Newmarket set to play ball on ‘exciting’ strategy

Yorkregion.com
April 7, 2016
By Chris Simon

The game plan is set, now it’s time to execute.

Newmarket council gave permission this week for staff to implement the second phase of the Recreation Playbook, the 38-page, long-term recreation and leisure strategy adopted by council last year.

This second phase includes the design and construction of spray pads at Frank Stronach and Arkinstall parks ($400,000 per site), the building of outdoor skate parks at Bonshaw Park and the proposed York Region snow dumping facility on Harry Walker Parkway ($300,000 per site) and the securing of a structure on the former Glenway golf course for use as a maintenance building for a satellite park (cost not yet determined).

The design and construction of an outdoor basketball court at Ken Sturgeon Park (for between $150,000 and $200,000) is also being considered.

Most of the funding for the projects will be covered by development charges and the phase should wrap up by 2017 or 2018.

“The various recommendations and emerging opportunities are intricately linked with one another in terms of timing, funding and long-term implications on service delivery,” recreation and culture director Colin Service said, in a report to council.

The playbook includes 50 recommendations meant to improve recreation and leisure services in the town and covers everything from increasing youth programming and improving financial assistance to plans for maintaining the current service level of seven ice pads and potentially moving the Newmarket Tennis Club facility.

So far, the town has moved forward on a number of recommendations, including the development of a fitness facility at Magna Centre, an agreement with the York Region District School Board on the construction of an artificial turf field at Dr. J.M. Denison Secondary School and the conversion of two tennis courts to pickle ball surfaces at Quaker Park.

Council also called for the third phase - which won’t begin until at least next year and includes items such as the replacement of the Art Ferguson Park baseball diamond, the construction of a full-sized, outdoor artificial rink and the relocation of the tennis club - to undergo a community consultation process.

“This is moving forward a number of phases of recreation enhancements,” Regional Councillor John Taylor said.

“I would describe this as one of the more significant steps forward for this municipality ever, in terms of bringing online new recreational opportunities. I would hate to see this ever go unnoticed. This is a very exciting time for the residents and certainly those who are active.”

Meanwhile, members of council and the Newmarket Public Library Board will also meet during the third quarter of this year, to look for ways to enhance library services. The town has a $2.4-million development charge allocation to spend on the library over the next 10 years, Service said.

For view the entire Recreation Playbook, go to newmarket.ca.