor pad in Beeton in future
recreation development plans.
Just this past weekend, the Beeton
Athletic Association hosted the return
of our Cash Draw fundraiser. With more
than 1,100 attendees, along with dozens
of volunteers, they came together for an
event that not only made its triumphant
resurgence after 7 years, but it was a
sold-out success.
The overwhelming support demonstrated
not only the success of the event, but
also the growing pride and engagement
within our community.
The Cash Draw is about far more than
hockey. It brings together families,
local businesses, volunteers, and
community members from all walks of
life.
Many attendees have no prior or current
connection to hockey. Some had children
who played in Beeton more than 20 years
ago. Yet, they came back to support the
revival of a tradition that has been
part of this community for generations.
The event also provided a valuable
opportunity for our youth. High school
students earn community involvement
hours through event preparation and
volunteer work, with some students
completing half of their required
volunteer hours in just the days leading
up to and during the event.
These experiences teach leadership,
responsibility, and community service,
and instill a sense of pride in a way
that cannot be replicated elsewhere.
The impact of the event extended beyond
a a single evening. Following the Cash
Draw, leftover food and supplies were
donated to Shift, My Sister's Place in
Alliston, and Our Town Food Bank in
Tottenham, because that is what
community is all about. Coming together
not only to support local sport, but
also to support our neighbors and
organizations that serve those in need.
Most importantly, an event of this size
is only possible because of the
facilities we currently have. The arena
floor and hall provide the space,
accessibility, and separation needed to
accommodate over a thousand people.
A gymnasium simply cannot support an
event of this scale. It lacks the
capacity, the flexibility required to
host an event like the Cash Draw, and it
does not provide the separate spaces
that allow all attendees to participate
comfortably.
The atmosphere inside the arena that
night was incredible.
Seeing our barn full again was a
powerful reminder of what makes Beeton
special.
The spirit, energy, and sense of
belonging were undeniable.
Past and present Stingers families stood
alongside residents who have never
played or had children in hockey, all
united by a desire to support local
minor hockey in their community.
>> [snorts]
» [snorts]
>> To remove an indoor ice and floor pad
» To remove an indoor ice and floor pad
from Beeton would not simply be the loss
of a recreation facility. It would be
the loss of a gathering place, a
volunteer hub, a fundraising venue, and
a cornerstone of community traditions
that have been built over decades.
It would be dismantling the very space
that allows events like the Cash Draw to
exist and thrive.
It would mean the removal of the very
heart of our community.
I strongly urge council to recognize
that design option three is the only
adequate choice being proposed to you
tonight.
An arena is more than ice. It is where
traditions are built, where young people
learn to give back, where volunteers
come together, and where a community
gathers to celebrate what makes Beeton
unique.
To remove an indoor ice and floor pad
from Beeton would not be planning for
the future. It would be dismantling
traditions that generations of residents
worked tirelessly to build.
Thank you.
» [applause]
» Thank
Thank you, Abby. Next is Mark Shaw,
Beeton Athletic Association, Beeton
Stingers, for the Beeton Community
Centre project.
Welcome.
>> Thank you. Good evening, Mayor Norcross,
» Thank you. Good evening, Mayor Norcross,
and members of council.
I'm Mark Shaw, and I'm here tonight as
the president of the Beeton Athletic
Association, representing our executive
and our membership. I want to thank you
for the opportunity to speak with you
tonight about the future of the Beeton
Community Centre.
Uh the Beeton Memorial Arena, as you've
heard so far, is more than just a
building.
Uh, it's where our children come to
play, where they come to learn. Uh,
lifelong friendships are formed.
Uh, it's where our volunteers spend
countless hours giving back to our
community.
And it's where generations of families
have gathered long before I was a member
of this association.
Uh, this past season saw one of our most
successful seasons ever, bringing home
seven championships across all of our
age groups.
It's a history that dates back over 75
years.
Uh, where the BAA has called the arena
home,
this arena our home.
Uh, Beeton hockey in Beeton dates back
even further than that to the late
1800s. The arena itself was built
through the efforts of this community,
and it stands as a testament to what
local residents can accomplish when they
come together around a shared vision.
Today, council is considering what comes
next. And for the BAA, that answer is
clear. We support option three as the
preferred path forward. It's the option
that best represents the needs of our
association and our community for the
future.
Since 2020, participation in BAA
programs has increased by over 90%.
For the upcoming season, registration
rates have already surpassed last year's
numbers, and we expect additional growth
and additional teams
in the future. This growth is not just
unique to our association. Council and
town staff have heard clearly that
participation is growing in our
community. And your own planning
documents continue
anticipate that continued growth for
recreation services.
We have seen firsthand what happens when
the arena capacity is unavailable.
During the temporary closure of the
arena in 23-24, user groups were
displaced and struggled to find
sufficient ice within the town and
private rentals. Existing capacity for
prime ice is already stretched, and if
demand exceeds supply, then it will
continue
uh be challenging as our population
continues to grow.
A replacement community center without
an arena floor and ice pad does not
replace the Beeton Memorial Arena. It
removes a core component of recreation
infrastructure and services that serve
thousands of residents every year.
The arena supports hockey, figure
skating, public skating, adult leagues,
school programs, tournaments, community
events. It provides opportunities for
children, families, seniors, and
volunteers to be active and stay
connected. Option three is the only
option before council that maintains
those services for future generations.
It's critical community infrastructure.
I would also respectfully suggest that
the community has been discussing the
replacement of this facility for a long
time.
Studies have been completed,
uh consultations have been held, options
have been reviewed, and many mem- many
members of this community have
participated in good faith in those
discussions over many years.
Uh over $300,000 has already been
raised, which represents a commitment uh
from this community.
So, our position is clear. We're asking
council to select option three. It is
the only option that maintains an arena
capacity and preserves the level of
recreation service that residents of
Beeton enjoy today,
and that's necessary to sustain our
organization.
Option one and two are largely addressed
by plans presented this evening,
specifically the expansion of the NTRC.
Second, if option three proceeds, we ask
that local user groups be provided fair
and equitable access to replace ice
allocations during
the renovation and the construction.
We understand that these things take
time, and we worked well together during
the closure in '23-'24.
I will say if, and that's a strong if,
option three is not selected, uh we ask
council
uh to provide certainty to the
community. We're requesting a clear
timeline, funding strategy, and
implementation plan for the replacement
of arena capacity in Beeton.
And given the investments
uh that have been made over the last few
years with the roof and the lighting and
the uh chiller equipment of the BMA,
we're asking that the existing Beeton
Memorial Arena remain operational until
replacement capacity is approved and
scheduled for construction within the
Beeton settlement boundary. Without a
clear commitment,
we risk this decision continuing to be
delayed
uh for future council members and future
residents to to handle uh the challenge
that we've been facing now for over 15
years.
The people of Beeton deserve that
clarity.
Um and uh
and they deserve assurance that a
replacement facility will be built by
this community and remain a priority.
Uh just last weekend, as you heard by
Abby, 1,100 members of our community
vol- and volunteers and sponsors uh
attended our castra.
The arena was full um
>> [snorts]
» [snorts]
>> because this building continues to serve
» because this building continues to serve
as a gathering place and bring people
together.
Council has the opportunity to make a
decision that will serve residents not
just for the next few years, but for
generations to come.
So, on behalf of the Beeton Athletic
Association and the families that we
represent, I thank you for your time and
your service to the community. Thank
you.
» [applause]
» Thank you. Next on my list is Donna Horn
from TNT Hockey.
In regards to the Beeton Community
Centre project. Welcome, Donna. You're
all You're no stranger to being here.
You're no stranger to being up here.
>> Turn this on? There we go.
» Turn this on? There we go.
Okay, my focus tonight is ice. First of
all, I'd like to say that uh all the
deputations have been fantastic. Uh
I think everybody has a lot of heart and
passion for the community and for the
youth.
Um
but because I'm president of TNT, I'm
here about the ice.
First of all, the Alliston Memorial
Arena and the Beeton Memorial Arena
should not be torn down or should be
gotten rid of. The history
behind both those facilities and um
the hard work and dedication that went
into build those facilities from the
community, there's a lot of long-time
families in the community and they
remember when those things were built
and what happened.
