Haldimand County is launching a comprehensive Community & Recreation Facilities Strategy to identify major facility needs and establish a 20-year implementation plan.

The Strategy will focus on facilities that support activities such as aquatics, sports, health, wellness, arts and culture.

The process will be strongly informed by public and stakeholder input and will examine needs, financial feasibility, partnerships and potential locations. While the analysis will exclude facilities that are already in sufficient supply (e.g. indoor ice rinks, community halls, neighbourhood parks), it will consider strategies to enhance and re-purpose existing buildings or construct new facilities to address growth and emerging needs.

An online survey to gather preliminary input is available until March 7 at HaldimandCounty.ca/RecStrategy/.

“We are very excited about this project, which has been a priority for this term of Council,” says Mayor Ken Hewitt. “Unfortunately, it has been delayed due to the pandemic and the associated limitations to public consultation, which is a critical part of this process.

“At this point, we know many people have become used to engaging online or via Zoom, and we feel we will be able to host in-person engagement opportunities. We don’t want to wait any longer to hear what residents want in the way of facilities to support recreation and wellness. We also think the pandemic may have adjusted people’s thinking about the importance of recreation to quality of life and the many different ways we can remain active, social and engaged.”

You can find out more about the consultation process—including the online survey and updates about in-person consultation opportunities—on the County’s website.