Owen Sound Committee - Community Services Meeting Transcript — July 16, 2025

00:00:44 Speaker 01: First item on the business is call to order, and I will call this meeting to order, and then ask for additional business items if there are any.

00:00:53 Speaker 01: If any arise during the meeting or at the time of call for additional business, please come forward and let us know.

00:01:00 Speaker 01: Declarations of interest: Are there any members who have a declaration of interest on any items on the agenda?

00:01:06 Speaker 01: Seeing none, then I'll move on to confirmation of the minutes of the meeting held on June 25th.

00:01:12 Speaker 01: And Council has approved these minutes, but I do need someone from the committee to also do so.

00:01:19 Speaker 01: Lance is doing that and calling the minutes has approved.

00:01:24 Speaker 01: All those in favour?

00:01:26 Speaker 01: That's carried.

00:01:28 Speaker 01: Next item: our deputations and presentations, and we have a few this evening.

00:01:32 Speaker 01: First deputation is from Zachary McLean of the Community Waterfront Heritage Centre, and he's going to talk to us about the activities.

00:01:40 Speaker 01: So, welcome, Zachary.

00:01:46 Speaker 01: Thank you for having me.

00:01:48 Speaker 01: Good evening.

00:01:49 Speaker 01: My name is Zachary McLean.

00:01:50 Speaker 01: I'm the curator and manager of the Community Waterfront Heritage Centre.

00:01:54 Speaker 02: I'm reporting today on our activities and accomplishments since we were granted use of most of the south half of the former Canadian National Railway station in May of 2024.

00:02:06 Speaker 02: I also wanted to take a moment to acknowledge the passing of Jan Chamberlain.

00:02:10 Speaker 02: Jan was the chair of our board for much of what I'll be talking about today, and she was a central part of many of our projects.

00:02:17 Speaker 02: Her contributions to the CWHC were invaluable and will not soon be forgotten.

00:02:23 Speaker 02: The Community Waterfront Heritage Centre celebrates and preserves Owen Sound's heritage on the waterfront, focusing on the marine, rail, and industrial history of the city and surrounding communities.

00:02:33 Speaker 02: We carry on the legacy of not just the waterfront's history, but also of those that have maintained this museum for the past forty years.

00:02:41 Speaker 02: We seek to entertain and educate locals and visitors through exhibits, programmemememes, events, and more.

00:02:48 Speaker 02: In two thousand and twenty-four, we saw a total of five thousand one hundred forty-eight people through the front door, with just under 3,000 entering the museum itself.

00:02:56 Speaker 02: The difference between those numbers was largely made up by people looking for a public washroom, the visitor centre, and those who were poking their head in as they passed by,

00:03:05 Speaker 02: noticing the building and not entirely knowing what was inside.

00:03:08 Speaker 02: We ran a total of 42 programmemememes and events with a total of 1,100 participants.

00:03:12 Speaker 02: I'll be diving a little bit more into what those entailed a few slides down the line.

00:03:19 Speaker 02: Our visitors came from a wide range of locations.

00:03:21 Speaker 02: The bulk being, of course, from Ontario.

00:03:23 Speaker 02: We recorded 142 unique locations from across the province, with 32 of those being from Grey Bruce, so a lot of local travellers.

00:03:31 Speaker 02: An additional 26 locations across Canada were recorded, along with 44 international visitors coming from every continent.

00:03:39 Speaker 02: These are based on data from 1,663 visitors to the centre.

00:03:47 Speaker 02: We were asked to track when we were granted use of the additional space tourism-related questions that we received.

00:03:55 Speaker 02: So I've listed a number of the most common ones.

00:03:59 Speaker 02: We found that visitors were most interested in maps, waterfalls, restaurants, the Chichimean ferry, visiting ships in the harbor, and of course the location of the visitor centre.

00:04:08 Speaker 02: In almost all these cases, we would advise question askers to seek out the visitor centre in the Tom Thomson Art Gallery.

00:04:14 Speaker 02: Should they be seeking more information, just to make sure that they knew that there would be more information there than what we were able to provide.

00:04:23 Speaker 02: Throughout the year, we saw several successes, including exhibits telling the stories of the Kings Royal Hotel, the Manitoulin Island Ferry Service, and we even started producing oral histories of individuals in the marine industry.

00:04:35 Speaker 02: We also saw a large increase in hours by our volunteers and improved revenue through our gift shop and programmemememe delivery.

00:04:44 Speaker 02: This even led to an increase in revenue despite the reduced museum traffic relating to the visitor centre's new location; our increased programmemememes involved a mix of old and new,

00:04:56 Speaker 02: bringing back some like tea on the train, which hadn't been done since 2019, and bringing in new ideas like our first model show and sale,

00:05:03 Speaker 02: which saw hundreds of people through the doors of the Legion, with some noting that they were from as far away as Ottawa.

00:05:09 Speaker 02: We also saw partnership with organisations like the Owen Sound and North Grey Union Public Library for Wacky Wednesday, Library for Blackie Wednesday, GB Arts for a camp which they held in part on Coach 484,

00:05:19 Speaker 02: and the Bank of Canada, who participated in an event about the Ancester and Russell Brothers, highlighting local industry's place in the history of Canadian currency.

00:05:27 Speaker 02: Another feather in our cap over the last year was our social prescriptions, engage cultural seniors or Specs project.

00:05:34 Speaker 02: With the grant from the Government of Canada's New Horizons for Seniors programmemememe, we provided a variety of activities and events for seniors, including paint parties, drumming circles, guest speakers, and more.

00:05:46 Speaker 02: Our work is of course not done in a bubble, and we regularly seek out local organisations to partner with.

00:05:52 Speaker 02: Some of this comes through sponsorship, like McNab Flooring Solutions, who sponsored the Kings Royal Hotel exhibit, or Daniel Fletcher of Remax Grey Bruce,

00:06:00 Speaker 02: who sponsored repairs to the air compressor for the Kennedy Whistle just earlier this year.

00:06:04 Speaker 02: Others are exhibit or programmemememe partners, like the Owen Sound Transportation Company, who we partnered with for the Chichimeans' fiftieth anniversary, Chamond's fiftieth anniversary exhibit, or the Reach Centre,

00:06:13 Speaker 02: who we work with for tea on the train.

00:06:16 Speaker 02: A highlight of this two thousand and twenty-five's community connections is the BME Church of Owen Sound, who have contributed to this summer's exhibits, provided the venue for our annual general meeting,

00:06:27 Speaker 02: and are collabourating with us on a bus trip to the Sheffield Park Black History Museum in Clarksburg.

00:06:34 Speaker 02: In order to reach a wider audience than what we are able to do from our building alone,

00:06:38 Speaker 02: we have extended our reach beyond the boundaries of the museum to create or contribute to displays in a variety of locations.

00:06:45 Speaker 02: I previously mentioned the Chichimeans' 50th anniversary exhibit to which we contributed artifacts, images, and even display cases.

00:06:53 Speaker 02: And we recently sent a range of artifacts, models, and images to the Old Mill Heritage Centre in Kegawong on Manitoulin Island for their 2025 to 2026 exhibit on the history of the ferry service.

00:07:05 Speaker 02: Our long-term loan to the Best Western Inn on the Bay continues to give Owen Sound's visitors a chance to interact with local history,

00:07:12 Speaker 02: and we've even begun to increase our digital footprint by starting our Ships in Owen Sound series of short videos,

00:07:19 Speaker 02: which gives people the chance to learn about activity in our harbor no matter where they are.

00:07:25 Speaker 02: And of course, none of our achievements would have been possible without an incredible group of volunteers.

00:07:30 Speaker 02: We are a volunteer-run organisation.

00:07:33 Speaker 02: Over the course of 2024, 42 individuals contributed 1,005 hours of their own time, serving as board members, museum docents, programmemememe assistants, IT support, model railway managers, and even undertaking carpentry projects.

00:07:45 Speaker 02: So far in 2025, we've seen visitors from over 100 locations and run 33 programmemememes and events.

00:08:03 Speaker 02: Since I wrote this, we've also seen moments of incredible support from the community, like when we had troubles with the Kennedy Whistle, which sounds at noon and five each day.

00:08:13 Speaker 02: We had been preparing to run a fundraiser to cover repair costs when two sponsors came forward to cover the repairs entirely.

00:08:22 Speaker 02: And then still to come, we have a lot going on this year.

00:08:25 Speaker 02: With our first tea on the train happening tomorrow, ticket sales have already outpaced those of 2024.

00:08:31 Speaker 02: Harbour walking tours continue through the rest of the summer, and we just switched to being open seven days a week until the end of August.

00:08:38 Speaker 02: After Labour Day, we'll be looking forward to our model show and sale, the Chichimans' return to Owen Sound, the launch of our Hidden Gems exhibit,

00:08:45 Speaker 02: being produced thanks in part to a grant from the Community Foundation, and continuation of the Ships in Owen Sound video series.

