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Ruth Gillespie, Connie Stinson and Muriel Tremain: “For me the biggest thing is that we have a club that’s very committed to the neighbourhood. We worry about the taxes that are going up and we may not have a place,” says Connie.
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Future of historic lawn bowling club uncertain The topic of conversation at this year’s Strawberry Social? Their massive tax bill
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There were a lot of friendly faces at the Highland Park Lawn Bowling Club’s annual Strawberry Social and fundraiser on Saturday, June 24. Friends and neighbours gathered at shaded tables to chat and enjoy homemade strawberry shortcake and lemonade. The conversation however, was about more than just the great weather or their secret shortcake recipe. The Lawn Bowling Club, which has been located at Golden and Byron for over 100 years, is currently reeling from a massive City of Ottawa tax hike. The club’s annual property tax bill quadrupled – from $2,700 in 2012 to more than $12,000 after its most recent assessment by the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC). The assessment is being appealed and a verdict is expected in the fall. In the meantime, club members, with the help of Kitchissippi Councillor Jeff Leiper, are weighing their options: sell to developers, sell to the City of Ottawa and lease it back, or find some other way to make up the shortfall, which may be a challenge for a club that has 72 members, many of whom are senior citizens. “The critical question is, how are they going to pay their taxes,” says Kitchissippi Councillor, Jeff
Leiper. “I think it is absolutely critical that we save that piece of green space.” According to the Councillor, the path forward is a “daily discussion” in his ward office, and although it’s still very early in the process, a number of different scenarios are being considered – including heritage designation, although it wouldn’t defray the taxes. “I do think it is incumbent on the City to try to preserve that greenspace,” he says. “It would be very understandable if the Club chose to sell that very desirable piece of real estate and if they do, I think we can all anticipate the kind of intense development that would probably take place at that site. So, both from the perspective of maintaining a critical recreation opportunity for a demographic – largely senior – that we don’t maybe serve as well as we could, and from the perspective of maintaining green space that would get ‘infilled’ at a fairly intense rate, I do believe it’s important for us to save it.” The future for the lawn bowling club may be uncertain, but what is clear, however, is the club’s place in the hearts of its members.