Huron Expositor, 2017-01-11, Page 22 Huron Expositor • Wednesday, January 11, 2017
Mayor of Bluewater asks Huron Eat to jump on board in a regional recreational study
Shaun Gregory
Huron Expositor
Bluewater mayor Tyler
Hessel told his neighbour-
ing municipality that the
first step for the region to
shore up its recreation
budget is to fund a joint
study.
In a Huron East council
meeting Dec. 20, Ilessel
said a recreational study
for Huron East, Bluewater
and Central Huron is an
ideal method to under-
stand their collective and
individual capital invest-
ment and maintenance
positions concerning
recreation.
He estimated the cost of
the study at between $10,000
and $15,000 per borough.
The communities need
to put its recreation money
where it will be best used,
he said, and a study would,
without bias, highlight
over served and under-
served areas.
"We need to come out
with an analysis of what
the communities' needs
are," .he told council.
"[Let's] hire a consultant to
do an analysis of the area."
He added that there is
also funding available for
the study at a district level.
Hessel urged council to
jump on board because
having knowledge of the
entire region's recreational
necessities will help each
municipality better direct
where they allocate money.
His reason for combin-
ing the three municipali-
ties together is
Shaun Gregory
The Mayor of Bluewater, Tyler Hessel came to Huron East council December 20 to ask the table of politicians to join in an initiative to
better understand recreation. He believes a recreational study must be conducted to come to grips with their financial woes.
that citizens throughout
Bluewater, Huron East and
Central Huron often utilize
recreation facilities and
programs throughout the
region.
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However, Huron East
council seemed unrespon-
sive to his request as it is
currently doing its own
study, funded by the
Ontario Ministry of Agri-
culture, Food and Rural
Affairs (OMFRA) relating
to their three recreation
facilities.
Leaning towards sports
activities throughout his
speech, Hessel said a large
part of financial losses is a
result of the ever-growing
popularity of summer
sports compared to those
held in the winter.
Summer activities are
growing in popularity,
especially soccer, he said,
citing Sports Canada
statistics.
1-lessel said as an exam-
ple that his hometown of
Bayfield only had 29 chil-
dren registered for hockey
three years ago compared
to 104 who were signed up
for soccer.
"I'm not saying we get
rid of arenas, but I think
we should start looking at
what we are doing with the
future of them," he said.
Hessel admitted that he
gets no joy from the
decrease in hockey enrol-
ment as in his youth he
was a "rink rat" and that he
still coaches the game, but
these are the facts.
"It's tougl' for me to say
that and it's tough for me
to even suggest that
hockey is getting harder for
people [to afford]."
His son plays AAA
hockey and it's about
$3,000 a year and "it's not
getting cheaper to play, it's
getting more expensive."
"[It's] the reason why
you have 104 kids signed
up for soccer is because it
costs $40."
As for Seaforth Minor
Hockey, Hessel has heard
of the difficulties there are
with talks and tales around
town of "pulling in chil-
dren" from other cormni'u-
nities just to continue the
program.
He then said while serv-
ing as a councillor for
Bluewater, he would
receive letters from rate-
payers requesting funds
for the pool in Vanastra as
his residents also used the
facility.
If Huron East ever
expects funding from Blue -
water from the facility,
they'll need the numbers
to back up the request.
"Arguably, we don't have
the data to prove that and
that's one of the reasons
you'll never get money
from us," Hessel said. "Bay-
field residents keep asking
about a pool, well we have
a big one right beside us
on the west side. But if we
said we are helping with a
community neighbouring
to us, we advise you to
[get] here because we help
fund it."
Tuckersmith Coun. Larry
McGrath said given that
Huron East has a popula-
tion of about 10,000, how
many people would it take
to maintain a facility?
He asked if 40,000 could
sustain it.
Hessel said it might take
about 40,000 people with-
out losing a substantial
amount of money.
"You wouldn't see a
super grocery store built in
downtown Seaforth to
serve 2,000 people," stated
McGrath.
"You can throw all the
sports in all you want --
hockey, whatever -- but if
you don't have the popula-
tion to sustain that facility
you're going to struggle as
the facility ages."
Not much else was dis-
cussed on the matter during
council concerning the
matter.
Brad Knight, CAO of
Huron East, told the
Expositor following the
meeting that council did
not give staff any direction
of where they stand on
Hessel's delegation.
"I think part of that is,
we are doing our strategic
planning process for our
three recreational facilities
now and we are likely half
way through that process,"
said Knight.
"Maybe the reason
council didn't say a whole
lot is that they'll give his
comments some consider-
ation when they are doing
the strategic plan."
He ended with saying
Huron East would rather
wrap that up" before mak-
ing any other decisions.