00:08:53 Speaker 02: As a last note,

00:08:54 Speaker 02: I want to extend the gratitude of the CWHC to the City of Owen Sound for providing us with access and use of the sections of the southern half of the former Canadian National Railway station,

00:09:04 Speaker 02: which provided valuable space to help us achieve much of the success that we experienced in 2024 and 2025.

00:09:11 Speaker 02: For further details on last year's operations, we will be happy to share our 2024 annual report.

00:09:16 Speaker 02: And for ongoing activities, we regularly provide updates through our website and social media.

00:09:21 Speaker 02: Thank you for your time.

00:09:24 Speaker 01: Thank you, Zachary.

00:09:25 Speaker 01: That was a great recap, and it looks like you've been doing great things there to bring the focus back on marine and rail in our harbour.

00:09:35 Speaker 01: Just asking members around the table if they have questions.

00:09:38 Speaker 03: Lloyd, great presentation, and you do so much for the community, so thank you very much.

00:09:45 Speaker 03: Have you ever considered the wreck that's in the harbour, or do you ever promote that?

00:09:50 Speaker 03: It was scuttled in 1938, I think, and the name escapes me, but it's about 160 feet long.

00:09:56 Speaker 03: And I thought of my friends; very few know about it, and I was wondering if you ever promote it, perhaps a group dive, something like that.

00:10:04 Speaker 03: It's only about 15 feet down, as you probably know, so I just thought it was another point of interest that would catch the curiosity of many people.

00:10:13 Speaker 03: Thank you.

00:10:17 Speaker 02: We haven't done programmemememes with that before, but I think that you raise a point of interest that is worth looking into.

00:10:24 Speaker 02: I believe it was a barge operated by Keenan Industries and it would serve to highlight more.

00:10:34 Speaker 02: Other questions from members?

00:10:36 Speaker 02: Comments?

00:10:38 Speaker 01: Thank you very much, Zachary, and we look forward to another recap next year.

00:10:43 Speaker 01: Thank you.

00:10:49 Speaker 01: Next, we have a presentation from the Owen Sound Tourism Development Fund, which is the committee, and it's an update.

00:10:59 Speaker 01: And is it Nick?

00:11:01 Speaker 01: Yes.

00:11:01 Speaker 01: Okay.

00:11:01 Speaker 01: Welcome, Nick.

00:11:07 Speaker 01: Thank you.

00:11:07 Speaker 01: Good evening, everyone.

00:11:08 Speaker 01: Just by way of introduction, my name is Nicholas Lovell.

00:11:10 Speaker 04: I am a director at the Owen Sound Chamber of Commerce, and I am also the chair of what was the Municipal Accommodation Tax Committee, but probably is the first update.

00:11:20 Speaker 04: We have altered our name to the Owen Sound Tourism Development Fund to be a little bit more public-facing in terms of what we do now that we're approaching being able to take submissions for requests

00:11:32 Speaker 04: for funds.

00:11:34 Speaker 04: So tonight, I am going to just briefly cover the action plan overview.

00:11:39 Speaker 04: I understand that was before the committee in the past this year, so I won't spend too much time updating on that.

00:11:44 Speaker 04: Our financial overview, the tourism facilitator role, and then what our current funding and future funding initiatives look like.

00:11:54 Speaker 04: So for the action plan summary, this was a five-year plan that has been prepared by BC Hughes.

00:12:00 Speaker 04: It dictates how the funds are to be invested, and in particular, in a way that increases visitation, enhances tourism infrastructure, and supports demand-generating attractions in Owen Sound.

00:12:12 Speaker 04: The key areas of focus for the action plan were recreation, nature-based tourism, culture, and aligning tourism investment supports with those themes.

00:12:21 Speaker 04: Those were found to be the strengths of our area and what we need to capitalize on, and that is going to be done through destination development, which is funding that enhances existing tourism assets, accommodations,

00:12:35 Speaker 04: development of immersive and authentic visitor experiences that will act as tourism demand generators, and these.

00:12:43 Speaker 04: This work is primarily going to be done through funding applications by third parties that will actually do that work.

00:12:50 Speaker 04: There is also funding targeted towards marketing promotion, which is going to be applied for again by third parties to leverage existing marketing and not direct marketing work undertaken by the Tourism Development Fund itself.

00:13:04 Speaker 04: And then the action plan also talks about guiding our administration and trying to keep our administration costs low.

00:13:12 Speaker 04: In particular, the recommendation was the hiring of a part-time staff person who is working on what I would call graduated hours.

00:13:20 Speaker 04: So the contract we have is for a three-day-a-week position for three months, and then down to two, and then eventually down to one.

00:13:29 Speaker 04: As I've talked about, the conception of this funding is that it is going to be a granting process, similar to the Community Foundation, as an example.

00:13:40 Speaker 04: So right now, the work is on developing the funding application, the grant review criteria, and the reporting requirements, so there is anticipated more upfront work to do.

00:13:53 Speaker 04: All of that administrative process to get it ready to actually have grant submissions, and then once that work is done, there'll be less need for that role on a day-to-day basis,

00:14:03 Speaker 04: and more promoting the fund to stakeholders to get them to apply, helping them with funding applications, and assisting the committee as they review funding and doing reporting.

00:14:19 Speaker 04: So the strategic goals of the action plan are to attract more tourists and grow tourism-related spending in the area, increase overnight visits, support strategic investments in tourism, and support, in particular,

00:14:31 Speaker 04: the growth of tourism demand generators.

00:14:37 Speaker 04: So, just by way of financial update, 2024's final numbers for the funding that the Tourism Development Fund received.

00:14:45 Speaker 04: We received a total of $154,749.26, of which $89,000 has been separated into a reserve fund, which, as part of our action plan, is to be used for larger capital projects in the future.

00:15:04 Speaker 04: Year to date for 2025, as of April, we have received $41,728.06.

00:15:09 Speaker 04: The year-over-year numbers are up slightly, which is positive for the city.

00:15:20 Speaker 04: Next, our tourism facilitator role.

00:15:23 Speaker 04: So this is the part-time position I was talking about.

00:15:25 Speaker 04: So I am very pleased to confirm that we have hired an employee for this position as of last month.

00:15:33 Speaker 04: Miriam Faraz is the individual that we have hired.

00:15:37 Speaker 04: She started working on the granting application process right now.

00:15:41 Speaker 04: Miriam has over 10 years of experience in municipal government in Peel and Halton, and is now a resident on the Bruce Peninsula.

00:15:51 Speaker 04: We're very excited to have her in this role, and she's been very enthusiastic about getting the work done.

00:16:00 Speaker 04: Currently, we do have our first round of funding open for applications.

00:16:06 Speaker 04: At this point, the committee has allocated $15,000 that individuals can apply for right now.

00:16:13 Speaker 04: That is geared towards marketing and promotion for existing events.

00:16:17 Speaker 04: So our criteria for this funding is only that it is an existing event, and the funds have to be used for marketing.

00:16:24 Speaker 04: The committee is meeting next week, hopefully, to review applications because we do want to leverage money still this summer, while it is the peak tourism season.

00:16:35 Speaker 04: And as I discussed for future initiatives, we are currently working on an application process, and these targeted areas include festival events and live entertainment, outdoor waterfront and nature-based activities, and cultural historic experiences.

00:16:50 Speaker 04: We are hoping by the end of the summer to have the application process done and approved, and out there for tourism entities to be able to review and start making applications.

00:17:05 Speaker 04: And that is my presentation.

00:17:06 Speaker 04: Thank you.

00:17:08 Speaker 01: Thank you very much, Nick.

00:17:10 Speaker 01: Just one question I had: the organisations.

00:17:12 Speaker 01: Maybe you can explain a bit more the organisations that can apply, what their qualifications have to be.

00:17:18 Speaker 01: Are they non-profits?

00:17:20 Speaker 01: Do they have to be registered?

00:17:21 Speaker 01: That kind of thing.

00:17:24 Speaker 04: So, unlike something like the Community Foundation, we do not have a strict requirement at this time that they have to be a not-for-profit or a corporation.

00:17:33 Speaker 04: Those entities are eligible to apply, but because this is meant to enhance tourism, for-profit businesses are eligible to apply for that.

00:17:42 Speaker 04: Since the goal is economic growth in the overall region, and that may be through assisting for-profit businesses.

00:17:50 Speaker 01: Good.

00:17:50 Speaker 01: I think that helps maybe the listeners who maybe want to seek out some grant funding.

00:17:56 Speaker 01: Members of the table, Sunit, go ahead.

00:18:01 Speaker 01: To you, Madam Chair.

00:18:03 Speaker 05: Thank you, Nick, for the update.

00:18:05 Speaker 05: Just a quick question: You mentioned in your presentation that the existing events would be eligible to apply.