Um both floors can be used for ball
hockey. Uh
they are being used now, but if you took
the ice out of Beeton, it could be used
full-time there, too.
Um
I was in Beeton a week or so ago and it
looked great. It's been well looked
after and maintained and yes, it is an
old facility like Alliston, but they
both look
very good. And also the um
the halls where people can rent for
facilities for parties and stuff. We
don't have any place in the town
that
we can do that. I realize we're the town
of New Tecumseth, but each community, as
you know,
um take a lot of pride in their own
community as well as the whole town.
So, sometimes when we get talking about
what we have to do, it doesn't always
uh suit certain people or
um
maybe there's a misunderstanding.
After listening to everything tonight,
uh
we're going to have a conflict with ice.
There's no doubt about it.
And if everything goes through that you
guys are talking about,
I would suggest that the third pad in
New Tecumseth become the real third pad
like it was intended to.
And at least we would have that pad
to continue on our hockey
until you decide what you're going to do
with Blenheim.
I think the what they've proposed for
Blenheim is is good and it saves the
community and the heritage,
but I think you should be looking at a
new double pad for Blenheim out in one
of the um
new subdivisions.
As everyone knows, a single pad loses
money.
A twin pad will run pretty much even and
a third pad will make you money.
So,
just to replace Blenheim ice with
another ice pad
really doesn't help our ice situation.
As uh stated here, we're growing,
Blenheim's growing, girls hockey's
growing.
We're short of ice now, let alone
take one of the pads out and you're
talking about no ice until 2036.
That just can't happen because
we just won't be able to service the
community. And as far as renting other
ice,
somebody should try and do that.
» [applause]
>> It's
» It's
it's impossible. We have other
communities using our ice right now.
Caledon, some of the other places. No,
it's it's not feasible.
We are short of ice now and you take out
Blenheim and reconstruct it and you tell
us we're not going to have ice till 30
or 36,
then you're going to have an awful lot
of very upset kids out there, I'll tell
you, because we're right to the borders
now.
And uh
to suggest that we take a one of the ice
pads out of uh
commission just won't work.
So, we have to take a really close look
at how we're going to do it, when we're
going to do it, what we're going to do
to make sure that
the community, the youth, and
everyone else that uses the ice, I'm
speaking for hockey, but there's all
kinds of other ices
uses
will have the facilities they need.
Um
The other thing is the parking.
At At New Glasgow Rec Center right now,
if the Hornets are in the playoffs or if
TNT's in the playoffs,
the parking lot is full. They're parking
out on the street. So, now you're going
to put in a pool and these other
facilities, and they said, "Well, we'll
keep the parking the same." Well, that's
not going to cut it. You're going to
have people parking down the sides of
the road, everywhere. And the same thing
with Trenton. If you try and cram a
whole bunch of stuff into that what's
left in Trenton, where are they going to
park?
I mean, and I don't think building a
twin pad
in one of the new subdivisions is a bad
thing. Some people say about walking.
Well, when we built New Glasgow Rec
Center, we were out in the middle of a
field, and everybody worried about how
the older people would get to the rink.
They got to the rink, no problems. We
provided some buses, we provided some
shuttles, and now it's not even a
question.
So, um
I hope that
you take all the deputations
seriously and you really think and talk
to the user groups before you make any
solid decisions. Thank you for your
time.
>> Thank you, Donna.
» Thank you, Donna.
>> [applause]
» And then the last we had on our list was
the presentation. Are we ready to go
with that video?
We are? Okay.
Yeah, go ahead, please.
» explainer. Because we are looking at a
really fascinating strategic
opportunity. We're talking about a
single municipal renovation that
perfectly bridges an immediate community
need with a massive 20-year
infrastructure vision. So, we're going
to unpack the New Tecumseth Ball Hockey
League's master plan and see exactly how
one specific, really clever facility
swap can basically secure two solid
decades of community sports.
Here is the agenda for our explainer
today. We'll quickly run through the
20-year facility road map, the two-pad
minimum policy, the NTRC renovation
opportunity, the technical fit and
timeline, and wrap up with securing
immediate system stability. Let's get to
it. All right, section one, the 20-year
facility road map. Let's start with the
macro-level view. So, we're looking at
an official five-phase chronological
plan that stretches all the way from
2026 to 2040. And the core mission here
is a bit of a juggling act. The town has
to maintain its seasonal recreational
spaces, but at the same time,
aggressively establish year-round dry
pads. Because as older arenas start
aging out of the system, this road map
calculates exactly how to overlap those
facility life cycles. The goal, making
sure that thousands of local
participants, families, and youth
athletes literally never lose their
place to play. And that brings us to
this one, absolutely non-negotiable
guiding principle. It anchors the whole
20-year road map. Never allow a facility
transition to create a dry pad capacity
deficit. It's a simple rule, right? But
it dictates every single strategic move
from here on out. You simply cannot tear
down or repurpose an old facility until
the new one is fully online and ready to
go. It's all about protecting community
assets and making sure residents never
face a blackout period.
Moving right along to section two, the
two-pad minimum policy. This is the
absolute baseline. Two is the magic
number here. The paramount goal is to
permanently guarantee a minimum of two
full-time year-round dry pads across New
Tecumseth. And this isn't just about
keeping things the way they are today,
it's about looking ahead. The town's
official plan is forecasting a massive
population surge, which is expected to
peak between 2035 and 2040. So, locking
in this two-pad minimum is really the
only way to support current membership
while absorbing all that explosive
expected growth. Without it, the
community's recreational system would
completely buckle. Which brings us to
section three, the NTRC renovation
opportunity. Let's zoom in on a very
practical solution.
As part of the broader draft recreation,
culture, and library action plan, a
really concrete, immediate opportunity
has popped up. There's a proposal to
renovate the current New Tecumseth
Recreation Centre, the NTRC Fieldhouse.
Now, right now, local soccer programs
use this space year-round, but the idea
is to fundamentally rebuild this space
to perfectly suit the specific needs of
a dedicated year-round ball hockey
facility. It's a super targeted
repurposing of an existing municipal
footprint, which is incredibly smart.
It's way more efficient than building a
brand new facility from scratch, it
saves a ton of time, and it makes great
use of taxpayer funds.
Okay, section four, technical fit and
timeline. Let's look at the actual
logistics of making this happen. So, the
league actively reviewed the preliminary
concepts for this space, and they
confirmed it is a perfect fit. The
absolute standout feature, it operates
in a climate-controlled environment.
That is a massive upgrade for year-round
play. Beyond that, the site has
fantastic parking, and critically, it's
really close to the existing Alliston
Memorial Arena, the AMA. Having those
two facilities in such close proximity
makes it the ultimate primary hub for
running large regional tournaments. It's
a strategic game-changer.
But, here is the real strategic
masterstroke when presenting this to
council. This ball hockey facility is
framed entirely as an independent
initiative. That is absolutely crucial.
It means it doesn't have to get bogged
down by the massive budget debates or
the super long timelines of the broader
aquatic and wellness center project.
Advancing it separately means we can
deliver it to the community much, much
earlier. It's a highly efficient, very
quick win for the town.
To actually pull this off though, we
have to follow a very clear domino
effect. As perfect as the NTRC
Fieldhouse is, you obviously can't just
kick soccer out. The whole timeline
hinges on a new sports dome being built
first. So, step one, council constructs
the dome, which takes roughly 12 to 18
months. Step two, soccer seamlessly
relocates over to their brand new home.
And finally, step three, that newly
vacant fieldhouse is converted into the
ball hockey hub over the next 6 to 12
months. It's a beautifully orchestrated
shuffle that maximizes the town's space
without displacing anybody. Finally,
section five, securing immediate system
stability. Let's zoom back out and look
at the big picture. By acting on the
NTRC right now, the town is basically
building an immediate operational safety
net.
You secure the near term by running the
newly renovated NTRC right alongside the
aging, but still essential, Alliston
Memorial Arena.
That locks in the required two pads
today.
