As a general observation, it would be fair to say not many children attend Springwater council meetings.
So it came as no small surprise then to find some among the packed chambers at the township’s most recent meeting, most of them sporting ball caps with either a capital 'E' or the word 'Elmvale' somewhere on them.
Ranging from youngsters to teens, they sat and listened as the Elmvale Ball Park Committee presented its case for township council’s support as it looks to replace the lights at the Elmvale ball diamond, located behind the arena on George Street.
Ball park committee members Jeff Lees and Andrew Priest headed up the delegation and laid out the situation. Almost half of the ball park’s lights are burnt out and obsolete and it’s going to cost about $70,000 to fix, they said.
They were looking at a one-time request to split the cost, to a maximum of $35,000, with the municipality and recommended the township’s portion of the funding come from the Springwater Hydro reserve fund.
“From our perspective, bylaw 2002-020, which talks about the Springwater Hydro Reserve Fund, is a technical slam dunk,” said Lees.
According to Lees, for funding to be considered, the bylaw requires a potential project to meet at least one of the following criteria:
- Facilities or services which provide for the health, safety or well being of the community
- Facilities or services for the general public, youth, seniors or volunteer organization
- Facilities or services which promote the economic health of the community.
He said the lights project meets all three.
Lees noted the committee has already raised $22,000 and has more than 50 individuals, businesses and groups committed to the project.
Faced with a compelling presentation and a chamber full of supporters, council moved quickly and decisively to support the request.
“All I can say is thanks for coming out, great presentation,” Deputy Mayor George Cabral said when the delegation finished. “I’d like to say this is the perfect fit for that particular fund.
"It’s not township property, but we maintain the diamond, so it really is a symbiotic relationship and that particular fund really embodies what that money should be for," Cabral added.
Admitting he was sold on the idea before they made their presentation, Cabral applauded not only the presenters but also the packed house that came out to support the request.
“You’ve brought the community together and they’re putting some skin in the game,” Cabral said. “It’s heartwarming.”
Cabral’s praise for the initiative and the organization that brought it forward was echoed by his fellow council members.
Coun. Danielle Alexander kept her comments short and to the point.
“I think this is a great initiative — the whole community is involved,” she said. “Great job. Happy to move forward with it.”
Coun. Matt Garwood, who represents Elmvale on Springwater council, said he was “eager” to support the request, not just for the sake of the players, coaches and parents, but also the Elmvale business community.
“You’ve seen the Elmvale BIA (business improvement area) happily supporting this project because it is significantly important to our local businesses,” Garwood said. “They have said without the arena, without the ball diamond, without recreation as a whole in our community, our businesses might not be able to open their doors.
“This is so incredibly important,” he added.
Township council approved a one-time request for $35,000 from the Springwater Hydro Reserve Fund and an additional $3,000 from councillor discretionary funds to support the project.