00:18:13 Speaker 05: So, what if it's a brand new event with a brand new approach and has the potential to generate tourism?

00:18:21 Speaker 05: Would that be an event that would be considered under this or no?

00:18:27 Speaker 05: And when we talk about existing events, could you give me a few examples?

00:18:34 Speaker 04: Sure.

00:18:34 Speaker 04: So, right now, the current funding that we have, the fifteen thousand dollars, we have limited it to existing events.

00:18:42 Speaker 04: The turnaround time that we have placed on these applications is only a few weeks.

00:18:47 Speaker 04: The goal with this fifteen thousand dollars is really that we want to be able to spend some money this summer.

00:18:54 Speaker 04: The whole application process isn't ready for that.

00:18:59 Speaker 04: The broader applications for funding.

00:19:02 Speaker 04: The agreement that we have with the City allows up to twenty percent of the yearly funds that we receive to be spent outside of the action plan.

00:19:10 Speaker 04: So that gives us a little bit more discretion to do something right now.

00:19:14 Speaker 04: So because we've really time limited it and it's for marketing only, this fifteen thousand dollars we've limited to existing events just to streamline the review process and the application process.

00:19:27 Speaker 04: But for the general applications for funding that we will have going forward, it is not a requirement that it be an existing event.

00:19:36 Speaker 04: So, for this funding, we're thinking of things like Summer Folk and the Salmon Spectacular and all of the events we have this summer.

00:19:44 Speaker 04: That there be some access to this money now, since September is too late for two thousand and twenty-five.

00:19:54 Speaker 04: Morgan, go ahead.

00:19:57 Speaker 06: Thank you, and through you, Madam Chair.

00:19:58 Speaker 06: Thanks again for the presentation.

00:20:00 Speaker 06: I think this is going to be very good for our area and the local businesses.

00:20:07 Speaker 06: You mentioned the reserve for the capital projects.

00:20:11 Speaker 06: I have a couple questions.

00:20:12 Speaker 06: Do you mind giving a couple examples of possible capital projects?

00:20:19 Speaker 04: Sure.

00:20:20 Speaker 04: So this is a little bit harder for me to conceptualize because it's going to be applications that we receive.

00:20:26 Speaker 04: I do know some of the part of the development of the action plan was looking at best practices in other municipalities, and Thunder Bay, for example,

00:20:36 Speaker 04: invested a significant amount of money in doing cycling paths in their area.

00:20:42 Speaker 04: So that would be a capital project as it's defined in our action plan.

00:20:46 Speaker 04: That money could be spent on there, building things, basically.

00:20:51 Speaker 04: Other members, okay, sorry.

00:20:53 Speaker 06: So to follow up on that, so for example, and this is we're doing this right now, or next year, or whatever.

00:21:02 Speaker 06: But like are the Bayshore boards that we're redoing, or the Duncan McClellan Park, like those baseball fields,

00:21:13 Speaker 06: and that would there ever be a possibility for that to us to work together for capital projects such as those in the future?

00:21:25 Speaker 04: So at this point, we haven't finalized our granting criteria, so I can't make any specific promises about what that will look like.

00:21:34 Speaker 04: But in general, there is nothing in the action plan that prohibits an entity like the City of Owen Sound from applying for funding.

00:21:42 Speaker 04: Our main restriction is that it is tourism-related and done to generate and drive tourism.

00:21:50 Speaker 04: So as long as the funding applications are geared towards that and that outcome, there is sort of our requirement for funding.

00:22:00 Speaker 04: So for Duncan MacLaren Park, if the pitch were, for example, made in a way that was going to make it more likely to attract tournaments, which would generate overnight tourism and stays at the hotels,

00:22:19 Speaker 04: that is directly within our mandate because increasing overnight visitors to Owen Sound is one of our key metrics.

00:22:25 Speaker 01: So, I'll go to the Director and while you're speaking, Pam, I wonder if you could just explain how the funding works with the City and the Chamber.

00:22:38 Speaker 07: Thank you, Madam Chair, and I was just going to add to what Nick had offered.

00:22:43 Speaker 07: So there's the MAT tax that is at four percent is split equally between the City and the Chamber.

00:22:51 Speaker 07: So the City retains half and shares half with the Owen Sound Tourism Development Fund, and but the City's portion of the funds a portion of that Council has an approved policy.

00:23:13 Speaker 07: Some of it is allocated to tourism and events, but there's also some set aside for capital, and the money that is generated through MAT at Harrison Park,

00:23:25 Speaker 07: the City's portion stays and is to be invested also in Harrison Park.

00:23:29 Speaker 07: So I just, in addition to the money that will be available through this group, there's also some that's kept at the City too, and that will be dealt with through our five-year capital budget.

00:23:43 Speaker 01: Okay.

00:23:44 Speaker 01: Any other questions or comments, Morgan?

00:23:48 Speaker 01: Sorry, thank you.

00:23:50 Speaker 06: Through you, Madam Chair, when you talked about the facilitator, the tourism facilitator role, can you explain how they are working with the City to make sure that we're not trying to duplicate efforts?

00:24:09 Speaker 06: Or because I haven't even seen any posting or anything about even this application process that was just opened.

00:24:17 Speaker 06: There wasn't really I didn't find any notifications or anything about it.

00:24:21 Speaker 06: So I'm just wondering how we're working together to get the best out of this.

00:24:27 Speaker 06: Sure.

00:24:27 Speaker 04: So right now that particular posting I think was sent out as a media release through the Chamber of Commerce.

00:24:33 Speaker 04: I think it was also shared on our social media page.

00:24:37 Speaker 04: The Owen Sound Tourism Development Fund doesn't have a separate social media page or anything at this point because we've not been ready to do any applications,

00:24:46 Speaker 04: so it felt like it was just going to mislead people if we started operating a social media account.

00:24:53 Speaker 04: So staff, the City of Owen Sound staff are on the Municipal Accommodation Tax Committee, and so they are present at meetings.

00:25:02 Speaker 04: We have access to staff support, asking questions.

00:25:06 Speaker 04: They've helped with research for the action plan.

00:25:09 Speaker 04: They've provided comment on the action plan.

00:25:12 Speaker 04: So we do work together in terms of the work that's being done now.

00:25:16 Speaker 04: It's mainly just a process internally, since it's just that granting process that we're building on the back end.

00:25:26 Speaker 04: Good.

00:25:28 Speaker 01: Nothing here.

00:25:28 Speaker 01: Nothing else.

00:25:30 Speaker 01: Thanks so much, Nick, for that update.

00:25:31 Speaker 01: And we look forward to this fund growing and people utilising it to grow our tourism.

00:25:38 Speaker 01: Thank you so much.

00:25:42 Speaker 01: Our next deputation is Bob Nichol, and he's coming to speak about minor hockey and an economic opportunity.

00:25:49 Speaker 01: And welcome back after many, many years to the chambers.

00:25:54 Speaker 01: Thank you.

00:25:55 Speaker 01: Yeah, of course.

00:25:56 Speaker 01: Marian's referring to the fact that I used to be a city councillor back before the city was incorporated, of course.

00:26:05 Speaker 01: But it certainly I appreciate the opportunity to come.

00:26:08 Speaker 01: My name is Bob Nichol.

00:26:08 Speaker 01: To come.

00:26:08 Speaker 08: My name is Bob Nickel, and I am here today in the capacity as a director at large on the board of the AAA Grey Bruce Highlanders Hockey Group.

00:26:17 Speaker 08: And I thought I would start out by, first of all, just giving you.

00:26:23 Speaker 08: I don't want to assume how much you know about minor hockey in the area, or don't know, but there have been a lot of changes recently.

00:26:31 Speaker 08: And one of the biggest changes that's occurring with the start of the next hockey season is Owen Sound Minor Hockey Group, which incidentally I am a past president of many years ago.

00:26:41 Speaker 08: Again, it no longer is all of the representative competitive hockey teams are no longer made up of just kids from the Owen Sound area.

00:26:50 Speaker 08: It's now a combination.

00:26:52 Speaker 08: It's called the Tri-Centre League, and it involves players from the Owen Sound, Kettle Area, Shallow Lake, and Bruce Peninsula.

00:27:00 Speaker 08: So now we've got a situation where that group is no longer just an Olmstead kids and kids that our parents are rate payers in the city,

00:27:11 Speaker 08: or Goderich and Bluffs or other areas that were part of that group.

00:27:15 Speaker 08: Another thing that's really transpired, and you've probably seen this, is girls' hockey has just grown in leaps and bounds.

00:27:24 Speaker 08: And an organisation, the Olmstead Ice Hockey, has been Ice Hawks has been formed, and it's growing in leaps and bounds as well.