It absorbs all that immediate pressure,
which means the much more complex
long-term vision, like building the
brand new Beeton Community Centre, can
proceed completely safely on its own
separate timeline without holding the
entire league hostage. Because this
single pragmatic move triggers a massive
systemic impact. The master plan
actually reveals that in 2029, active
construction in Beeton is going to
create a total blackout year where no
pad is available there. If the NTRC
isn't fully online by then, the whole
system essentially collapses into a
massive capacity deficit. Getting the
NTRC done before 2029 completely
prevents that blackout. It ensures
thousands of locals aren't displaced,
and it saves the town from having to
make rushed, panicked compromises later
on. It's just really smart, proactive
planning. And that leaves us with a
pretty compelling question as we wrap up
today's explainer. In the complex world
of municipal planning, we are always
looking for that one domino that sets
everything else up for success, right?
So, is securing this functional,
climate-controlled NTRC solution today
the exact step needed to confidently
unlock the entire, ambitious 20-year
road map? When you really look at the
efficiency, the demographics, and the
timeline, it certainly seems like this
single renovation is the keystone to the
whole puzzle. What do you think? Thanks
for joining me on this deep dive. I hope
this gave you a crystal-clear
understanding of the blueprint for New
Takoma Park's recreational future.
» And if anybody doesn't If anybody
doesn't realize whose voice that was, it
was Carlo.
Also, Carlo, you've got a minute left on
your presentation if you'd like to go
ahead.
» Uh in support of having the soccer dome
created in order to move
um over to the field house in order to
open up
what we've always wanted, which is a
dedicated ball hockey rink. And as
mentioned, climate-controlled, but the
thing that wasn't mentioned, and most
importantly to us, is we can control the
size of the pad,
which has always been an ongoing battle
with the situation in Wheaton and the
ice hockey rink.
So, that alleviates that concern.
I think you're going to appease the two
largest membership groups. Soccer's
already mentioned 3,900 members.
I have 1,800 members, but we operate
year-round, so it's really about 4,000
registrations during a year.
So, I think uh financially, it's the two
probably
uh least expensive expenses for the town
by uh doing these two things
and appeasing the two biggest user
groups. And the last thing,
a reminder, when it comes to our user
group and our sport,
95% of the residents that are on the
floor are from New Tecumseth,
not from outside.
That's it. Thank you.
>> Thank you very much.
» Thank you very much.
>> [applause]
» Okay, I now have 6:53. I'm going to
adjourn till 7:00 cuz I I know we we got
to move on to the next section we have
to discuss, debate, and make a decision.
So, the bathrooms are right out here in
the hallways. If anybody would like to
use them, just go around the corner, and
I would ask for everybody to back at
7:00, please.
» Mhm.
» is yours, so go ahead, sir.
Or I'm not sure how it
Go look at the clerk, please.
>> Okay.
» Okay.
>> There you go.
» There you go.
>> Hi, I'm Bill Houston. Thank you, uh, Mr.
» Hi, I'm Bill Houston. Thank you, uh, Mr.
Mayor and Council. Got a quick little
video here to spin for you, which view,
um,
share our viewpoint from New Tec Ball
Hockey and also myself, uh, being a
resident of Beeton and the rest of the
community.
Thank you.
>> Welcome to today's explainer. We're
» Welcome to today's explainer. We're
unpacking a really fascinating municipal
crossroads today. You know, town
planning often forces residents into
these tough compromises, where community
needs completely clash with strict
budgets and limited space. But right
now, one town's advocates are pushing
back.
We're impartially analyzing Beeton's
current redevelopment proposals for
their aging arena, putting them side by
side with a paradigm-shifting new
proposal from local sports
organizations. They're aiming to prove
that, well, you just don't always have
to choose.
Here's our road map. We'll briefly
examine the Beeton recreation dilemma,
evaluate the town's current proposals,
introduce the highly anticipated fourth
option, explore its multi-use features,
and finally break down the strategic
investment. All right, let's jump right
into part one, the Beaton Recreation
Dilemma.
So, the urgent context here centers
around the Beaton Memorial Arena. Built
way back in 1947, it's officially
nearing the end of its useful life.
Recent structural failures actually
forced the town into short-term
stabilization mode, so doing nothing is
absolutely impossible at this point.
But, residents feel trapped in a deeply
frustrating false dilemma. The town's
initial options left the community
feeling completely cornered, asked to
choose between a community center
without a sports rink or a single-use
arena without community gathering
spaces. This either/or scenario really
threatens to fracture the town, forcing
neighbors to essentially pit youth
sports against seniors programs. Nobody
wants to see that happen.
Moving on to part two, let's evaluate
the current options on the table. Let's
start by deconstructing
options one and two. Now, while these
models do provide gymnasiums, local
advocates point out a really glaring
gap. They entirely abandon the town's
massive ball hockey and winter ice
community by ditching a new rink.
To compensate, documents show the town
might try to temporarily keep the old
failing arena open. But, and this is a
huge but, that strategy hides a shocking
$15.7 million capital cost over the next
10 years. It's literally like pouring
millions into a totaled car just to keep
it running for a few more miles. It's an
incredibly unsustainable financial drain
just to keep the lights on in a building
that's past its prime. So, to avoid that
trap, the town considered option three.
It protects a rink, but it comes at a
massive cost. It relies on an oversized
NHL-style model sprawling across 59,600
square feet, carrying a staggering
$43.864
million price tag. Advocates argue it's
an absolute space hog.
Dropping this massive footprint onto the
property almost entirely cannibalizes
the much-needed gymnasium, youth areas,
and meeting rooms. So, it solves the
rink problem on paper, sure, but it
totally ignores the broader community
hub needs, forcing that frustrating
either/or compromise we just talked
about.
That brings us to section three,
introducing the fourth option. Because
residents felt cornered by those
choices, local sports organizations
stepped up with an alternative. They
proposed a 55,000 square-foot hybrid
community center to prove the town can
build smarter, not just bigger. The
defining feature is a brilliant piece of
engineering. They shrank the rink.
Instead of forcing a massive NHL pad
into the design, this proposal relies on
a highly efficient 77-x-177
foot multi-use pad. This ball hockey
first design fully supports elite
development while remaining completely
compatible with winter ice. It's a
really strategic engineering solution
that proves you can do more with less,
optimizing the footprint without
sacrificing an ounce of actual function.
Which leads us straight into part four,
a true multi-use hub. By right-sizing
that rink, the floor plan acts like a
clever puzzle, perfectly snapping
together. Because the rink takes less
space, the fourth option seamlessly
integrates comprehensive features within
the exact same footprint. Just picture
walking in. Right alongside the ice, you
have a peripheral walking track, a
dedicated fitness center, and a full
gymnasium for sports like pickleball and
basketball. It beautifully balances ice
and dry floor recreation all under one
roof, protecting those exact community
elements that option three would have
completely cannibalized.
And this translates directly into broad
community impact. Serving over 4,000 dry
pad users isn't just a metric on a
spreadsheet. It transitions this whole
project into a true multi-generational
gathering place.
By creating flexible community rooms and
diverse athletic spaces, the facility
meets the needs of youth, families, and
seniors all at once. It keeps the entire
community fully connected. It ensures a
grandparent walking the track can be in
the same building at the exact same time
as a teenager practicing ball hockey.
Honestly, it's a real game-changer.
Now, let's look at part five, the
strategic investment. We've got to
transition to the hard numbers here
because advocates argue this fourth
option is a highly strategic financial
decision for taxpayers. Just consider
the massive cost of option three,
$43.864
million for an oversized arena. Now,
compare that to the alternative. The
construction estimate for the fully
integrated fourth option is just $40.975
million. That's
Let's really drive home the ultimate
closing argument here. This fourth
option is $2.9 million cheaper than
option three. That massive savings buys
the town significantly more value.
That's enough extra budget to completely
secure the hub features, the walking
track, the fitness center, the gym, and
the meeting rooms. It's pitched as a
balanced, forward-looking model. It
prepares Beaton for major population
growth, gearing up for 80,000 residents
without out sacrificing one user group
for another, and crucially, without
burying taxpayers in hidden maintenance
costs for an old building. Which brings
us to our final, somewhat provocative
question. As the town makes its ultimate
decision, what's going to happen? Will
Beaton settle for a compromise building
that fractures the community, or will
they invest strategically in a true hub
that supports next generation growth?
