During the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) conference in Ottawa on Monday, Premier Doug Ford announced applications are now open for the $200-million Community Sport and Recreation Fund.
And Collingwood is hoping to get their piece of the pie.
“Collingwood will absolutely apply for the new provincial funding,” Collingwood Mayor Yvonne Hamlin told CollingwoodToday following the announcement. “A new recreation centre is a top priority for me and this is perfect timing as the town was already looking for funding sources.”
The history of bringing a multi-use recreation facility to Collingwood is long. Most recently, last year Collingwood teamed up with the Town of the Blue Mountains for a joint feasibility study to explore recreation needs for both municipalities, as the town’s current facilities are bursting at the seams.
A feasibility study is used to confirm community needs, by priority, for both the current time frame and a defined future scope. The assessment also reviews business alternatives to determine the most effective means of delivering services. High-level costing and next steps recommendations may also be included in a feasibility study.
The study is still underway with public consultation expected to start shortly, and last month Collingwood council voted in favour of starting up a steering committee of interested parties for a future multi-use recreation facility project.
The Community Sport and Recreation Infrastructure Fund (CSRIF), first announced by the province on April 18, provides funding to municipalities, Indigenous communities, non-profit organizations and (for new builds only) for-profit organizations through two program streams.
The first stream is for repairs and upgrades to existing facilities, while the second is to build new facilities.
Collingwood’s chief administrative officer Sonya Skinner said the town was excited to hear the news today.
“We have the study underway to support our council in identifying goals and next steps for Collingwood, and hopefully also identifying win-win collaboration opportunities to discuss with municipalities in Southern Georgian Bay,” said Skinner, noting that municipalities are not yet in receipt of eligibility requirements for the fund.
“All grant opportunities are welcome and staff will review the eligibility requirements... to see which projects best match the program and put our best foot forward if we have opportunity to make an application,” she said.
For more information on the Community Sport and Recreation Infrastructure Fund, click here.