00:27:31 Speaker 08: And I'm sure that's attributable to the fact we now have a professional hockey league for women, and the national exposure,

00:27:39 Speaker 08: international exposure that ladies' hockey has seen has encouraged young girls to want to play in girls' leagues as opposed to play with the boys for a certain length of time until they're no longer able

00:27:51 Speaker 08: to play because of the physicality changes that take place at a certain age.

00:27:57 Speaker 08: Owen Sound all over the years.

00:27:59 Speaker 08: It's been thirty years now since AAA was formed, and I actually was part of that board when that was started.

00:28:06 Speaker 08: And to this date, to my knowledge, Owen Sound has never provided ice time for that group.

00:28:12 Speaker 08: And the premise was, while these kids come from all over Grey Bruce, they're not just from Owen Sound, so we can't justify offering the ice time certainly at the subsidized rates.

00:28:23 Speaker 08: Now we've got a similar situation that exists with the Tri-Centre or the Tri-Centre League, and I recently had a meeting with James McGregor, who's the president of this Tri-Centre and Owen Sound Minor Hockey,

00:28:38 Speaker 08: and Heather Harvey, who's the president of the Ice Hawks, the ladies, the girls ice hockey.

00:28:43 Speaker 08: And we talked about this, and what we discussed was when we look at what's changing with the landscape for minor hockey.

00:28:50 Speaker 08: Surely, all of our goals as members of these hockey groups is to provide for whatever level kids want to play at minor hockey throughout Grey and Bruce.

00:29:01 Speaker 08: These boundaries and these restrictions, because Miford says you can't have ice time because we want it, or Shallow Lake, or Owen Sound, or the Bruce Peninsula.

00:29:10 Speaker 08: There's more ice time out there.

00:29:12 Speaker 08: There's rinks that sit vacant at times in this area.

00:29:15 Speaker 08: So we want to work together in a cooperative, collabourative fashion, rather than a competitive fashion.

00:29:21 Speaker 08: And that's the sense that I've got.

00:29:23 Speaker 08: I've reached out to the president of Shallow Lake as well, and I hope that that's something that we as hockey groups can do,

00:29:32 Speaker 08: and then in turn speak with folks in each of the municipalities in the area and say, "Can we work together to create solutions that all kids,

00:29:40 Speaker 08: regardless of where they're where they live and where their parents live, can get the most appropriate amount of ice time that they need?"

00:29:48 Speaker 08: And I think we all agree that yeah, it's just distribution and where it is.

00:29:53 Speaker 08: In the case of the Highlanders, most of the ice time has been provided over the years and is now in Chesley, and some in Durham.

00:30:02 Speaker 08: One of the challenges that the Highlanders have, and to bring AAA, you ask why bring AAA hockey to the area?

00:30:10 Speaker 08: Well, AAA hockey is the highest level of competition available for minor hockey players in this province, and we never had that.

00:30:20 Speaker 08: And believe me, as part of that initial board, it was a tough sell.

00:30:25 Speaker 08: The closest team now in that league that they play against the Highlanders is Guelph.

00:30:31 Speaker 08: They are constantly on the road to St. Catharines and Fort Erie and Welland, and it's a tremendous commitment for the parents.

00:30:42 Speaker 08: Having I should point out, I had three grandkids involved in minor hockey organisations.

00:30:48 Speaker 08: One plays AAA, one is in the Tri-Centre, and one is in the Ice Hawks Girls' League, so I have no bias here.

00:30:57 Speaker 08: I want to see all my grandkids have the opportunity to do what suits them best, and all the other kids in the area.

00:31:03 Speaker 08: But in the case of AAA, knowing that my one grandson who played there last year, and talking with my son, his father,

00:31:13 Speaker 08: the average cost today for a child to play in that league is somewhere between fifteen and twenty thousand dollars.

00:31:20 Speaker 08: And unfortunately, there's a lot of families.

00:31:23 Speaker 08: No matter how much they sacrifice, can't do it.

00:31:25 Speaker 08: So there has to be ways that we can fundraise.

00:31:27 Speaker 08: There has to be ways that ice costs can be kept at a level.

00:31:31 Speaker 08: And I know that's been the object back to when I was a city councillor.

00:31:34 Speaker 08: The city wanted to help with that by offering subsidized ice time to kids from their community.

00:31:40 Speaker 08: But now we've got this change in the landscape, and one of the things that I see as a great opportunity for the community to look at AAA players.

00:31:50 Speaker 08: Triple A players, especially the kids that are getting up closer to their draft years, and these are kids in Triple A that might either want an NCAA scholarship or play in the OHL.

00:32:00 Speaker 08: They, the older kids, getting close to that draft year, if they could play in Owen Sound, one of the ideas that we talked about is we get a lot of resistance from these teams.

00:32:13 Speaker 08: Like even though our players have to go all this way, weekend after weekend, to travel to these centres, these people can drive from Oakville to Brampton, and it's like a short drive.

00:32:22 Speaker 08: Yet they complain about coming up here to the hinterland and having to endure these drives in the winter time.

00:32:29 Speaker 08: And there's nothing more than they would like to see than the Highlanders drop out of the league and AAA hockey disappear.

00:32:36 Speaker 08: And they put a lot of pressure on us to make sure that we can ice teams at all age groups because they say if we can't, we can't be in the league.

00:32:43 Speaker 08: So one of the ideas is well, okay, that might we might be able to overcome some of that resistance if teams came up and instead of making two separate trips, they could come up,

00:32:55 Speaker 08: play a game Saturday afternoon, perhaps at the Bayshore.

00:32:59 Speaker 08: The parents would stay overnight in hotels, go to restaurants, just like Nick talked about the tournaments, shop, enjoy the community, maybe go to an attack game on Saturday night,

00:33:12 Speaker 08: and then have a game Sunday morning or thereabouts.

00:33:15 Speaker 08: So they play two games, they make one trip, and they're happy.

00:33:19 Speaker 08: And at the same time, all of one of the problems we hear is that well, not to say anything about the smaller communities, but they get there and they have nothing to do.

00:33:28 Speaker 08: We're on sound; they can do things.

00:33:29 Speaker 08: There's things for them to do.

00:33:30 Speaker 08: Maybe they don't want to go the attack game, but if they did, I mean, we're talking about maybe one or two teams on any given weekend.

00:33:39 Speaker 08: So you could be looking at 30 hotel rooms, all that spinoff and exposure.

00:33:43 Speaker 08: Spin off and exposure to our community, so they don't have this perception that we're at the end of the world.

00:33:49 Speaker 08: Get them up here and see.

00:33:50 Speaker 08: So I think there's you know just ties in with what that last deputation talked about.

00:33:55 Speaker 08: There's a real economic opportunity here.

00:33:57 Speaker 08: So if the city can look at this beyond and say, okay, to make it affordable for these kids that play AAA,

00:34:03 Speaker 08: we're willing to offer the same rate for ice time as we do the Tri-Centre League and everybody else that plays in Owen Sound.

00:34:12 Speaker 08: Would it be every weekend?

00:34:14 Speaker 08: Perhaps not.

00:34:15 Speaker 08: I mean, schedules for this coming season are already set, so we're talking a little bit down the road here.

00:34:21 Speaker 08: This isn't something that we need to make a decision of that's likely to happen in the next two or three months.

00:34:26 Speaker 08: But I'm here today to make this presentation to present, hopefully, to you ideas and a perception that we can look at this differently now that everything is changing.

00:34:36 Speaker 08: And of course, with the Tri-Centre League, I understand that there's been an agreement where, with this combined,

00:34:42 Speaker 08: now there's going to be some of the games in Shallow Lake and some of the games in Owen Sound and so on.

00:34:48 Speaker 08: Even though Owen Sound's going to offer that discounted rate, where there's kids on that team just like there are in AAA that aren't from the community.

00:34:57 Speaker 08: Now, Owen Sound and the Kitchener-Waterloo area being the largest of the area, I would say, and I don't have statistics,

00:35:04 Speaker 08: but I would suggest to you that the largest number of players from any one given community playing AAA are from this area, Owen Sound.

00:35:12 Speaker 08: It's just naturally that's the way it is, and AAA has provided an opportunity for kids like Chris Neil, who played for the Ottawa Senators, to play as a Highlander, and Chris Minard, a local boy,

00:35:24 Speaker 08: to play for the Highlanders.

00:35:26 Speaker 08: This is the opportunity that has you know presented with AAA hockey, and if we don't find ways to provide a product that is competitive,

00:35:37 Speaker 08: what's happened now is geographical limits have all been removed by the provincial leagues.

00:35:43 Speaker 08: Kids can go play; if you want to play in Guelph, you can play in Guelph.

00:35:46 Speaker 08: So you've got to put a competitive product.

00:35:48 Speaker 08: And I've had discussions with the TAC, Bob Severs, the president, about working closely to help grow this.

00:35:56 Speaker 08: But at the end of the day, it's every kid's got to make a choice, and every parent's got to make a choice.