It's a massive choice, one that will
absolutely define the community for the
next 50 years. Thanks so much for
joining us for this explainer. We'll see
you next time.
» Huh.
So, the ask is to basically seek out
another option, a hybrid option as we've
shown.
And wanted to just mention that the
large ice hockey facility, the NHL pad,
it really doesn't work for for ball
hockey, and that it would likely cause
us to need to exit that in the summer,
which is about 400 hours usage currently
right now. So, thank you.
>> Thank [snorts] you, Bill.
» Thank [snorts] you, Bill.
>> [applause]
» So, that is our
registered deputation.
So, we have a motion to be resolved that
the deputations from the public be
received. Uh Counselor Masters, would
you move that? Deputy Mayor, would you
second that? Thank you.
At this moment, is there anybody from
the audience that would like to
Sorry, all those in favor?
Okay, all those opposed?
Thank you.
So, this is Is there anybody from the
audience that would like to make a
comment? I can't see that
You please come on up.
Welcome, and just state your name,
please.
Hi.
» Am I on?
Hello, Mayor, Deputy Mayor, council
members,
um administration Sorry, administration
and staff, and also fellow community
members.
Tonight's been pretty exciting. We've
heard a lot of exciting proposals
of what could be built in our township.
We've heard a lot about the heart and
soul
of our community members.
Um what I think we need to step back and
reflect on is what our manager of
financial services has pointed out to
us.
The presentations feel a bit like
dangling the brochure for Disney World
in front of our kids when our budget
allows us to go to Wonderland.
Um
if our township moves ahead with these
three recreational proposals,
we are obviously putting our township
towards our affordability affordability
debt ratio tolerance.
My question to council would be where is
the proposed um
backing for these projects coming from?
And what will our increases in tax
taxation look like? Um from what I've
read, we're looking at anywhere from an
8.5 to 11.37%
increase in our property taxes.
Um which is significant, especially in
today's age. Um so to my fellow
counselor or community members, I would
ask who is in favor of of that kind of
increase in our taxation?
Um sports and recreation are very
important to our youth and to our elders
as as well. Um there are so many other
opportunities available to our township
that might not cost quite as much money.
Um
with our restrictions on developmental
charges coming in, um I think it's very
prudent to step back and look at where
we're putting ourselves financially
moving forward.
Thank you.
>> Thank you very much.
» [applause]
» I'm just looking out at the audience
and I I don't see anyone, so thank you
very much. So now I'm going to go to
council. We had quite a few deputations.
We had quite a few presentations, so
this is your opportunity council to ask
questions
of either the presenters or the well,
the presenters. So counselor Bess is
first, please.
>> Uh thank you, worship.
» Uh thank you, worship.
>> [clears throat]
» [clears throat]
>> And thank you to everyone who spoke this
» And thank you to everyone who spoke this
evening, to the presenters of the
projects, to staff, and to council and
everyone else that's been in the room
here to to try to digest all that's
happened, not just this evening, but
over the last few days, few months, and
I think in some cases years, right? Um I
think what I would like to just point
out and I think the last lady made a
very good point is there's the there's
obviously going to be a operating cost
and a tax supported debt debt repayment.
In other words, a tax impact to
everything that was
spoke of tonight. So, I just want to
make make a couple of point out a couple
things. So, just just keep in mind that,
you know, in
in this year, 2026, the assumptions and
business plans, you know, discussed and
approved in 2025 are no longer current.
So, we had a we went through a budget
process
for 2026 and was all based on kind of
the assumptions we made walking into it.
So, the projects that we consider in
these reports must be viewed in context
of the needs of our community, the
economy, and the recently mandated
provincial growth plans.
Let's be clear, Canada is in a
recession.
In the last three or four quarters,
Canada has experienced negative GDP
performance. Unfortunately, our
province, Ontario, has been hit
absolutely hardest.
We're also hit with US sectoral tariffs,
which threaten our auto industry, and of
course, as we all know, the future of
Honda's expansion plans have stalled.
The economic forecast calls for minimal
growth, if any, for the next 12 to 18
months.
And in addition, what has also changed
is OPA 5 and the provincial priorities
for New Tecumseth development.
This has really reset the table of
current and future infrastructure
requirements and priorities. By 2051,
the province has determined that New
Tecumseth will add about 100,000
new residents to our community. So,
consider this. Take every service and
piece of infrastructure we have today,
everything that we have currently, and
we need to double it in 25 years.
As a result, I'm I'm not sure if
everyone knows this, but the province
has hired Hemson and Tatham Engineering
Consultants to research and prepare a
master services plan. And these reports
will be
will set the baseline, the minimum
baseline of infrastructure requirements,
and Council will have to review the
recommendations before we add additional
requirements to enhance the services we
experience today. So, I you know,
there's a lot of issues here.
[clears throat] We talk about taxation,
about the growth. I think
we talk about if we approve the pool,
the dome, as well as the beaten arena,
the arena portion of option number
three, increases the equivalent increase
to the 11.35%.
Remember, that's going to be also based
on the population of today, 48,000
people. That will also be [snorts] based
on the fact that we have not had an
opportunity to go to the province and
say to them, "Listen, we have about 6
billion with a B dollars worth of
infrastructure projects that we need
them to pay for." So, a lot of the
the data that we've been presented
tonight needs further analysis. And that
further analysis
is what I believe should happen within
the context of the annual budget
discussion. And we need to align what
we're building with what we can afford
to build. So, I support all three of the
items tonight. Let's be perfectly clear.
And I hope that they all go forward, but
also, as we've learned in the past, it's
very, very important for us to meet as a
council, staff, and the public during a
budget preparation so that we can
actually go through what the impact is
in terms of our debt ceiling and what
the tax what how that will impact
taxation. So, everything that was
presented today is a little out of
context, and I think that's very
important for us to move these projects
forward, but let's make sure that we
discuss them within the context of an
annual budget. So, your worship, I just
I'll just begin the evening by just
saying
um I'd like to make the motion that be
it resolved that report RFC 2026 -19 be
received and further that the sports
dome project be deferred to the 2027
budget deliberations for consideration.
That would be my first motion and I hope
that someone allow me to defer this and
will will actually
um second my motion.
>> I'm going to go to the clerk because the
» I'm going to go to the clerk because the
purpose of this part of the meeting was
comments or was like questions for
members of council to the consultants or
the presenters.
So, I would defer to you uh Madam Clerk
cuz I know when a deferral comes up you
can debate
the merits of the deferral.
And
um so I would ask them for a second cuz
there there's a lot of people here
who've been here tonight. So, I want to
make I know the process but I want to
make sure that everybody else knows.
So, Madam Clerk
we have a motion for deferral under our
procedural bylaw. We automatically go to
that deferral. We look for a second
secondary and then the debate will be on
the merits of the deferral.
Can you clarify, please?
>> Uh that's correct, Your Worship.
» Uh that's correct, Your Worship.
>> Okay, thank you. So, there is a motion
» Okay, thank you. So, there is a motion
for deferral from Council
Go ahead.
>> Uh is the deferral strictly on
» Uh is the deferral strictly on
number one?
Okay, I have to
>> You asked Councillor Rappin. Good good
» You asked Councillor Rappin. Good good
call and please note that Councillor
Rappin has excused himself.
So, there is a motion for a deferral
um from Councillor Best. Is there a
secondary for that motion for deferral?
Councillor Cox is making that motion for
deferral.
So, what is now on the floor, I will
open the floor up to debate for the
motion of deferral.
Does anybody have any comments or
questions?
I do. Let's make a decision tonight. The
presentation is very very clear. We have
all the information and it's time to
move forward. So, I will support it.
Are there any other comments or
questions in regards to the deferral?
Not seeing any. So, uh Madam Clerk, I
will now call a the
Thank you. So,
the motion to defer item number one. All
those in favor, please.
1 2 3, I count four here.
