The Town of Collingwood is considering leveraging the outdoor rink to add more ice time to its recreation facilities roster.
And the addition of a $1.93-million roof could help.
During their regular meeting on Oct. 7, councillors voted in favour of setting aside $1.93 million in the 2025 town budget to add a roof to the outdoor rink at Central Park, to help alleviate ice time pressures and reduce weather dependency on the facility.
“Ultimately our goal is to maximize the use of this community asset, often underutilized because of weather,” said the town’s director of parks, recreation and culture Karen Cubitt in an email following the meeting.
Cubitt shared that with the exception of a few hours during the daytime, the Eddie Bush Memorial Arena and Central Park Arena are typically fully booked this time of year Monday to Friday from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. and on weekends from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
“With (the addition of a roof over the outdoor rink), we expect that our minor hockey leagues and some of our adult hockey groups would take advantage of the additional ice rental time available,” she said. “This can help offset some of the pressures we have at Eddie Bush and Central Park Arena and would also offer these rental groups a lower-priced ice rental rate option.”
The current plan is for a roof, but no walls, to offer shade during the day and cover during precipitation.
“The addition of a roof will also help extend the winter programming season supporting free programming such as shinny and public skating and a safe, more comfortable space in the warmer months for special event rentals and programming including pickleball, ball hockey, and camps,” said Cubitt.
Installing a roof over the outdoor rink has been a to-do item in the town’s 10-year capital plan since 2021, with engineered drawings approved and completed in 2024.
Town staff asked councillors this week for approval for the expense but will be applying for funding for the project from the province through the Community Sport and Recreation Infrastructure Fund.
At the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) conference in August, Premier Doug Ford first announced the new $200-million fund, to which municipalities can apply for and receive up to $1 million toward recreation infrastructure. Municipalities that are successful have to commit to matching provincial dollars 50/50.
Also included in the tentative plans is the possibility of adding solar panels to the roof, and applying for federal Green and Inclusive Community Buildings funding to cover that cost.
But not all councillors were sold on the idea of approving a project before knowing whether the feds or province would chip in.
“I don’t have the same opinion that this is going to be used quite often,” said Coun. Rob Ring.
“Putting a roof on it is not going to change a whole lot, as far as I’m concerned,” he said. “Is there some other way we could use that money and apply for something else that will be more of a benefit in the long run?”
Ring also pointed out that there are 444 municipalities across Ontario, and all could apply for the same $200-million funding pot.
“If all of them apply and it’s equal share, that’s $44,000. It’s not going to put much of a dent into the $1.93 million we’re proposing here,” he said.
If no provincial or federal funding comes through, town staff said they have enough to cover the entire cost set aside in the development charges reserve.
Coun. Chris Potts raised concern that in applying for this provincial grant for this purpose, it would mean the town couldn’t apply for the funds for other recreation needs in Collingwood as identified through the town’s multi-use recreation facility feasibility study, which is currently underway.
“What happens if we want to do something with that, but we have this investment in this roof?” he asked.
Coun. Christopher Baines was concerned about how the rest of the plan would play out after the roof was built, as there is no intention at this point of adding washrooms, dressing rooms or clocks at the outdoor rink – all things necessary if minor hockey was going to take place there. He also raised concerns about the cost.
Cubitt said that she expected minor hockey would use the outdoor rink for practices only, and that players can walk over to use facilities in the Central Park Arena as they currently do.
“I’m very conflicted by this. My father used to say, it’s bad to pay too much and it’s far worse to pay too little,” said Baines. “I just think this expenditure doesn’t give us enough at the present time.”
Applications for the first round of the province’s Community Sport and Recreation Infrastructure Fund close Oct. 29.
At the end of discussion, Baines put forward an amendment that the project should be contingent on the town receiving a Community Sport and Recreation Infrastructure Fund grant to contribute to the cost, which was passed.
Councillors voted 5-1 in favour of moving forward with the project and for the town to apply for the provincial funding, with Ring opposed. Mayor Yvonne Hamlin, Deputy Mayor Tim Fryer and Coun. Brandon Houston were absent.