00:36:00 Speaker 08: Do they want to play AAA?

00:36:01 Speaker 08: Do they want to play at a level?

00:36:02 Speaker 08: Do they want to play in a girls' league?

00:36:05 Speaker 08: And we shouldn't do anything that prevents that opportunity from existing or face those challenges.

00:36:13 Speaker 01: Thank you.

00:36:14 Speaker 01: Thanks so much for your presentation.

00:36:17 Speaker 01: When a child or youth get to an AAA level, if they have the qualifications, you certainly don't want to discourage them from playing at that level when it's not affordable or not accommodating,

00:36:31 Speaker 01: etc. Does staff have any comments on the presentation?

00:36:39 Speaker 07: And certainly, thanks, Bob.

00:36:41 Speaker 07: I know Bob.

00:36:42 Speaker 07: I've had chats with him in the arena lobby.

00:36:47 Speaker 07: When I was younger, I was an AAA hockey mom, just like Bob was.

00:36:54 Speaker 07: So certainly know about AAA hockey.

00:36:58 Speaker 07: In addition to the try centre change, which I understand from Oshawa Minor Hockey is a bit of a trial working with Georgian Bluffs and South Bruce Peninsula.

00:37:09 Speaker 07: So Bob's talked about that change, and then there was a change through OMHA, and they really eliminated boundaries.

00:37:15 Speaker 07: So from AAA to minor hockey, you or to A and local league, you can play hockey now without boundaries.

00:37:23 Speaker 07: Whereas previously there was lots of rules about where you could play hockey.

00:37:28 Speaker 07: When we met with James McGregor and on some minor hockey, one of Oshawa Minor Hockey.

00:37:32 Speaker 07: One of my questions that came to mind because I thought about our ice allocation policy was, "Well, Jaypers, what's the new organisation and the umbrella?

00:37:47 Speaker 07: The Oshawa Minor Hockey has taken in those others, so they were able to continue to qualify for ice time.

00:37:57 Speaker 07: Triple A Hockey has.

00:37:59 Speaker 07: They do lots of spring tryout ice, summer practice ice, and then they have in the past.

00:38:05 Speaker 07: Bob, I'd have to look back at our exact bookings, but they for sure did have game time in Owen Sound,

00:38:13 Speaker 07: and I think it was Chris Minard that had a team that practiced regularly one night a week in Owen Sound, but they definitely had games.

00:38:24 Speaker 07: The new try centre league, yes, through Oshawa Minor Hockey, they are eligible for our minor sports subsidy rate.

00:38:37 Speaker 07: It is a discounted rate.

00:38:38 Speaker 07: One of the things that was a bit of a hard pill for minor hockey to swallow was that the children that are from Georgian Bluffs and from South Bruce Peninsula would pay that non-resident fee.

00:38:51 Speaker 07: So they do pay that non-resident fee to participate on those teams.

00:38:56 Speaker 07: So that is how the city justifies providing that subsidy to children that might not live here.

00:39:05 Speaker 07: Absolutely, I did share with Committee Bob, and maybe you've seen it to the ice schedule for fall, and you can see that it's pretty booked.

00:39:15 Speaker 07: And we do our ice allocation for fall in the spring,

00:39:20 Speaker 07: but we can work with girls' hockey and minor hockey and AAA to see you know this is a two-year pilot as I understand it and we'll see sort of where that goes because you know

00:39:36 Speaker 07: like you,

00:39:37 Speaker 07: I'm a big believer that sports are great for kids and youth and adults too,

00:39:43 Speaker 07: but that kids should play at the level you know at the highest level that they can and to afford them that opportunity to go on or just play local league too,

00:39:53 Speaker 07: so certainly happy to continue to work with the Highlanders organisation, Oshawa Minor Hockey, the new as its new entity in girls hockey on ice allocation for this year.

00:40:05 Speaker 07: It's pretty tough because as you saw the schedules pretty booked, and we have to allocate ice in accordance with the policy, which leaves AAA as a non-Owen Sound organisation lower in the priority list.

00:40:21 Speaker 07: But in the past, we have been able to find them some ice time.

00:40:26 Speaker 01: Thank you for that.

00:40:27 Speaker 01: I see Councillor Dodd has joined us now, and I'm looking around the table to see if there are any comments or questions.

00:40:35 Speaker 01: Sunith, go ahead.

00:40:37 Speaker 01: Certainly, Bob.

00:40:39 Speaker 01: You have to.

00:40:44 Speaker 01: Okay, there we go.

00:40:47 Speaker 08: The Highlanders did rent a lot of ice time this recently for their summer tryouts and so on.

00:40:55 Speaker 08: I believe.

00:40:55 Speaker 08: Correct me if I'm wrong, though.

00:40:57 Speaker 08: That the cost was at full rate.

00:40:59 Speaker 08: It wasn't discounted.

00:41:00 Speaker 08: So it's twofold.

00:41:01 Speaker 08: It's not just about the availability of the ice time, but it's a recognition that the cost.

00:41:07 Speaker 08: Once again, back to how much it translates into what the parents have to pay for their kids to play AAA.

00:41:15 Speaker 08: So that's one consideration.

00:41:17 Speaker 08: The other thing I would say too is with the try centre league and AAA.

00:41:21 Speaker 08: Understanding there are Owen Sound kids that are actually going to continue to use ice time in other municipalities that charge a lot lower rate.

00:41:30 Speaker 08: So Owen Sound's getting the benefit of other municipalities providing their kids with ice time, and that's the way.

00:41:38 Speaker 08: As I said, we need to look at this not as one group in silos.

00:41:41 Speaker 08: We need to look at this and try to create some sort of an umbrella organisation that we can put the pieces together and make sense based on not only the level of play but the

00:41:53 Speaker 08: age.

00:41:54 Speaker 08: Like you know, kids that are eight years old can't play at the same hour as sixteen-year-old kids.

00:41:59 Speaker 08: So there's all of this kind of stuff to take into consideration with each individual organisation.

00:42:05 Speaker 08: So it's not just about the availability; it's when it's available and at what cost.

00:42:11 Speaker 08: And that's where if we look at this in fairness, and I get it because I know I'm a taxpayer.

00:42:16 Speaker 08: I pay taxes in the City of Elmira, and I understand that we have to justify this kind of subsidization.

00:42:23 Speaker 08: But once again, if kids from our community aren't using as much ice time because they're playing in organisations that do play some of them in Chesley or Hanover or Durham or other rinks, well,

00:42:35 Speaker 08: it's a two-way street.

00:42:36 Speaker 08: If everybody's on the same page, and I'm certainly intending to speak to other municipalities about this, I don't expect Elmira to take the hit on all of this.

00:42:44 Speaker 08: Everybody, but I think it's safe to say from what I've been told that Owen Sound rates without the subsidy are way higher than what is charged and is affordable for us in Chesley,

00:42:56 Speaker 08: as an example.

00:42:59 Speaker 08: Thank you, Sunith.

00:43:00 Speaker 08: Go ahead.

00:43:02 Speaker 05: Through you, Madam Chair.

00:43:04 Speaker 05: Just stepping back to the fact that sports are so critical, and we just heard in the last presentation about the mat tax that it does bring tourism and people.

00:43:15 Speaker 05: Who take the time and initiative to put their children, grandchildren in sports like AAA; they are invested in it, and it takes a lot of commitment, time, money.

00:43:24 Speaker 05: And with the cost of inflation rising, so what I understand is that at this time the schedules are all fixed, and there is less opportunity to provide extra ice time.

00:43:38 Speaker 05: But is there an opportunity to explore the subsidized rates for those teams so that it's not a burden to the parents and the kids continue to do what they love to do?

00:43:48 Speaker 05: Like, is there something we can do about it right now, rather than waiting for next year?

00:43:56 Speaker 09: Yeah, schedules are already set, and so no. This is exactly that.

00:44:13 Speaker 08: Okay.

00:44:14 Speaker 08: Let's let's look forward.

00:44:15 Speaker 08: Let's talk about the changes, the two-year trial with the Tri-Centre League, and all of this, and looking and saying, okay,

00:44:23 Speaker 08: do we revisit how we treat and look at AAA hockey and the composition of the players from that league?

00:44:29 Speaker 08: And so what that's what I'm trying to do is initially initiate a discussion between all of the minor hockey groups and Grey Bruce, which include quite a few, as well as the municipalities.

00:44:48 Speaker 08: That let's face it, they own all of the rinks, don't they?

00:44:52 Speaker 08: So that's what this has got to be worked together.

00:44:54 Speaker 08: And if all of the groups in the area can say, okay, sure, let's try to find solutions that are win-win, then it'll be easier to come back to the municipalities and say, okay,

00:45:05 Speaker 08: here's what we've come up with.