I can see number five, Councillor
Harrison-McIntyre.
So, Madam Clerk, can you just confirm my
count, please?
» Uh your worship, I counted in support.
So, by default Oh, no, five in support,
so it will carry because Councillor
Rappin has declared a pecuniary
interest.
>> Okay, so that means no decision tonight
» Okay, so that means no decision tonight
on the dome.
And um
I thought
No, no, I understand that, but I want to
be clear, there are people here watching
and people that have showed up tonight.
There will not be a decision made on
going forward with the dome tonight.
So, thank you for that, and Councillor
Best, you said you had another motion?
Hold one second, Councillor Best.
And can somebody call Councillor Oh,
there's Councillor Rappin, you're back
in.
>> No, I don't have No, your worship, I do
» No, I don't have No, your worship, I do
not. I just wanted to make sure that we
have that we you know, as we move
through the process, that we have an
opportunity to have a more comprehensive
discussion. I mean, and just so I can
explain myself, thank you for booing. Um
I just want to let let people everyone
know that
the this doesn't end the process.
The the budget comes in to discussion in
about six months. So, all this does is
it just puts this project in the same
category as all the other growth
projects, which will allow us to take a
look at our our debt and our tax impact,
and it allow us all to look at it and
reflect on it, and decide, do we want
11% tax increase? I mean, that that's
what we And if we if it's something that
we want to do, then we'll go ahead with
it. If we don't want 11% tax increase,
then we'll have to adjust.
>> Best, we've we've it's
» Best, we've we've it's
we'll move on.
>> you're
» you're
>> Well, you've the motion's been moved,
» Well, you've the motion's been moved,
it's been seconded, it's been voted on,
and it's been referred to the budget.
So,
No, I'm not, Joe. I'm chairing the
meeting. And that's what I'm going to
do, and that is my role.
And I will not be interrupted from the
audience.
Counselor Best, if you'd like to take 30
seconds to wrap up, go ahead, please,
but I will not be interrupted. And
there'll be decorum in these council
chambers.
Go ahead, counselor Best.
Okay, thank you. So, we're moving on
then to item Well, no, is there any
other questions
from the presenters tonight from members
of council? I have counselor Masters, do
you have a question?
>> Um um not on that. I have a question I
» Um um not on that. I have a question I
have some questions for the presenters.
>> Yes, so do you have a question for the
» Yes, so do you have a question for the
presenters?
>> Yes, do.
» Yes, do.
>> And for items two, three, go ahead.
» And for items two, three, go ahead.
>> a a couple, actually. Um first of all, I
» a a couple, actually. Um first of all, I
like I have a question on the sports
dome.
Um
the I [clears throat] noticed that um
I'm all for the sports dome, by the way.
Um
I think they're a great way an economic
way of
of of bringing us the sports to the
public. Um
um I played with the Tottenham seniors
soccer team for a number of years, and
we actually used the facility in
Bradford. Uh my question is that this is
a nice clear see-through dome. Um
what what is the track record
uh from a from a serviceability
standpoint? We have some pretty tough
winters here, and I know the one in
Bradford had a very solid um you know,
dome. Wasn't see-through, as I remember.
Um how does this type What's the record
of this type of dome? How does it stack
up?
I said I have two more questions after
that.
>> Thank you. I just do the direction
» Thank you. I just do the direction
through the director, please.
I'll just go to you, director, and then
you can
Through your worship to members of
council, Mr. Langlois is just online. He
could probably more properly answer that
question. Steve.
Thank you, your worship, and members of
council and masters.
So, the image that you were seeing would
show it
as a transparent dome. That's that's
really just for illustration purposes so
you can see the field and inside.
The actual dome fabric and the design
would have to be dictated through tender
and at that time. So, at this moment, I
mean, most domes that you'll see out
there tend to be
largely white. There are the technology
improves year after year on them. Many
of them now have sort of transparent
panels. Typically, you would have that
as a sort of a skylight to let in a
little bit more
daylight into into the building. So,
really the design would have to be
dictated through the next stage as that
goes. And relative to the lifespan of
these facilities,
we've we've anticipated you'll hear from
suppliers that they can get 25 to 30
years out of the dome fabric.
That might be a a bit ambitious. They
will start to look look a little bit
older over time. We've anticipated a
25-year replacement. You'll see that.
That's pretty typical in in this sort of
sector.
They're they're quite good. Again,
technology improves every year. They're
quite good with snow snow loads. You
would have to maintain
a snow clearing area around the apron so
you don't get snow snow load pressure
onto
the apron of the dome.
So, there is some requirement to make
sure that that's cleared
certainly after heavy snowfalls.
Okay, thank you. So, what I'm going to
do, sorry,
I'm going to change the format. We are
on item number two, indoor pool
feasibility study and proposed aquatic
and wellness center expansion. So, what
I'm going to do is I'm going to limit
the questions for members of council to
item number two that retain pertain to
the indoor pool. Can somebody let
Councillor Rappin come back in and
participate, please?
Sorry, Councillor Masters.
Okay, members of council, are there any
questions to item number two or comments
to item number two?
Councillor Foster, please.
» Uh thank you, Mayor Northcutt. Um
referring Well, first of all, I I didn't
support the deferral um
on the sports dome, but
in light of Director Hobbs' comments
that
uh I believe it was right at the
beginning of the meeting you asked the
question, what what established the
order?
And the order was you need to vote on
the sports dome
in order to make a decision on the pool
because of how
intrinsically tied together they are.
So, my question is,
if someone's going to support a deferral
for number one,
why would we vote on number two because
they both go hand in hand? And is my
interpretation correct, Director Hobbs?
>> Director.
» Uh through you, Your Worship, to
Councillor Foster. Um yes, there's
certainly merits to to that thinking and
that's why I explained the domino
process at the beginning. Um however,
should council wish to proceed uh with
the second report, um I would advise
that uh the the NTRC field house
component would it would be wise to
remove that as part of the the
renovation, um which is why that was
specifically separated in terms of the
budget figure, as well as in terms of
advancing the overall project. So,
theoretically, um
uh to Councillor Foster's point, you
could still advance, should Council wish
to advance, the pool
um as well as the other components of
the expansion, but I would suggest to
not advance the the the field house
component.
» Thank you. Councillor Foster, did you
have a follow-up, or you're good with
that?
>> Um
» Um
yes, thank you, Director Hobbs. Then
I'll I'll um
um I'll speak in support of the uh I was
I'm in support of
the the sports dome, but that's
obviously been deferred. So, I will
speak in support of the pool and um
see what the rest of Council says and
when we vote on it.
>> Thank you. Next on my list is Councillor
» Thank you. Next on my list is Councillor
Bess, please.
>> I thank Thank you, Worship. Um
» I thank Thank you, Worship. Um
So, for the record, I'm in support of
all of these projects. I just want to
wait 6 months, so that we can consider
it as a council and understand exactly
how the how it's going to impact our
community as a whole. Uh you know,
unfortunately, these are very big-ticket
items that we're talking about tonight,
and they impact everything about our
community. So, it's really important to
get all of the different input from
everybody, so that we can determine
exactly what the timeline is. As you can
see, we're going to hit our death debt
threshold, which means that if anytime
thereafter we get hit with a natural
disaster or
a water main breaks or something, we
will not be able to borrow money to fix
it. So, in that light, you you Worship,
I I recommend that uh the report RFC
2026-20 regarding the indoor pool
feasibility study and the associated
aquatic and wellness center expansion
and the new Tecumseh recreation center
be received, and further that the
aquatic and wellness center project be
deferred to the 2027 budget
deliberations for consideration.
>> Thank you, Councillor Bess. I'll look to
» Thank you, Councillor Bess. I'll look to
the clerk to make sure she's documented
that, and you're fine with that. Thank
Thank Is there a secondary for the
deferral, please?
Is there a Oh, sorry. Deputy Mayor,
please. Thank you.
So, it's been duly moved, duly seconded,
and it be deferred to the 2027 budget
deliberation
process. Thank you. Okay. All those in
favor, then?
And that's carried.
