Events Centre assumed in recreation planning

THUNDER BAY -- For the sake of planning a future for Fort William Gardens, consultants hired to deliver the city’s Recreation & Culture Master Plan are assuming the Events Centre will be built eventually.

On Monday, City Council had a glimpse into the progress Sierra Planning and Management is making on the plan, which will include long-term advice on arenas, community centres, pools, stadiums and Chapples Park.

“As a working assumption, we’ll assume the plans to develop an events centre will materialize at some point, in which case Fort William Gardens will be a consideration,” said Sierra Planning and Management director Jonathan Hack.

“We’ll be recommending some ways in which the city can use our document and if and when the Events Centre gets built, they’ll know what the options are for the Gardens.”

Hack evaluated municipal properties under the Facility Condition Index, which presents a percentage value after comparing the cost of repairs over 20 years versus the cost of replacing those facilities with the exact same buildings.

Fort William Gardens has the highest FCI rate among local arenas at 28 per cent.

Sierra estimates maintaining all seven arenas would cost the city only $16 million over the next two decades, describing the facilities as “well maintained.” The next highest FCI rate was Neebing Arena at 21 per cent and at the low end, Current River registered at 11 per cent while Port Arthur Arena was identified at only 9 per cent.

Despite those figures, Hack’s final report will likely suggest one or more arenas be decommissioned to build an arena with more diverse recreation opportunities and more ice.

“They’re good -- they’re 40 or 50 years old. They’re not as good as other facilities you see elsewhere. It’s a genuine question to the community as to whether or not they would prefer to give up one arena by getting a better multi-use, multi-pad facility somewhere else,” he explained.

“It’s for sports tourism, they’re for community pride. As much as there’s evident pride in those exiting facilities, they’re getting old.”

Not only are the city’s outdoor pools getting old, they’re not nearly as well maintained as are the rinks.

Dease Pool’s FCI figure is 74 per cent, the highest maintenance cost of any city facility. Heath Pool is next at 41 per cent and although Art Widnall Pool (pictured) rates at 18 per cent, all outdoor pools far higher than their indoor counterparts such as the Canada Games Complex and Volunteer Pool, whose FCI figures are 12 and 10 per cent, respectively.

Hack’s report will recommend the city either make a $2-million overhaul investment in Dease Pool or close the pool and provide the neighbourhood with a recreation facility of equal value.

“At this point, our recommendation based on the evidence is that you want to decommission pools like Dease but bring back something better on the same site,” he said.

“Ultimately we want to go to the public and go through those different examples of what could be on the site and if there’s agreement, the plan can move forward on that basis. What it can’t do is arbitrarily state that you should get rid of the pool and not have a community-supported vision for the site.”

The plan will also suggest multi-use community centres be constructed in both the city’s north and south side, each equipped with a municipally-operated gymnasium.

Port Arthur and Fort William stadiums were both judged to be maintainable, listing FCI ratings of 23 per cent and 12 per cent, respectively.

Consultants will hold separate public discussions regarding the future of Chapples Park. Choices Sierra will likely offer city council will include maintaining the park as it is, making modest improvements to its asset base or making Chapples a priority investment. 

Hack expects the final plan will be delivered to city council in the fall.