00:45:07 Speaker 08: But if Owen Sound, as an example, continues to differentiate—so well, Triple A, you guys got to pay this much, but Tri-Centre only has to pay this much;

00:45:17 Speaker 08: and Owen Sound for the kids that aren't going to play travel hockey pay this much—well, that's the challenge.

00:45:22 Speaker 08: And that's why I'm hoping that that can be reviewed and reconsidered, as well as if there's an economic opportunity, as we heard in the last presentation,

00:45:33 Speaker 08: to bring 25 families into the community and have them stay here over that and go to a game and spend money here in Owen Sound and expose our community so they know more about us.

00:45:50 Speaker 08: Isn't that what we want to do?

00:45:52 Speaker 08: Isn't there some economic justification for those discounts for those kids?

00:45:57 Speaker 08: Not to mention all of the parents that come to Owen Sound from the Highlanders team who go out for lunch when they have a game and they go fill up their gas tanks, so on.

00:46:06 Speaker 08: So it's not insignificant.

00:46:09 Speaker 08: I'll go to Councillor Dodd next.

00:46:14 Speaker 10: Thank you, Madam Chair, and thanks, Bob, for your presentation.

00:46:19 Speaker 10: I just kind of hit on two valid points, and I guess my first question would be to the director.

00:46:24 Speaker 10: The ice allocation policy has been a contentious piece of document that we've gone through.

00:46:33 Speaker 10: There used to be some pretty heavy hearts that would come into the chambers when we were going through that policy.

00:46:40 Speaker 10: When's the next time that we were planning to do a revision or relook at the current ice allocation policy that's in effect?

00:46:51 Speaker 07: Through the chair, we hadn't.

00:46:55 Speaker 07: You're right.

00:46:55 Speaker 07: The ice allocation policy was controversial for a number of years, and then with some input and change, things had sort of settled.

00:47:05 Speaker 07: We hadn't had any upset after ice was allocated, which tells us our policies are working sort of as intended to allocate ice to boys and girls and to other adult groups in an equitable manner.

00:47:21 Speaker 07: So we hadn't planned on reviewing it.

00:47:27 Speaker 07: Okay, because I was just going to say, like, I recall it was 2016.

00:47:30 Speaker 10: We were in the Professional Centre while City Hall was being renovated.

00:47:34 Speaker 10: About the discussion of adding AAA having ice time at that time, and Owen Sound Minor Hockey was, you know, pretty upset that we were going to give them ice time because they wanted that time.

00:47:44 Speaker 10: So I think at some point, whether I am not sure what the work plan looks like in 2026,

00:47:50 Speaker 10: if there is something that we need to be looking at again—kind of Bob noted that we do know that there is this two-year trial period of what's currently going on—and how does that change if

00:47:58 Speaker 10: that continues?

00:47:59 Speaker 10: How does that modify what the ice allocation policy will look like in the future?

00:48:04 Speaker 10: And so, the second thing I'll say to you, Bob, I think you hit the nail on the head about the realities of why we need municipalities to have recreational agreements.

00:48:15 Speaker 10: It's something that we've always pushed at about having municipalities work together behind the scenes, not making those parents—those George and Bluffs parents—upfront pay those costs,

00:48:26 Speaker 10: and then go up to the municipality to get a 70 per cent rebate.

00:48:30 Speaker 10: So I am glad to hear that you are going to other municipalities because I hope you, when you are at George and Bluffs,

00:48:35 Speaker 10: you can push that as well because that seems to be something that they are willing to talk about with our municipality.

00:48:45 Speaker 10: So if that's something you know to try to make it more equitable and fair, I think it needs to be.

00:48:52 Speaker 10: Municipalities need to have recreational agreements with each other about what's best for the region, but not being applied to one municipality financially.

00:49:01 Speaker 10: So, I'll give you full credit and appreciation for the fact that you did note that you are going to go to other municipalities to have those discussions.

00:49:11 Speaker 10: But there are neighbouring municipalities who have very openly rejected having those conversations, even if that means that their families do have to pay those out-of-town fees.

00:49:22 Speaker 10: And obviously, as you would know from years prior, there used to be arrangements.

00:49:27 Speaker 10: There used to be ways for that financing.

00:49:29 Speaker 10: Some of these activities could be done behind the scenes from municipality to municipality, not from the user.

00:49:36 Speaker 10: So I appreciate you taking that on, Bob.

00:49:39 Speaker 10: I know you're a busy guy.

00:49:40 Speaker 10: Glad to hear that you're doing this, and we really appreciate it.

00:49:44 Speaker 10: So thank you.

00:49:47 Speaker 01: Thank you, Councillor Dodd, and I somewhat agree, particularly when Old Town Minor Hockey—Ontario Minor Hockey has now changed to the Tri-Centre League, I believe it is—and it's not just Oshawa kids that are playing.

00:50:00 Speaker 01: So somewhere along the line, everybody's got to come together and make things work.

00:50:05 Speaker 01: So I don't know.

00:50:08 Speaker 01: I don't want to push an agenda here, but I think it is time maybe for the ice policy to come back, and I'll let the director speak to that.

00:50:20 Speaker 07: And I just—I don't want anyone led.

00:50:21 Speaker 07: I just—I don't want anyone leaving here with a misunderstanding.

00:50:25 Speaker 07: So I just want to be really clear.

00:50:27 Speaker 07: Even with that new Tri-Centre group, if the child's principal residence or their parents don't pay taxes in Owen Sound, they're paying a non-resident fee.

00:50:37 Speaker 07: So yes, they're benefiting from the lower rate that isn't afforded to Highlanders, but the Highlanders aren't paying a non-resident fee, and they're not an Owen Sound minor sport group.

00:50:46 Speaker 07: So you know, in 2026, we can certainly put the update to the ice allocation policy on our work plan,

00:50:57 Speaker 07: but it would work better if we start early with the groups and have discussions—not only with the groups, but then also those other municipalities.

00:51:10 Speaker 07: Anyone else have comments?

00:51:12 Speaker 01: So, are you suggesting then that we send a direction for a discussion to take place?

00:51:21 Speaker 07: I think, you know, certainly if we're invited by Owen Sound Minor Hockey or Ice Hawks or AAA to be part of a discussion, we're happy to do that,

00:51:31 Speaker 07: and we can put the update to the policy on our work plan for next year.

00:51:35 Speaker 07: Without—I don't think we need a motion for that.

00:51:38 Speaker 01: Okay, does that sound reasonable?

00:51:41 Speaker 01: All right, thank you so much, Bob.

00:51:43 Speaker 01: And as Councillor Dodd mentioned, you know, visiting other municipalities would certainly be beneficial to try and bring this all together.

00:51:53 Speaker 08: Certainly, Pam, if you're the best person to stay in touch with now that we've had this discussion to talk about—I want to know what you need me to do.

00:52:01 Speaker 08: I want to take a leadership role in bringing these groups together.

00:52:06 Speaker 08: And I have reached out to some, and some have responded, and some have not.

00:52:10 Speaker 08: But I'm a persistent guy, so I'm going to stay on their case because here again, if we're not all there to do the right thing for the kids that want to play hockey,

00:52:20 Speaker 08: it's our national sport, for goodness' sake, then shame on us.

00:52:24 Speaker 08: And that's what we have to do.

00:52:26 Speaker 08: And we want to—we need to be able to come back to you and other municipalities in such a fashion where you don't see like you got to make choices, good for one, bad for another.

00:52:35 Speaker 08: That puts you in a very awkward situation.

00:52:37 Speaker 08: And even what I discuss, the idea of the weekends—well, the ice time now is just going to get reallocated.

00:52:43 Speaker 08: It's not.

00:52:44 Speaker 08: Reallocated.

00:52:44 Speaker 08: It's gonna—it's not gonna cost anybody any more money or any less because it's just gonna—maybe some of those kids in the Tri-Centre will go down and play in Chesley instead of Owen Sound that day.

00:52:56 Speaker 08: Anyway, thanks for your time.

00:52:57 Speaker 08: And like I said, you know where to reach me, Pam, and I'll certainly find you.

00:53:02 Speaker 08: Thank you very much, everybody.

00:53:04 Speaker 01: Thank you for your dedication to this, Bob.

00:53:07 Speaker 01: Thanks.

00:53:11 Speaker 01: Okay.

00:53:11 Speaker 01: Next on our agenda is—

00:53:14 Speaker 01: Public forum, and I don't see anyone in the audience.

00:53:17 Speaker 01: Were there any correspondence items received for discussion?

00:53:22 Speaker 01: Seeing no correspondence items, we'll move on to reports.

00:53:26 Speaker 01: And the first one is under Arena Operations, with the manager discussing and bringing us an update on the capital project of the arena floor and boards.

00:53:41 Speaker 11: Thank you, Madam Chair and Committee Members.

00:53:44 Speaker 11: I'm pleased to provide the Committee with an update on the Bayshore Community Centre Arena Floor and Board Replacement Project.

