“I think we are in the forefront of a seismic shift of recreational facilities in Huntsville.” With that comment Scott Ovell, Community Development Officer for the Town of Huntsville, concluded a meeting of Huntsville Curling Club officials and partners who want to build a new multi-purpose facility.
The initiative is driven by the Huntsville Curling Club whose 70-year-old building has become costly and not up to present-day standards. Partners at the meeting included the Huntsville High School, Huntsville Soccer Club, Muskoka Hornets, Men’s Fastball and the Town of Huntsville.
The group was told that at the moment the south side of the McCulley-Robertson Sports complex is the best location for the new facility. According to Town officials, it would be the best area to bring in services including a new road that would link up with the existing road in the park.
The Huntsville Curling Club also announced it is moving forward with the hiring of a facilitator by mid-November who will prepare design options for the building and a fundraising strategy to pay for it. The Club has received a $75,000 grant from the Province of Ontario to get the project started. The facilitator will also host public consultation meetings, evaluate the site and compare the proposal with other existing models.
There was general agreement that the new building must be a multi-sport facility, not just a new curling club. Kari Lambe, the Town’s Executive Director of Community Services, told the group that it is pointless to apply for funding for such projects if they are not multi-purpose and to the benefit of several groups. “The province has made that abundantly clear,” she said.
Lambe also said that Huntsville is presently unable to bid to host some events because of the lack of a proper gymnasium.
Adequate washroom and storage facilities were high on everyone’s list. The Curling Club wants to be able to offer wheelchair curling and add a lounge that will service over 100 people.
Huntsville High School vice principal Ian Patterson said there will be many far-reaching benefits to providing an adequate multi-sport facility in Huntsville.
“We are facing a declining enrollment at our school,” he said, “and having a facility like this would help to draw new families to the community. The more students we have the better programming we can offer. There’s a big need for more gymnasium space in the area. We enjoy being a hub but we just don’t have the space to host large events.”
Huntsville Curling Club vice president Ted Bionda said his group is sometimes frustrated by the baby steps that seem to be taken in getting the project off the ground but after the meeting he is encouraged.
The Town is certainly on our side and with the user groups, I think we can move forward. There’s no point in going half way, or build something that has to be patched up in a year. We need to do it up and do it right. We want a facility that will be a valuable commodity to Huntsville both for people who live here and those who come to participate.Huntsville Curling Club vice president Ted Bionda
The working group will meet again in a month’s time.
Don’t miss out on Doppler! Sign up for our free, twice-weekly newsletter here.
0 Comments