Thank you, Council. So, I'm going to
move on to item number three, which is
the Beeton Community Centre
Redevelopment Preliminary Design
Options.
And I'm going to go to Councillor Cox,
please.
>> [clears throat]
» [clears throat]
>> Thank you, Mr. Mayor. And I do echo what
» Thank you, Mr. Mayor. And I do echo what
of Councillor Bississ said, that uh
I'm sure that all of Council supports
these projects. And uh it is the
responsible thing to move a few of these
to the budget. In terms of the Beeton
facility project,
um
I think this is what is actually holding
up a lot of our recreation programs
moving forward.
This project has been on the books and
being worked towards for the last 20
years.
We haven't seen
very many large recreation projects, and
a lot of that reason is because then we
point to the Beeton facility and we say,
"We've updated the NTRC. We've updated
the TCFC. And Beeton would like an
opportunity for that to happen."
This project isn't new to Council, and
it's certainly not new to the residents
of Beeton. For nearly two decades, it's
been studied, reviewed, debated,
revised, and brought back for future
consideration.
What concerns me about the
recommendations before Council tonight
is not simply what it proposes, it's
what it represents. 20 years, residents
have been told the process is coming.
Yet, here we are again.
The recommendation before us
does not approve a budget for the Beeton
facility like the other two.
It doesn't approve financing, and it
doesn't authorize construction.
It asked council to select a preferred
option and continue refining it
through additional due diligence.
At the same time council was asked
tonight to move forward with the sports
sports dome project, to move forward
with the aquatic and wellness center
project. Those projects are being
presented as ready for financing, but
the Beaton Community Center, arguably
the longest running recreation project
in this municipality, is once again
being told to wait.
When the town has reached 99% capacity
in our ice facilities, does it make
sense to reduce the level of service by
25%?
And then try to facilitate the use of
private facilities that were unable to
accommodate our needs just 2 years ago?
Because in third 2036, we may be able to
acquire the land and we may be able to
have the I'm sure sustain substantially
larger amount of money we need to build
the twin pad because it will be more
expensive in 10 years. And a twin pad is
substantially more expensive
than a single pad.
And it's not DC funded. Whether we move
it to another location, it is still a
redevelopment project.
The staff recommendation mentions
additional additionary preliminary
design and due diligence.
With all due respect, how much due
diligence is enough? If 20 years of
studies, consultations, reports,
presentations, public meetings, surveys,
task force input, and community input is
not enough to make a decision, then when
will it be?
5 years from now? 10 years from now?
At some point due diligence stops being
a safeguard and starts becoming a
substitute for leadership.
The people of Beaton have done
everything we asked of them.
They've attended meetings, completed
surveys multiple times.
They've participated in the
consultations, They've watched the
project pass through multiple councils,
multiple studies, multiple rounds of
review. We've approved development on
the books that doubles our current size
in Beeton, and this is a redevelopment
project. It's
It's a redevelopment project.
I don't believe Beeton's looking for
another report. I believe the people are
looking for a decision.
And if council is prepared
to support other projects, which it
seems like they are with some due
diligence in the budget,
then I believe that this project
shouldn't be asked to wait any longer.
I think the only thing that will get us
somewhere tonight with all of these
projects is for me to put the following
motion on the table and ask my council
colleagues for their support.
So, I have the following motion. And
further that council approve option
three, arena model for the redevelopment
of the Beeton Community Centre, modified
to include a community-size ice surface
in place of the NHL-size ice surface
contemplated within the preliminary
concept.
And further that council approve the
Beeton Community Centre redevelopment
project with an estimated capital budget
based upon option three, being
I'm going to say 45,778,653
because the two There was two numbers,
actually, one from the presentation and
one that was provided um in the report,
exclusive of soft costs, together with
the associated 15% soft costs to be
incorporated into the final project
budget.
And further that council approve the
financing strategy for the Beeton
Community Centre redevelopment project
through a combination of development
charges, which we know we've set aside
in the 2020
four budget for this project, reserve
funds, which we currently have in the
amount of I
believe around $750,000
and debenture financing and direct staff
to pursue grant funding, sponsorship
opportunities, fundraising
contributions, which we know FAB is
uh currently having
that they currently have
and any other external funding sources
that may reduce the municipal share of
project costs. And further that council
authorize and direct staff to proceed
with detailed design and construction of
the Beeton Community Centre
Redevelopment Project in accordance with
the approved project scope.
And further that the approved project
scope shall include a single community
size ice surface together with
associated community center amenities
and support spaces substantially
consistent with option three
in the facility program presented to
council.
And further that staff shall incorporate
the Beeton Community Centre
Redevelopment Project into the 2027
capital budget and long-term financial
plan as a committed capital project. And
further that the Beeton Community Centre
Redevelopment Project shall be
designated as the town's next recreation
capital construction priority.
And staff shall prioritize project
implementation, financing, grant
applications, detailed design, and
construction scheduling accordingly.
And further that where staff identify
any ambiguity in the interpretation or
implementation of this resolution,
staff's staff shall seek direction and
clarification for council.
from council.
» [applause]
» Okay. Do we have a second to get that on
the floor to open it up, please?
Uh Councillor Masters and then I'll go
to the Deputy Mayor. Go ahead, Deputy.
Um
Oh, okay. Sorry. Councillor Masters,
then.
>> Oh, sorry.
» Oh, sorry.
No, it's yeah, I'll second it. Yeah.
Okay, is there any comments and
questions in regards to the motion?
Uh Council Jackson.
>> Thank you your worship. Through you also
» Thank you your worship. Through you also
someone in support of
moving forward a project in Beeton and I
definitely am in support. I just want to
say this before
the rest of my comments of ice in Beeton
or a pad in Beeton.
My question is really born from
curiosity as I don't know if all of the
public realizes we just saw these
numbers a week ago. Like when the agenda
got published, this is the first time
that we have looked at this from the
lens that you have as well. And so
looking at the comparison table, what
struck me
beyond the price tags, but I digress,
was actually the displacement of ice.
And so scenario three is
certainly the Beeton community is
deserving
of a brand new facility, but I'm just
curious and I don't know where to direct
the question to you, but the implication
of three years
three years of ice
displacement, that that's significant.
We know that two seasons ago
when the trusses were being repaired and
there was no access yes, of course
everybody came together and managed as
best as they could. But I remember the
the stress that that put on the user
groups and the staff and everybody
trying to accommodate. And as Donna said
earlier
are we certain that these groups have
access paid for access to ice for three
years and
um and this is of no disrespect or
disregard to anyone's expertise, but 3
years provided everything works out the
way it's supposed to.
And all the elements of large-scale
construction go to plan.
And everything just works out exactly.
What if it's four seasons?
So, the only reason why looking at all
these considerations, I thought to
myself,
I'm not a you part of a user group or
and neither is my child who requires
access to ice.
Is the same passion do we still have the
same passion for scenario three
given there is going to be a minimum of
three seasons that we cannot access that
ice pad or dry pad, whatever way the
pad.
Uh is it still the option that that is
uh best serving for the community?
Thank you.
>> Thank you, Councillor Jacks. Um
» Thank you, Councillor Jacks. Um
Councillor Harrison MacIntyre was next,
please.
>> Am I Am I on mute?
» Am I Am I on mute?
>> a question that's going to get answered?
» a question that's going to get answered?
>> Sure. Thank you. I will direct it over
» Sure. Thank you. I will direct it over
to uh
Director Mops, please. If you'd like to
go ahead.
>> Thank you, Your Worship. To um to
» Thank you, Your Worship. To um to
Councillor Jacks, I'll ask Perkins and
Will uh to answer this question. Philip,
did you want to take this or John?
» Your Worship, thank you for the
question.
Um
it it's it there's a little bit of
Hobson's choice in that it committing to
that site means there needs to be you
need to build on top of the existing
arena.
And so, ultimately you've raised the
raised the critical issue which isn't
and that was part of our purpose of
putting the numbers and the qualitative
stuff in the presentation is that
it does require a strategy to either
accept that the reduction in service.
So,
uh that might mean bigger drive times
for people to to uh to access ice
elsewhere in the region
or an an aggressive approach to try and
purchase ice time.