00:53:50 Speaker 11: I'd just like to first touch on some of the highlights of the project, as the Phillies are very important to note.

00:53:57 Speaker 11: This infrastructure was at the end of its useful life and due for replacement under the Bayshore's five-year capital plan.

00:54:04 Speaker 11: The project so far has remained on budget and on time.

00:54:07 Speaker 11: The existing tempered glass rink puck board, glass, rink, puckboard, concrete slab, and insulation were repurposed for other uses.

00:54:15 Speaker 11: These avoided some significant amount of waste to landfill, and as well, several of the key components, including the full board system, were sourced or manufactured in Canada.

00:54:25 Speaker 11: And then, finally, it's just noting that the significant safety benefits, positive environmental benefits, and the improved quality of ice as a result of this project.

00:54:36 Speaker 11: So, originally, this work was planned for 2026 as part of the Bayshore's five-year capital plan, and then during startup for the ice season in the fall of 2024,

00:54:47 Speaker 11: a leak was discovered under the arena slab.

00:54:50 Speaker 11: So, as a result, a report was brought forward to this committee recommending that this work be advanced to 2025 to address the leak and replace this infrastructure that had reached the end of its life.

00:55:01 Speaker 11: Soon after that, Simco Refrigeration was engaged to begin planning the project, and this was scheduled for the off season of twenty twenty five.

00:55:10 Speaker 11: So, and then to minimize any disruption to users, staff met early with all the summer groups just to give them enough time to find all alternatives for their during the construction period.

00:55:22 Speaker 11: So, in January twenty twenty five, Simco was awarded the contract through LAS Canoe Procurement Programmemememe for the full replacement of the arena floor boards, netting, and the related mechanical equipment.

00:55:34 Speaker 11: So work began in April 2025, starting with removal of the tempered glass, the mullions, and safety netting.

00:55:42 Speaker 11: And this was completed by the arena operations staff.

00:55:46 Speaker 11: The glass was sold on GovDeals and repurposed by another municipality.

00:55:50 Speaker 11: Following the home show in May, demolition of the existing arena floor began, and the contractor began by cutting the concrete slab into three foot by six foot sections,

00:56:00 Speaker 11: and then it was carefully removed from site.

00:56:03 Speaker 11: And again, this was repurposed.

00:56:05 Speaker 11: So again, diverted a large amount of waste from landfill.

00:56:09 Speaker 11: There had always been a thought that the original floor was poured thicker, which led to ongoing ice challenges over the years.

00:56:19 Speaker 11: But it was confirmed that this was a six-inch slab, which is standard.

00:56:24 Speaker 11: However, it was found that the original brine lines were buried nearly three inches deep in the slab.

00:56:30 Speaker 11: This depth significantly limited heat transfer and contributed to those noted less than ideal ice quality issues that the Bayshore has had.

00:56:39 Speaker 11: So, with the new installation, the brine lines will be placed at the proper depths, which are an inch and a quarter to an inch and a half.

00:56:46 Speaker 11: So this will improve both energy efficiency and as well as significant improvements to ice conditions.

00:56:53 Speaker 11: Also removed from below the slab were two layers of insulation.

00:56:57 Speaker 11: While the top layer was unsalvageable just from the cutting and removal process.

00:57:02 Speaker 11: The second layer was cleaned by the contractor and will be reused.

00:57:05 Speaker 11: They'll reuse it on other construction projects.

00:57:07 Speaker 11: So again, diverting all that from landfills.

00:57:10 Speaker 11: So, next, an area in front of the attack dressing room, by their hallway, was excavated to install the new header pipe coming from the refrigeration plant out to the new floor, and then as well,

00:57:23 Speaker 11: three inches of concrete was cut around the entirety of the perimetre of the arena, and this cutting is done to accommodate the movement that's required for the new board system.

00:57:35 Speaker 11: So, this will give the boards more give whenever there's an impact from players, and this will result in a safer playing surface.

00:57:44 Speaker 11: So, during this cutting, it was found that the perimetre concrete was actually structurally in excellent condition.

00:57:53 Speaker 11: So, this was eliminated the need for some previously anticipated structural repairs.

00:57:57 Speaker 11: So. all the seating that has been removed during this work will be reinstalled once the project is complete.

00:58:06 Speaker 11: So we won't be losing any seating as a result of the project.

00:58:10 Speaker 11: In June, a new pad for the refrigeration main header was poured across the north end of the rink surface,

00:58:17 Speaker 11: and the existing sand base was compacted with an additional two inches of sand added to bring the floor level up.

00:58:25 Speaker 11: This is going to reduce the height of the gate thresholds, so this will help with accessibility for users as well as equipment going on and off the ice surface.

00:58:33 Speaker 11: So, by late June and into early July, new insulation was laid.

00:58:38 Speaker 11: The main header piping was positioned, and wire mesh and rebar were installed.

00:58:43 Speaker 11: And then, just as of this week, new piping is being laid.

00:58:46 Speaker 11: And I was told it was about nine miles of piping that will be put under the new surface.

00:58:52 Speaker 11: So, and this is with an anticipated July twenty ninth concrete pour date.

00:58:59 Speaker 11: The pour will be completed in a single day with over two hundred and forty cubic metres and twenty seven cement trucks worth of cement being poured.

00:59:08 Speaker 11: So quite a quite a large amount.

00:59:10 Speaker 11: After this pouring, there will be a twenty eight day cure period, followed by a gradual cooling process to reduce stress on the concrete slab and then just minimize any risk of cracking on the floor.

00:59:22 Speaker 11: So. the board's netting and acrylic will be installed beginning in mid-August after the floor is cured.

00:59:31 Speaker 11: The project continues to remain on schedule for completion by September 3rd.

00:59:34 Speaker 11: A nice installation will be finalized hopefully by September 12th, well in advance of the attack's home opener on September 27th.

00:59:43 Speaker 11: During this closure of the arena bowl, staff have used this time to complete other capital projects.

00:59:48 Speaker 11: We'll also continuing to provide support for hall bookings and just some of these projects to note, repainting of the concourse, the steel walls up on the second floor, the dressing rooms and the hallways downstairs,

01:00:02 Speaker 11: replacing dressing room benches, refinishing the banquet hall flooring, and then they've also been covering some of the shifts up at the Julia MacArthur Rec Centre,

01:00:10 Speaker 11: so reducing some part-time staff costs over the summer as well.

01:00:14 Speaker 11: Contractors have also been painting the concourse walls, stairwells, and upstairs washrooms, as well as replacing dressing room doors and an ice resurfacer room overhead door as well.

01:00:23 Speaker 11: So there's a lot of work going on down there right now.

01:00:27 Speaker 11: In total, this project was approved for 2.34 million, and this included consulting, project management, as well as $125,000 contingency.

01:00:37 Speaker 11: Funding for the project came from a combination of taxation, capital reserves, and ticket surcharge from the attack.

01:00:43 Speaker 11: The boards netting and pump were approved for just over 626,000, with the remaining 1.71 million being approved for the ice surface and civil work.

01:00:53 Speaker 11: In addition, on May thirty th, the city was awarded a nine hundred and fifteen thousand dollar grant through the Community Sport and Recreation Infrastructure Fund,

01:01:02 Speaker 11: and this will go to reducing the capital reserve contribution towards the project.

01:01:08 Speaker 11: Since this leak was discovered and the project was approved for two thousand and twenty five, staff have worked closely and kept in touch with the affected user groups, including minor junior and senior lacrosse.

01:01:19 Speaker 11: The Owen Sound Attack's training camp and exhibition games have been relocated for this season, and we've been really appreciative of everyone's work and support through this project.

01:01:30 Speaker 11: And finally, the recommendation before you that, in consideration of staff report CS twenty five seventy nine respecting the arena floor and boards project,

01:01:39 Speaker 11: the community services committee recommends that city council receive the report for information purposes.

01:01:45 Speaker 11: Thank you.

01:01:47 Speaker 01: Thank you very much, Ryan.

01:01:48 Speaker 01: It sounds like it's been a busy time down there.

01:01:51 Speaker 01: Lots of activity.

01:01:52 Speaker 01: Round the table, looking for questions, comments, someone to move the motion.

01:01:57 Speaker 01: Sunit, move the motion.

01:02:00 Speaker 01: Any comments on the motion?

01:02:02 Speaker 01: Seeing none.

01:02:02 Speaker 01: All those in favour of the motion to receive the report for information.

01:02:06 Speaker 01: That's carried unanimously.

01:02:08 Speaker 01: Thank you very much.

01:02:11 Speaker 01: Next, we have a report from Planning and Heritage regarding facade and accessibility improvement grants at 1047 Second Ave East.

01:02:27 Speaker 12: Thank you, Chair.

01:02:29 Speaker 12: The city has received applications to the city's facade and structural improvement grant programmemememe and the accessibility improvement grant programmemememe for 1047 Second Avenue East.

