THE FUTURE OF PARKS & RECREATION Find out more about the 50,000 square foot expansion plans for the Brant Sports Complex!

By Casandra Turnbull

There are several open houses planned this month as the county is looking for community input on the future of parks and recreation services. As the communities grow and services become high in demand, the county is planning for the future and staff want to hear from you! The first of three open houses happens place next Wednesday, June 7 at 6 pm at the Brant Sports Complex. This drop in style event will focus solely on upcoming parks and services provided in Paris.

There are a total of 66 parks in the County of which 24 are in Paris. As development continues to boom in town, there are five more parks in the pipeline right now, along with plans to create trails by Watt’s Pond Road and along the Grand River in the Paris Grand subdivision. And the open houses will not only collect feedback on what future parks will look like, they will also ask residents for comments on how to enhance existing parks and refresh them with new amenities. As the town continues to grow and diversify, the services residents are looking for continues to expand.

There’s high demand for shade structures and low impact development principles such as rain gardens and bioswales to adopt to climate changes and provide good quality of natural habitat; more so than ever before, there’s further emphasis on preservation and managing natural heritage, said Stacy Ellins, Director of Parks & Recreation. She added that demographics are shifting and the county is receiving requests for services or fixtures that were never considered before – such as cricket facilities

One of Paris’ newest parks, the Jay Wells Park that formally opened last week on Scenic Ridge Gate, is equipped with a basketball courts, which are fully enclosed to double as ball hockey courts, the first of its kind in Paris.

Ellins says it’s important to host open houses like this one to give everyone a chance to voice their opinion, especially newer residents who haven’t provided input yet.

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Do you want a beautiful park in your neighbourhood, like the Jay Wells Park pictured above? Make sure you attend a Parks & Rec Open House next week. The Paris Open House will feature plans for an expansion at the Brant Sports Complex, as well as a concept for a new indoor turf facility near the sports complex.

Mounties Report

“There are a lot of investments needed until build out and we need to budget correctly,” says Ellins “The development charges update is occurring in 2024 so we need to ensure all needs are captured based on growth of the municipality,” she adds.

Brant Sports Complex Expansion Plans

In addition to Parks the county is asking for valuable input and feedback from residents on the types of recreational services they’d like to see in the community To meet the demand for more recreational services in a growing community the County is preparing for an expansion at the Brant Sports Complex The design work for the expansion is slated to begin this fall so now is the time to provide your thoughts on what the new expansion should include. The 50,784 square foot expansion is estimated to cost more than $20 million The major focus of the expansion will be indoor gymnasium courts to meet the growing demand for county-based programs such as basketball, gymnastics, volleyball, pickleball, etc. Right now, the county relies on local schools to provide space to fill the 10,000 hours (annual) of gymnasium time for these types of programs. A brand-new triple gymnasium, change rooms a walking track and fitness equipment are proposed for the expansion.

“A gymnasium is a high priority as the county has no space to offer programs such as pickleball, summer camp, volleyball, etc,” said Ellins, adding that the expansion plans are just in concept stages only and public opinion is required to finalize the exact amenities and components people want to see.

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To the left is a rendering of the exterior of the Brant Sports Complex illustrating where the new expansion will go. Design plans for this planned expansion will move forward this fall.

To the right is a rendering of what the inside of the new expansion will look like. County staff are asking for your input to finalize the amenities that will be in the new expansion –such as the gymnasium and walking track pictured.

Indoor Turf Facility

The County’s also shared plans to potentially construct a new indoor turf facility on designated park lands on Pottruff Road, running parallel to Powerline Road, minutes from the Brant Sports Complex. This new facility is part of the County’s future Parks and Recreation plans.

The project capital cost for this building, quoted in 2021, is pegged at $15.06 million. The proposed indoor soccer facility would feature two 100’ x 200’ indoor turf soccer pitches, locker/change rooms, viewing areas, storage space, public washrooms and a staff/maintenance area. Space beside the designated parking lot will be allocated for future outdoor sports fields.

If you want to learn more about these two projects or share your opinion about the parks and recreation programs in the county, drop by the open house on Wednesday at the Brant Sports Complex located at 944 Powerline Road from 6 pm to 8 pm. If you can’t make it out, you can provide your feedback through the online service located on EngageBrant website. There are also open houses planned on June 8 from 6 to 8 pm at the Gaukel Memorial Community Centre in St. George and on June 12 from 6 to 8 pm at the Mount Pleasant Pavilion in Mount Pleasant.

Kiwanis Club plants Indigenous Garden to benefit Paris Food Bank

Kiwanis club member Tim Risebrough, seen here with Paris high school student Ian, takes the lead on planting preparations at the USIC Indigenous Community Garden, located behind PDHS. The garden was funded by the United Indigenous Student Council group, which in turn is funded by Six Nations of the Grand River. It is maintained by the Kiwanis Club of Paris-Brant. To prepare for the season, a cleanup, some repairs and painting were completed; then some seasonal produce seeds were planted: rhubarb, shallots were planted, corn, beans and squash. The finished product will be donated to the Paris Food Bank, located at the Salvation Army.

Children invited to annual Bike Rodeo next weekend!

By Casandra Turnbull

The Annual Bike Rodeo has been a longstanding tradition in town for more than 30 years. The fun event brings families together to show off their creatively decorated bicycles and learn a little bit about bike safety. It’s a fun yet valuable experience for children and it takes place next Saturday. Hosted by The Paris Community Safety Group, the rodeo starts at 10 am and runs until noon at the Syl Apps Community Centre parking lot. Event organizers are pleased with this year’s central location and combined with some nice weather they are hoping for a good turnout

The Paris Community Safety Group has organized the rodeo for over 10 years, taking the reins from the Paris Optimist Club who ran it for many years. This year’s rodeo is supported by the Brantford Safety Village, the Paris Optimist Club, the Brant County OPP, and Robin McNaughton from the Cooperators. McNaughton generously donates the new bicycle that is awarded to one lucky participant. The Paris Firefighters’Club has donated funds to help organizers purchase bike safety items to hand out as prizes Several local organizations work hand in hand to offer this free event, all in the name of safety and public education

“We feel that with the increased population and traffic it is necessary more than ever that our children learn to ride their bicycle safely. Our region is a hub for bike trails and it is important to start bicycle safety at an early age so that it is an enjoyable lifelong passion,” said Edith Stone, Chair of the Paris Community Safety Group.

Stone became involved in the local safety group when her children, now grown, were attending North Ward School

Last year, Kathryn McLaren was the lucky draw winner of a brand-new bike generously donated by the McNaughton Agency of The Co-Operators in Paris. Pictured above left to right is Edith Stone, Chair of the Paris Community Safety Group, Kathryn and Robin McNaughton, the Co-Operators.

As the Home and School Chair she was instrumental in securing crossing guards to help the school children cross busy streets to get to school The Paris Safety Community Group, called the ‘Community Policing’ group at that time, issued a letter of support to address County Council. That was the start of a connection that led to a couple decades (and counting) of community volunteerism. The bike rodeo is open to children ages four and up. No registration required just show up on the morning of the event with your decorated bike and be ready to navigate the course filled with various stations that test your skills and bike safety knowledge.