That might be quite expensive. It It
does get done. And we actually use some
numbers which were quite high to to
assume that you need to. But relative to
the other options
and so the other options being
go with option one or two
as it relates to this particular site
and
close the arena now. You'd be looking at
potentially 10 years of having to find
ice which I think is a
an inordinate risk. It's It's a whole
generation of of users.
Um
So you know that would lead us to say if
you were if the if the municipality were
thinking of creating twin ice by about
2036, you got to bring it forward
dramatically in order to cut that off.
So
as I say it's Hobson's choice out of the
three options as it relates to
the loss of ice
unless you keep the Beaton Memorial
Arena going and work around it and
recognize that there is that capital
cost associated with keeping it then
option three
the loss of ice for three years
um
is a bit of a rally cry to to get
through it as fast as you can.
>> And just a follow up on that. The Sorry
» And just a follow up on that. The Sorry
counselor.
Just the department's also working on
council approved facility allocation
policy. So as part of that review then
we have the opportunity to tighten up a
little bit and reallocate and find
efficiencies within our bookings process
just to make sure that the right groups
are being prioritized. Um but if we were
to proceed through construction to your
point counselor Jackson, likely be two
seasons out of commission.
So we would gracefully ask for patience
from the community while we go through
that process as well understanding the
the positive impacts at the end. Just a
little little bit of pain short term
pain for long term gain. But we try our
best to to accommodate as much as
possible.
» Is that good?
>> Supplementary. Yeah, thank you, your
» Supplementary. Yeah, thank you, your
worship. Um my second question would be
then through uh through your worship to
to staff. Um
the $15,678,254
that has been uh proposed here as the
capital cost to uh
keep um the the existing ice going or
the BMA going
uh while
construction would occur if we went with
scenario one or two, community centers
built, ideally a twin pad, um which
would be also reflective of
uh the user group demand and growth in
the area
is built.
Where did that number come from? Like it
that that costs more than we're
proposing to spend on the dome
to keep the BMA running for 10 years. It
just
I am not I know nothing, honestly, but
that seems like an extraordinary cost
given we haven't spent 10 mi- $15
million to keep it going for the last 10
years. Like
is this just worst-case scenario,
the trusses all come unbuckled and it
collapses? It like where $15 million to
to run that is
I just help me understand why where that
What What are we doing?
>> Director?
» Director?
>> Thank you, your worship, to Councillor
» Thank you, your worship, to Councillor
Jackson. That figure was pulled from the
building condition assessments reports
that was previously provided to council.
Um you are correct that does identify a
worst-case scenario, so we're being
cautious and certainly conservative in
providing that number. Um but what I
will say is a couple things. So that
number is subject to inflation. Um so
just keep in mind escalation costs as
well as potential impact of a
geopolitical crisis or tariffs or
anything like that. Um and then keep in
mind these structural implications. So,
right now, um, there's structural
inspection that will take place every 5
years, um, recommended by the by the
engineer. The next um,
structural inspection, I believe, is
early 2020 uh, 7. Once that inspection
takes place, my I would assume it'll
likely be an annual inspection. Um, so,
we're really putting in as as much time
and life into that building as possible,
but we don't know exactly what that
structural inspection would identify.
Um, so, to get an engineer's stamp
behind it, um, they would need to deem
it safe for continued use, and that
would certainly be be an aspect for
consideration. Um, now, if option number
one or two was chosen and the BMA
remained, um, staff would assess the
merits of the building condition
assessment. So, if we knew exactly that
we were advancing a twin pad arena, um,
and there was a there was a concrete
plan for acquiring land and constructing
that facility in the future, we would
know a definite end time for when the
current BMA would be out of service. So,
then we could assess exactly what that
$15 million would look like. If we know
the end date, then we may choose to
invest in the in the facility
differently. Um, would it be $15
million? Probably not. Would it be on
the low end? Probably not. Um, would it
be closer to 15? It's probably likely,
but it's really hard to say with the
with the crystal ball at at this moment
in time. Um, so, chosen conservatively.
>> Thank you, Councillor Harrison McIntyre,
» Thank you, Councillor Harrison McIntyre,
please.
>> Thank you. The motion as put forward by
» Thank you. The motion as put forward by
Councillor Cox changes the size of the,
um,
rink from, uh, the recommended size, and
I just wanted to get some, um,
information because it's it's not a huge
difference in amount of feet, 25 ft one
way, um,
and a little bit more the other way. So,
I just want to figure out hear from
staff
um, what's the cost savings and, um,
and the what's the rationale,
For making it the NHL size? Does that
open it up for more competitions or
higher level
playing?
What's Yeah, just more details on that
before we move forward agreeing to it.
>> Thank you. I'll go to the director,
» Thank you. I'll go to the director,
please and you can either answer or
assign. Thank you.
>> Uh thank you, Your Worship, to tell the
» Uh thank you, Your Worship, to tell the
counselors. So, in determining or
recommending NHL size ice, we really
looked at the history of this project.
So, if you look at the task force and
what they were reviewing, there was a
recommendation and consideration for a
smaller ice pad back in I think it was
2018 or 2019. Um the consultant at the
time came back and he he recommended an
NHL size pad because that would
effectively allow the grow the sport to
be able to grow, to be able to mature,
and uh meet sport play for various age
groups. Um in addition, when we met with
user groups, specifically within the ice
hockey community, they overwhelmingly
supported NHL ice, um and they went so
far as saying if it's not NHL, we may
not be able to use it, in particular for
the older age groups. Um so, that's just
trying to right-size the current
facility and and correct some planning
that we we may have been done in the
past and be able to slowly and
moderately increase service levels. Um
just in terms of the preliminary design,
so the the intent of preliminary design
is to seek feedback and change the
program based on feedback from council.
Um if we were to move to a smaller pad,
um then we'd we would still continue
with the due diligence for that piece,
um because revenue may be impacted by a
smaller pad because we may not have the
same penetration rate. So, we would
still just continue with our review. Um
council could certainly approve today
and and we would continue, but um it
probably be welcomed for for council for
us to come back and be able to tweak
those numbers based on a a revised
program for a community size rink,
should it be approved today.
>> Okay.
» Okay.
Thank you. Uh Deputy Mayor has not
spoken yet, so go ahead, Deputy Mayor,
please.
>> Thank you, Mayor Norcross. Um and and I
» Thank you, Mayor Norcross. Um and and I
do want to communicate to everyone that
I see a place for all three of these
facilities in our recreation plan.
Um I I think we've proved that we need
them and that we want them, but what we
can't do is pull the trigger on all
three at once. I mean, me personally
can't afford the tax increase.
Um it it would uh
it would put us too close to our debt
threshold and unprepared for
emergencies.
Uh so that was part of uh the reason
that I I supported the deferrals. We
know we're going to grow and we're going
to grow big and fast, but we're stalled
right now cuz we have no water. So
development has been
almost non-existent in New Tecumseth,
which means we don't get new residents
that pay taxes as well. We're not
getting DCs, the province is chopping
the DCs. Uh we call rec DCs soft DCs, uh
not hard DCs like water and roads. Um so
we just need to separate these out a
little bit. We can't do all three at
once. Um so part of my support of of of
the of the deferral is, you know, we're
getting close to having some interim
water, which hopefully then inspires
some development, which inspires
taxpayers to move here and development
charges to be paid.
Um
I just I do want to note for the record
that
these three on the agenda is I feel
personally very uncomfortable to be
doing in the middle of an election
when we're so soon to having the
possibility of different
decision-makers next term and laying
this all at their feet when we know the
finances are quite precarious if we do
all three at once is not something I'm
I'm super comfortable with.
Um you know, there's been a lot of talk
about the the domino effect. We need
this to happen, so this happens, so that
happens. And my experience in um the
municipal world is the dominoes almost
never fall like you need them to, ever.
So, I do and and I do feel that our
whole recreation program has been
stalled because as
as it's been referred to before in Town
of New Tecumseth budgets years ago, the
white elephant in the room is always the
beaten arena.
