There will be no new swing sets or slides in the small community of Maxwell.
At its meeting on Dec. 4, Grey Highlands council voted to cancel a project planning to install new playground equipment at the former ballpark in Maxwell.
Council’s decision came after a group of local citizens, who have been working to fundraise for the project, informed the municipality they no longer wanted to proceed with the new playground.
In 2022, a group of local citizens approached council about building a new playground at the former ballpark. The group pegged the price at $205,000 and hoped to get a grant for $100,000, raise $55,000 in donations and asked the municipality to contribute $50,000 to the project.
Council agreed and $50,000 was committed from the municipality’s parkland dedication fund and another $8,500 was included from a reserve fund specifically for the Maxwell park.
At the Dec. 4 meeting, a staff update on the project indicated that community fundraising had brought in just $6,200 and multiple grant applications for the project had been unsuccessful. The local group had decided not to proceed.
In the report, staff suggested three options for council to consider including:
- Cancel the project and uncommit the $50,000 municipal contribution and return the $6,200 in donations.
- Approve the project and reduce scope of the work or add funding through the budget process.
- Defer the project and continue to hold the funds.
Coun. Paul Allen moved a motion to cancel the project. He said without community support there wasn’t much point in trying to move forward.
“They have indicated they don’t want to proceed. To me, we have to cancel that approval,” he said, but suggested if the community became interested in a project down the road they were free to come to council to make a request.
Allen also suggested the $50,000 from the parkland fund could be used to support the local pickleball group, which has begun efforts to fundraise for new permanent courts.
Mayor Paul McQueen was reluctant to immediately cancel the project without consulting with the local community first.
“I think there is still interest,” he said.
McQueen moved a motion to defer the resolution to cancel the project. However, his motion did not find a seconder and did not come forward.
Council voted 6-1 in favour of cancelling the project, with McQueen being the lone vote against cancellation.
