Council advances community infrastructure

Council recently approved advancing a number of key community infrastructure projects, including moving ahead on a new community centre, library branch, sports fields and other outdoor amenities at North Park as well as a new skateboard park at Cornwall Park. In addition, the town will be pursuing the option to purchase the former reservoir site from the Region of Halton for the purpose of creating a new public park.

“There has been a surge in demand for the use of parks, open space and community infrastructure in Oakville due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Mayor Rob Burton. “This trend towards increased use of recreational amenities is projected to continue for several years and the importance of being active for one’s mental physical health has never been more important, which is why in March my Council colleagues and I directed staff to identify resources and costs related to accelerating on these highly valued facilities and amenities for our community.”

Throughout the pandemic, the town has seen an unprecedented increase in the use of local parkland and community facilities by town residents and visitors. Anticipating this trend to continue for several years, the Town of Oakville saw the opportunity to create new public spaces to not only benefit the community but to also alleviate overcrowding and the impacts of overuse.

Town staff have responded decisively to Council’s direction. The Request for Proposal (RFP) for the detail design work on the expansion of Sixteen Mile Sports Complex to include a new community centre and library and the RFP for the outdoor amenities at North Park were issued. The RFP for the Cornwall Park Skateboard Park is expected to be issued by early fall.

The following provides highlights about these important projects:

Based on Council’s endorsed 2017 Parks, Recreation and Library Facilities (PRLF) Master Plan, North Park will include:

The co-location of the library and the community centre will allow for increased synergies for space use and complementary programming. The community centre and library complex would be an addition to the existing Sixteen Mile Sports Complex to maximize the efficiency of energy flow between the facilities and to streamline building operations and programming.

Council approved the acceleration of the construction of the new Cornwall Park skateboard park which would see design, construction and final landscaping completed in 2021. Staff will reach out to youth in the area who have contacted the town to develop to confirm the appropriate skate park elements, layout and their inter-connectivity.

The town will be pursuing the option to purchase the former reservoir site from the Region of Halton for the purpose of creating a new public park for the public’s enjoyment. The site, located at 2273 Trafalgar Road, is approximately 0.7 ha (1.7 acres) and provides good connectivity to existing east/west trails along the TransCanada and Interprovincial pipeline corridors.

At the March 29, 2021 Council Meeting, a report from Mayor Burton  was approved that advances a number of community infrastructure programs. Several of these initiatives required staff to report back to the May 25, 2021 Council meeting on implementation resource requirements and funding sources.