It's always the beaten arena. So, I feel
like our whole rec plan has been stalled
by continuously for literally half my
entire life of doing nothing. It's time
to do something. It's time to get
working on how we make the the sports
dome and the and the pool work because I
see them fitting in our rec plan.
Um so, those are those are my comments.
Thank you.
>> Thank you. I'll go to Councillor Masters
» Thank you. I'll go to Councillor Masters
and then I'll wrap it up and I'll call
the vote.
>> Uh thank you, Worship.
» Uh thank you, Worship.
Everything I've heard tonight all makes
sense. You know, I absolutely approve
all these three projects.
They've been needed for a long time.
I've got two questions. The first
question is to the the company the
design guys.
When Faber originally
set up set themselves to get this arena
built,
they used I think it was James Fryatt
uh architects to build do the first
drawing for us and they did. Um
one of the things that they did was a
they created created the design for the
arena to be set back from the main
street to create a town square so that
the library and the town hall and was
and the arena entrance was offset.
I'm looking at the design right now the
arena's right on the town right on the
pavement.
So you know
is this because of the the the proposed
NHL size rink or is that just generally
where you thought it would be best
situated? One of the things that we
always wanted to do with the town of
Beeton is try and keep its old
historical look. There's a lot of
history in that town and and that's when
the FAB organization came together that
was a big consideration and that's why
it was done that way. The town actually
expropriated those houses in front there
to make that happen.
So that's my first question. Is that is
that because of the ice or is that
because where you thought it was best to
put it?
Um
The second comment
I just want to make in general is that
everybody knows that we
you know we're we're behind in our
development and
I I believe the number that was thrown
out this year earlier on was that we
have something like 300 million plus in
DCs outstanding with houses that have
been basically approved to be built but
we can't build them because of water and
I put that question to the CEO to to
maybe give us some input on this. So we
all know that the that
the New Tecumseth is probably one of the
fastest growing communities in Canada
today and we know that there's huge
development coming here and with it will
come the money. So what we're I think
we're looking from a financial
standpoint is an an interim look and I
know that we have the new the new
we've got
you know maybe new people coming on the
council next year but I I I think that
this is a big number. I wouldn't want to
put that on to new people coming in here
and and trying to make that kind of
decision you know.
But anyway, so that's my two questions.
The one is on where why are we up
against the the the sidewalk in beaten
and number two is, you know, where are
we with our with our the books right now
financially as far as
the development that's sitting on the
books right now to be built that once
that water hits that, you know, how much
are we looking at and DC's coming in
right now. That's my second question.
Thank you.
>> Thank you. I'm going to go to um
» Thank you. I'm going to go to um
I'm going to go to the CAO cuz maybe you
could answer the first question is
what is water available for development
right now? I believe is what you're
asking, counselor.
Or when is it available? Go ahead.
Yeah, I think the CAO has it.
>> So through you, Mr. Mayor, to the
» So through you, Mr. Mayor, to the
counselor, um interim water actually
will flow starting tomorrow or actually
yesterday.
It's available now. So there is some
there is available
uh
water for
I think it's around 2,500 units.
Uh so that is not a barrier to
development. More of the economy is a
barrier to development than anything
else.
Uh as far as forecasted development
charges, I would have to
defer that to to to our treasurer.
>> Okay, so the water is flowing today, so
» Okay, so the water is flowing today, so
that's fine then. Director Gallant, can
I refer that second question to you?
» Yes, thank you, your worship. Um
if we're if we're assuming 500 new units
would come in the short term, um we'd be
looking at approximately 47 and 1/2
million dollars in development charges.
Um one of the points you raised, which I
think related to the development charge
credits we have on the books. So we do
have some infrastructure that developers
have built um in exchange for being able
to offset their permit development
charge fees. So, we have approximately
$33 million
outstanding in DC credits that would
offset a portion of this $47 Sorry, $47
million.
>> Okay, that's fine. Thank you. I'm going
» Okay, that's fine. Thank you. I'm going
to go to Deputy Clerk, please. Um
Councillor Harrison McIntyre, then I'm
going to call the vote, please.
Sorry, what was Sorry, 1 second,
Councillor.
Sorry, I apologize. I apologize. Your
second question is why is it moved up to
the sidewalk? I think that was just a
proposal or do you have a a quick
answer, please?
Go ahead.
>> Through the worship to council. So,
» Through the worship to council. So,
um you might have
remember in the presentation we gave, we
talked about 15 m setback from the
watercourse on the west side of the
site. So, that does encroach on the
length of the building and how far we
can push off Main Street.
Um if the option is pursued more, we can
dig into that setback and get more
information and then that could
influence where we're positioning it and
how close it becomes to Main Street. So,
I wouldn't say that exact frontage is
fixed, um but it is influenced by that
setback watercourse condition.
>> Thank you very much. Oh, Councillor
» Thank you very much. Oh, Councillor
Harrison McIntyre, please, and then I'll
call the vote.
>> Thank you. I just wanted to make a
» Thank you. I just wanted to make a
friendly amendment to the motion that um
the sizing of the arena is
um still to be determined.
When Councillor Cox said community
sized, I don't know if that's a
technical term or if it's just
um
looking for feedback from the community.
So, that's what I want to have a little
bit more discussion on um and find out
do all of our user groups want it the
NHL size or is um a smaller size better
for the ball hockey? And so, I don't
want to decide on the size right now.
Just I want to move forward with the
motion otherwise with everything else as
is.
>> Thank you. Um
» Thank you. Um
I'll go to Councillor Cox. Do you accept
a friendly amendment?
>> I do. It's not a technical term.
» I do. It's not a technical term.
>> Thank you. Deputy
» Thank you. Deputy
Sorry, Councillor Masters, do you accept
that? Okay, thank you. So
the motion's on the floor. You have that
motion.
Uh Madam Clerk, and sorry, Director
Hobbs, please. Mops.
>> Sorry, Mayor Mayor Norcross, it's for
» Sorry, Mayor Mayor Norcross, it's for
you to Councillor Cox. Councillor Cox,
I'm just hoping if it's possible to add
some specific language to the grant
request, and the reason being is staff
would like to
pursue grants opportunities, should this
be passed.
So I'm hoping that council would
consider further that council directs
staff to apply for all available grant
funding opportunities
for the project,
um including, but not limited to, the
Build Community Strong Fund Direct
Delivery Stream, the Enabling
Accessibility Fund, the Green Municipal
Fund, and the Community Sport and
Recreation Infrastructure Fund Stream 2,
as well as other partnerships and
program opportunities. And the reason
being is we removed that language
directly from the the grant opportunity.
So just allow staff to be able to to
pursue those those opportunities.
>> Is it possible to leave it that any and
» Is it possible to leave it that any and
all grants that are available from any
level of government that we will pursue?
Would that be sufficient, or do you need
that to be specific?
Cuz there's no way the clerk's going to
catch all that right now. So go ahead,
Director Mops.
>> If it's okay with you, Mayor Norcross,
» If it's okay with you, Mayor Norcross,
if I send that to the clerk to include
afterwards, just the language was
specifically um
uh required for the grant applications.
So I can forward it to you afterwards.
>> Thank you, Council. Is everybody in
» Thank you, Council. Is everybody in
agreement with that? That it will be
sent later?
Okay, and Councillor Cox, you agree. So
we have a motion duly moved and
seconded. All those in favor, please.
1 2 3 4 5 6.
So so it
the motion passes.
Okay.
Well, thank you everybody for coming out
tonight and we greatly appreciate it.
And um
Joy have a a confirming bylaw sorry of
just 20 seconds.
Be resolved the bylaw 2026-058
to confirm the proceedings of special
counsel at its meeting on June 17, 2026
be read a first
second and third time and enacted.
Counselor Rappin, would you move that?
Thank you. Counselor Gabrick, would you
second that?
Thank you. All those in favor?
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you to
everybody that came out tonight,
expressed your opinions, and gave so
freely of your time. We've moved
forward.
>> [applause]
» [applause]
>> So, we have a German be resolved the
» So, we have a German be resolved the
meeting adjourned at 8:05
and uh
Counselor Cox and Counselor Best.
All those in favor? Thank you.