01:02:41 Speaker 12: So it's north of 1047.

01:02:43 Speaker 12: North of 10th Street, where the former sports store used to be, that's been revitalized, and there's a billiard hall there now.

01:02:52 Speaker 12: And the second unit is this one that we're talking about tonight.

01:02:57 Speaker 12: As part of the facade and structural improvement grant application, the applicant is proposing the installation of a new steel structural beam,

01:03:04 Speaker 12: which is required to reinforce a portion of the ceiling and roof within the southwest corner of the building.

01:03:10 Speaker 12: The accessibility improvement grant application is to install an interior accessibility ramp and power door operator at the rear entrance and a universal washroom.

01:03:22 Speaker 12: The proposed improvements will support the renovation of the ground floor of the building into a new pizza restaurant, Toppers Pizza.

01:03:30 Speaker 12: The estimated amount of grant funding across both grant programmemememes is a total of fifteen thousand dollars, and therefore it requires consideration by the committee.

01:03:40 Speaker 12: The staff delegated approval rate is ten thousand dollars.

01:03:43 Speaker 12: If it's above that, then the delegation bylaw says it has to come to the committee.

01:03:50 Speaker 12: There is sufficient funding remaining in the two thousand and twenty-five CIP budget to approve the applications, and so the recommendation is that, in consideration of this report,

01:04:01 Speaker 12: Community Services recommend to City Council that they approve the application for the facade and structural improvement grant up to a maximum of five thousand dollars,

01:04:10 Speaker 12: and that they approve the application for an accessibility improvement grant up to a maximum of ten thousand dollars,

01:04:17 Speaker 12: and that staff be directed to bring forward a bylaw to execute the financial incentive programmemememe between the City and the property owner for the completion of the works.

01:04:26 Speaker 01: Thank you for that report.

01:04:29 Speaker 01: Questions, comments, motions.

01:04:32 Speaker 01: Looking for someone to move.

01:04:35 Speaker 01: Morgan, you move the recommendation.

01:04:38 Speaker 01: And no questions on the recommendation.

01:04:41 Speaker 01: All those in favour of the recommendation, and that's carried.

01:04:44 Speaker 01: Thank you very much.

01:04:46 Speaker 01: Next report is again regarding Planning and Heritage, regarding the property tax relief fund and two thousand and twenty-four applications.

01:04:56 Speaker 01: Thank you, Chair.

01:04:57 Speaker 12: So this is an annual report that we bring forward.

01:05:02 Speaker 12: The City has offered a heritage property tax relief programmemememe to eligible designated heritage property owners since 2009.

01:05:09 Speaker 12: The programmemememe provides a 20% rebate on City, Education, and County portion of taxes to eligible participants.

01:05:18 Speaker 12: In order to be eligible, there has to be either a heritage easement on the property or a heritage conservation and maintenance agreement with the City.

01:05:27 Speaker 12: There are 16 eligible properties within the City, and all apply for the programmemememe, and all are eligible this year.

01:05:33 Speaker 12: So that's exciting.

01:05:35 Speaker 12: The total amount of the rebate is approximately thirty-two thousand dollars.

01:05:39 Speaker 12: The City portion of which is twenty thousand, twenty thousand dollars and nine hundred and twenty dollars, which is within the allocated budget of twenty-five thousand dollars.

01:05:50 Speaker 12: So, just as a note, this budget was increased last year because of the significant uptake in the programmemememe that we were experiencing.

01:05:59 Speaker 12: The former budget couldn't cover all the eligible participants.

01:06:03 Speaker 12: So it's really exciting to see that through the increased budget, we can support all the eligible participants.

01:06:14 Speaker 12: Of note, this year, over half of the eligible applicants indicated on the application form that they undertook a repair or capital improvement to their property in two thousand and twenty-four,

01:06:25 Speaker 12: and that the total value of these works exceeds one hundred and ten thousand dollars.

01:06:29 Speaker 12: So that's an excellent indicator that this programmemememe is working.

01:06:35 Speaker 12: So, in consideration of the staff report, the recommendation is that Community Services Committee recommend that City Council direct staff to process the refunds for those eligible applicants,

01:06:48 Speaker 12: and that they issue notice to the County of Grey for their portion of the tax rebates for the 2024 year.

01:06:58 Speaker 12: Thank you.

01:06:59 Speaker 01: Thank you.

01:07:00 Speaker 01: It's great to see that our foresight in increasing that worked.

01:07:05 Speaker 01: Are there questions, comments, motions on the report?

01:07:10 Speaker 01: Okay, Lance.

01:07:11 Speaker 01: Let's move the recommendation.

01:07:12 Speaker 01: Any comments on the recommendation?

01:07:15 Speaker 01: All those in favour of the recommendation?

01:07:17 Speaker 01: That's carried.

01:07:19 Speaker 01: Okay.

01:07:20 Speaker 01: Thank you very much.

01:07:22 Speaker 01: Nothing in Parks, Building, Community Facilities, and Tourism; are there matters postponed?

01:07:29 Speaker 01: There are no matters that were postponed.

01:07:31 Speaker 01: There are no motions for which notice was previously given.

01:07:34 Speaker 01: We do have a couple items of correspondence, and I will look for someone to comment on the June 25 update for the development update.

01:07:46 Speaker 01: Again, that's me.

01:07:47 Speaker 01: Thank you, Chair.

01:07:49 Speaker 12: So for June 2025, I think some of the exciting updates are the 10 permits for Summerfolk and Salmon Spectacular are being issued, and so that's exciting to see that happening.

01:08:01 Speaker 12: It's part of our yearly summer work.

01:08:05 Speaker 12: Construction value for this month was over four million dollars, with 25 building permits being issued, and Building staff undertook 260 inspections in this month.

01:08:18 Speaker 12: So that's quite a few inspections of note up to date this year.

01:08:25 Speaker 12: We have issued permits for 250 new residential units, so that's exciting to see as well.

01:08:32 Speaker 12: On the second page, planning applications received.

01:08:38 Speaker 12: So this chart really continues to show the trend that we're seeing significant application volumes, especially for consent and minor variances through the Committee of Adjustment, and site plan approvals, and that... sorry, that's it.

01:08:56 Speaker 12: Sorry.

01:08:59 Speaker 01: Can you maybe just expand on why there is such an increase in the consents of minor variances?

01:09:05 Speaker 13: Thank you, Chair.

01:09:07 Speaker 13: I don't honestly know.

01:09:09 Speaker 13: I think sometimes these things are cyclical, and the consents are mostly infill lots.

01:09:17 Speaker 13: So that's exciting to see those kind of developments starting to happen for the minor variances.

01:09:23 Speaker 13: Oh, that's the other point I wanted to make.

01:09:24 Speaker 13: Sorry, is that we are updating the Comprehensive Zoning Bylaw and the Official Plan,

01:09:31 Speaker 13: and that we will look at the trend in the minor variances through that to see if there's adjustments that we can make through that.

01:09:39 Speaker 13: So my other point is tomorrow afternoon we're having an open house at the Bayshore in regards to the Official Plan and Zoning Bylaw amendment update,

01:09:47 Speaker 13: and we encourage anybody who's interested to come out and come and talk to us and see sort of the updates that are being proposed.

01:09:56 Speaker 13: There's some really exciting stuff happening, sort of from our opinion, and so we really encourage people to come out for that.

01:10:04 Speaker 13: Oh, 3:30 till 6:30 at the Bayshore.

01:10:08 Speaker 01: Not everyone's as excited about planning as you are, but however, yes, I don't know what's wrong with people.

01:10:17 Speaker 01: However, the open house it is taking.

01:10:18 Speaker 01: The open house that is taking place is a come and go kind of thing.

01:10:21 Speaker 01: There's not a presentation time.

01:10:23 Speaker 01: Okay, that's good, so people know 3:30 to 6:30 at the Bayshore.

01:10:29 Speaker 01: Okay.

01:10:31 Speaker 01: With respect to the correspondence items, there is a site plan as well on here.

01:10:37 Speaker 01: So I need a motion to receive the correspondence, Lance.

01:10:44 Speaker 01: Okay.

01:10:45 Speaker 01: Any comments?

01:10:46 Speaker 01: All those in favour?

01:10:48 Speaker 01: That's carried.

01:10:49 Speaker 01: Thank you.

01:10:51 Speaker 01: Any additional business?

01:10:53 Speaker 01: We didn't have any earlier.

01:10:54 Speaker 01: Nothing has arisen.

01:10:56 Speaker 01: Are there?

01:10:57 Speaker 01: Excuse me.

01:10:58 Speaker 01: Are there any notices of motion?

01:11:02 Speaker 01: Seeing none, then I will declare the meeting adjourned at 6:40 p.m.

01:11:06 Speaker 01: Thank you.