CF Council Debates Recreation Funding & Future Of Tichborne Rink

Craig Bakay | Aug 17, 2022

A request for repairs to recreational facilities in District 4 by rec committee Chair Bob Teal turned into a discussion over the fate of the Tichborne rink at last week’s regular Central Frontenac Council meeting.

“The reason I’m here is I’d like Council to reconsider the motion for a new facility (outdoor rink) in Sharbot Lake,” Teal said. “I was told at a meeting April 28 there was no recreation funds this year.

“If this is so, how can you have money to build a new facility and how much more strain is this going to put rec committee budgets?

“The $125,000 (in reserves) set aside for a new facility and $150,000 grant would go a long ways to repair existing facilities in all districts.”

Teal outlined a list of needs including fencing at the Parham Fairgrounds, grandstand and Palace repairs as well as grading for the track to allow a walking club.

Public Works Manager Tyson Myers said that most of the items Teal mentioned had not been budgeted for, are scheduled work not yet completed or already been done.

“I did not say there was no money and we’re doing the best we can with the budget we have,” he said. “Fencing was promised in time for the Parham Fair (and) I’m very open to stopping everything and hosting another meeting to make sure (we know everything that’s needed).

“Maybe we can assign a more realistic timeline.”

Treasurer Michael McGovern said that the Oso rink project is not in the budget, but there is $125,000 in reserves earmarked for it. He said there are other funds in the rec reserves as well.

“But we don’t have a strategic plan for recreation,” he said.

CAO Cathy MacMunn said there were also funds for the Oso rink acquired when the Sharbot Lake Snow riders dissolved as well as some fundraising results.

Mayor Frances Smith said redirecting the $125,000 would take a 2/3 majority of Council to revisit and “we are working on the Arden rink and some of that money is coming from reserves.”

And then the question of ownership of the Tichborne rink land came into the equation.

Rick Goodfellow, whose parents owned the land but recently sold it, said that they tried to give that piece to the Township in a lease.

“I wish we’d have taken it,” said Smith.

“You did take it,” Goodfellow said. “But it was never registered.

“If it had been, that would have affected mom’s sale of the house.”

Teal said he’d spoken to the current owner who told him he’d made an offer to the Township and was waiting to hear back.

“We’ve had nothing in writing,” said MacMunn.

“We have been working to acquire the property,” said Smith. “It’s a matter of change of ownership and what it’s going to take to get that done.”

“The boards and hydro poles are sinking and we’ve had the conservation authority look at it and they’ll tell us what needs to be done,” said MacMunn. “The owners aren’t sure they want to sell or go back to lease and we’re waiting for their decision as well.”

“We’ll see if it’s viable to keep it in Tichborne or move it to the Parham Fairgrounds,” said Smith.

Beach closure for bash

Council approved closure of Oso Beach and Medical Centre Road Aug. 20 from 3 p.m. for the Country Music Association of Ontario barbecue.

Spokesperson Leslie Merrigan said there will be fencing erected around the beach for the licensed event, which gets underway at 7 p.m.

Merrigan said the reason Aug. 20 was chosen was because of the cancellation of the Havelock Jamboree and the possibility of Sharbot Lake hosting a country music hall of fame some time in the future.

She said that they realised the event conflicted with the Parham Fair so they decided to hold it in the evening instead of all day.

“We’re hoping for 500 people but we’ve had 850 printed,” she said.

The Farmers Market is still scheduled to operate.

Easement not so easy

A proposal to stop up and close the old Oso Road north of Bell Line Road and grant easements to the two property owners requesting the moves was deferred to Sept. 13.

Part of the reason for the deferral was opposition from neighbors.

Julie Druker called a proposal to get hydro to the two properties “premature” as the land is zoned rural and the current Zoning Bylaw says on Page 172 that hunt camps shall not be serviced with hydro. She also said she believes this proposal is contrary to the Official Plan which discourages development along heritage roads.

George Conboy asked that tractors and farm implements be included with ATVs, pedestrians, cyclists and horses as permitted uses if the road is indeed stopped up.