Georgina keeping it ‘fresh’ with new skate park, outdoor sports zone in Pefferlaw

Pefferlaw Association of Ratepayers working to carve out space for local groups, establish Pefferlaw soccer, baseball teams

Yorkregion.com
June 6, 2022
Amanda Persico

The Pefferlaw community is getting a $1.4-million boost from the town with a new multi-use, multi-season sports zone on the Pefferlaw Ice Pad (PIP), and local residents are excited.

The plan also includes a pump and skate park, enhancing pathways and park amenities and working with the Georgina-Brock Garden Club to create a community garden.

During non-winter months, the PIP is to be resurfaced and divided into three sport spaces, tennis, basketball and pickleball, with the option of allowing registered town recreation programs such as ball hockey.

“There’s lots of young families and seniors and everyone in-between in Pefferlaw,” said Jim Keenan, Pefferlaw Association of Ratepayers president.

“This is about building resilience and the well-being of folks in Pefferlaw.”

For Pefferlaw resident Ty Rodgers, the skate park piqued his interest.

“I had to travel to ride stakeparks,” said the avid BMXer who’s been doing tricks and spins since he was eight years old having visited hundreds of skate parks across the province.

“It will be another place for friends and memories to be made outside of school.”

There’s plenty to consider when designing a skate and pump park, from flow and lines to jumps and rails -- all meant to inspire creativity and pose a challenge for riders.

“Most parks are designed to have the rider go one way or the other. (But) it tends to get boring after a while,” Rodgers said. “You need jumps, rails, banks all bowls, all of which can be (used) front-to-back, left-to-right and right-to-front to keep it fresh.”

And it’s not just the skate and pump park getting the attention, residents welcome the year-round use of the PIP and the other amenities planned.

“It’s wasted space too long,” said Christie Ferguson. “These (amenities) will bring the community closer and bring people to Pefferlaw.”

And that might help boost local the local economy, she added, by bringing in new businesses to the community and the foot traffic would help existing businesses.

For many Pefferlaw residents, it’s a welcome -- and an about time -- upgrade.

“Pefferlaw tends to get ‘overlooked’ when it comes to amenities and the way our tax dollars are spent,” said Kristal Jackson, area resident and mother of three.
For about a decade, the Jackson family has spent more time driving to Keswick, Sutton or even as far as Uxbridge for recreational activities.

“To see money spent on areas for kids and teens is very exciting,” Jackson said. “Pefferlaw is a wonderful community and we could absolutely benefit from these amenities at our doorstep and save some fuel driving back and forth to other parts of Georgina to find them.”

While good news for families in the area, there are many local non-profit groups without a place to call home -- PAR included.

And the Pefferlaw Lions Community Centre is a great place for senior, new mom or sewing groups to gather, Keenan said.

Currently, user groups and residents can rent the hall or specialty rooms on an hourly basis.

“The hall is vacant a good amount of time,” Keenan said. “Rent is a sizeable amount and these groups don’t have the fundraising capacity to cover the rent.”

PAR is in discussions with the town to create a grant fund for local non-profit groups to use the hall.

PAR is also looking to establish local baseball and soccer teams.

“There’s community interest in using the pristine fields for Pefferlaw teams,” Keenan said. “We would love to see a Pefferlaw team part of the Georginawide association.

"Then, we’re playing the same ball game.”

There are several community bucket items -- if the budget allows -- including a splash pad, off-leash dog park, year-round washroom facilities, a water bottle filling station and an electronic community sign at the new Pefferlaw fire hall.

Once a contractor is selected, future public consultations will take place for the design of the pump and skate park.

For more information, visit georgina.ca.