By John Francis, Bruce Peninsula Press
The Municipality of Northern Bruce Peninsula has been promised federal and provincial funding to cover 73% of the cost, up to $4.94 million, to renovate the arena and community centre in Lion’s Head. The stated purpose of the grant is to provide updated, accessible change rooms plus a fitness room and public library.
A draft architectural plan was done nine years ago, but there is no reason it can’t be modified.
There has been quite a bit of talk, at Council and on social media, about the need for extensive public consultation before any plans are finalized. Mayor Milt McIver emphasizes that “we are early in the process” — there will be plenty of time for public input. But he points out wryly that “there has been quite a bit of public input on the arena over the years.”
There was, for example, a municipal committee, the Community Centre/Arena Network Group, which held 14 meetings between the fall of 2008 and the summer of 2010. That committee, which included two members of council, three members of municipal staff, plus six community members, initiated a process which produced the 2012 Recreational Master Plan. That report included two architectural concept plans for the arena, one of which is reproduced with this story.
The successful grant application from 2019-2021 was at least the third such application. Mayor McIver points out that each of those previous applications included a period of community engagement and intensive discussions at Council.
In a small, rural community like ours, an arena/community centre is a really important community asset. Mayor McIver is very pleased that the federal/provincial grant program recognizes that “small communities can’t do it on their own.” He notes that the 73% funding level is very generous.
A tender for a formal public consultation and design process is expected to be awarded early in the new year. Online consultation will begin in mid-December — watch the municipal website and this newspaper for details.
