At their February 5 council meeting, Ritchot council members gave their approval to the consultants behind the creation of the municipality’s recreation master plan. A delegation from each of the consulting companies addressed council after providing them with a 150-page document which will aid council in working out plans for recreation infrastructure and services within the RM over the course of the next 10 to 20 years.
This council meeting followed a public open house on January 22 where details and visual aids were presented to residents from around the municipality, providing a general overview of the multifaceted plans. Based on all the feedback, recommendations were made on which items should be designated for immediate, short-term (one to three years), mid-term (three to five years), long-term (more than five years), and ongoing implementation.
“We had a pretty well attended open house,” said Tom Janzen of Scatliff & Miller & Murray on February 5. “We counted about 45 folks who came out and I think we got some pretty positive feedback on the plan.”
The RM’s Director of Recreation Services, Amber Mamchuk, says she sensed a good representation from every community at the open house event.
“The overarching premise of this is just how can we support our volunteer groups better and see growth in recreation in our communities,” Mamchuk says. “So I think that [everyone’s] really happy with the approach that our consultants have taken.”
Consultant Jack Harper of J. Harper and Associates says that, in his mind, the key to the success of the master plan lies in creating a partnership with the larger community by organizing a recreation advisory committee which would see representation from council, recreation stakeholders, and members of the community.
“You’re not unique in the sense that many major municipalities across the province are faced with infrastructure challenges and it’s not getting any easier with a limited amount of support from senior levels of government,” Harper told council. “So the role that the local municipal council plays… in engaging the community in being a partner in the sustainability of those facilities long-term is really going to be an important step for the community.”
The document lays out a number of items recommended for immediate implementation. Further to the installation of an advisory committee, consultants say the team would benefit from a comprehensive volunteer management program as well as the hiring of an asset manager whose role would be to assist in planning, development, operation, and maintenance of all public recreation facilities.
Other items for immediate consideration include looking at strategic, low-cost enhancements to St. Adolphe Park, whose natural features and terrain lend themselves well to a pump track or mountain bike course, nature trails, toboggan slide, and a canoe/kayak launch area. Advance planning could also be done for a new all-season park within the Tourond Creek development just east of the arena. Features could include a skate park, gardens, spray park, pavilion, and toboggan hill.
A concept plan has also been provided for new park development in Île-des-Chênes. Recommendations were made to assess the feasibility of creating connectivity between the existing D’Auteuil Park and Optimist Community Park. The plan could include options for play features, picnic sites, a toboggan hill, sand and water play areas, and sports areas. A treed streetscape and trails would better connect the parks to each other and the community to the park. Council is encouraged to consider land ownership or a long-term lease agreement with TransCanada Pipeline if they choose to follow through.
Consultants also encouraged council to collaborate with the Ste. Agathe Community Development Inc. when considering future enhancements to Promenade Sur La Rouge. A boat launch area might be one such consideration. As well, a long-term vision should be created for Cartier Park. While the area might lend itself well to an outdoor aquatic facility, consultants say this feature should be subject to a feasibility study.
Further, the development of any indoor aquatic facilities across the region should be delayed until such time as the population increases significantly and funding becomes available from senior levels of government.
Further development of Grande Pointe Park made the short-term list. A recommendation was made to support the creation of a community gathering facility there.
Items for long-term consideration include improving the operational efficiency and effectiveness of the TransCanada Centre in Île-des-Chênes by marketing it as a regional recreation hub. Consultants recommend that the region explore opportunities to maximize use of all their existing facilities before the construction of new fitness facilities are considered.
Finally, council has been encouraged to develop a comprehensive active transportation master plan on a multi-use trail network connecting each community in the municipality. The planned trail should access all of the region’s natural areas, community facilities, parks, and cultural landmarks. The goal would be to commit this to a long-term 20-year plan.
