A 20-year roadmap for outdoor park spaces in the city has been approved by a council committee.
The document provides the city with a visionary network of parks and open spaces for the existing and growing city.
The Master Plan reviews each park space within the city and provides recommendations, including more play equipment and recreational space for some.
Over the lifetime of the plan, and based on available capital and operational budgets, as well as council priorities, select projects include:
- New pickleball courts at Bourke Park
- A new dog park at Thomson Park
- Full court basketball/ball hockey surface at Circle Lake Park
- New play structures at some parks, including Police Playground & Millford Crescent Park
- Seating and shade structures at Belleview Park
During Tuesday night’s committee meeting, Councillor Mark King brought up the 11 outdoor rinks in the city and changing weather in the winter playing havoc with them at times.
“Is there a valid situation where maybe we need an artificial ice surface downtown, maybe close to the splash pad, somewhere in that particular area that would make sense?” he asked. “I absolutely know that would be used an awful lot by people here in the city.”
Jim Scott, Senior Landscape Architect/Planner at TRACE planning & design says the idea was discussed during their consultations.
“I think we will revisit that, your comment is worth a little more research on that. We’ve done a few of those in a few different cities,” he says.
Councillor Dave Mendicino asked how important the plan is with council’s ‘Grow The City’ mandate.
“When people are looking to move here and they’re looking at other areas, too, not just North Bay. This kind of recreation is something they look at,” he says. “How important is it for not just this council but future councils to keep this plan on the top shelf?”
“Good jobs, schools and recreation and park assets are the big three things when corporations look for developing new company pods in destination areas, as well as when people are looking to move to areas. By definition, number three is very important,” says Scott.
Full council still needs to approve the plan, but again, the city says it’s an evolving document.
Read the draft Parks Master Plan here: https://bit.ly/2YlZSmb
