After a disappointing winter skating season, the Town is looking to focus on better ice quality for the Memorial Park skating trail.
During the most recent meeting, Bracebridge council agreed to allow staff greater flexibility when it comes to pursuing ice quality at the outdoor rink. Staff have been asked to come back to the council with a report on how best to improve ice quality before the development of the 2025 business plan.
The amendment was included in council’s broader decision to proceed with having a skating trail in the park this winter, despite a staff recommendation to stop cease operations.
Coun. Tatiana Sutherland brought the proposal forward, after pointing out that ice quality was unreliable last winter and the trail was only open for 20 days.
“The public should be able to rely on more than 20 days per year,” said Sutherland.
Coun. Andrew Struthers said he’d received a number of comments from residents saying the retention and maintenance of the trail was important to them. Struthers said that hopefully, the amendment would give staff the flexibility to create the best possible ice surface for the park.
Coun. Barb McMurray said she was in favour of the amendment as long as it would allow for more days of skating.
“It doesn’t make sense to be spending that amount of money for 20 days,” she said.
Will Crowe, the Town’s manager of facilities, said staff has spoken with one of the original organizers of the project, Mike Jefford. Crowe said Jefford has agreed to provide some guidance and assistance to help them make sure the base is up to standard before the skating trail is created.
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Town staff had basically said to us: “Let them eat cake.” This after wasting $100,000 for the pet project at Woodchester with the useless deck in the woods and ‘storybook trail.’
I guess we get the crumbs off the table. But we have to embarrass those in charge to get this.
Why is it that private landowners who have substantial businesses get grants and loans from the Town to repair a parking lot , repair a roof and expand a deck? This has all happened in the last three years.