THE
SERVING THE MAPLETON COMMUNITY
COMMUNITY NEWS Volume 48 Issue 51
Drayton, Ontario
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Friday, December 18, 2015
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Meeting planned to clarify status of splash pad project
Learning and giving - Grade 5/6 students from Maryborough Public School in Moorefield put their math and shopping skills to the test on Dec. 9 during the annual Shop with a Cop event held at Drayton Food Market. Students were given $100 to spend on non-perishable food items that are then donated to the Drayton Food Bank. Shaelyn Martin, left, and Mackenzie Martin, along with OPP officer Rick Lytle, went slightly over the mark at $106. The top team spent $99.85. Students are given a clipboard, paper and pencil to keep track of their purchases. After checking out, the students push their grocery carts to the Drayton Food Bank located at the nearby Drayton Reformed church. Each student receives a ride in either a fire truck or police cruiser for the round trip from the school to the grocery store and back. Additional photo on page 5.
photo by Caroline Sealey
by Patrick Raftis DRAYTON - Mapleton staff will meet with proponents of a proposed splash pad in the new year in order to clarify the project’s status. The splash pad was initially proposed by the Rotary Club of Drayton and Mapleton council supported the project in principle at the Jan. 28, 2014 meeting based on a parks and recreation committee recommendation. In an update provided to the recreation committee on Oct. 5, CAO Brad McRoberts reported preliminary estimates place the total cost of the project at between $100,000 and $200,000. McRoberts noted the Rotary Club and Drayton Kinettes have raised about $10,000 and hope to have the project completed in 2017. A splash pad was also among the list
Klaassen’s art subject of first Mapleton Cultural Moment MAPLETON - The first installment of the Mapleton Cultural Moment recognized a local artist, the late Hennrietta Klaassen. Mapleton business development and marketing co-ordinator Crystal Ellis gave a brief presentation on the life and art of Klaassen, better known as “Henni,� at the Dec. 8 council meeting. Council agreed to add a moment highlighting local culture to its regular meeting agenda at the suggestion of Mayor Neil Driscoll. Klaassen was a lifelong artist, and an art teacher at Waterloo Collegiate Institute for more than 20 years. Ellis described Klaassen as, “A dedicated mother and pro-
lific artist who will be remembered for her warm and generous spirit, boundless creativity, and her tireless commitment to learning and teaching.� She also called her a “creative risk taker with a passion for art, a commitment to community; and a kind-hearted collaborator.� Klaassen grew up in the Drayton/Moorefield area and attended Norwell District Secondary School. She completed her fine arts degree at the University of Guelph and her teaching degree at the University of Toronto. She painted throughout her life exhibiting many times at galleries in Guelph and Toronto. Klaassen, her husband Continued on page 10
of projects recommended for the township’s 50/50 funding program by the parks and recreation committee at the Oct. 5 meeting. Councillor Michael Martin suggested at the Dec. 8 meeting that communication is needed to determine where the project stands. “I know there’s a resolution of previous council that supports, philosophically, the creation of the splash pad,â€? said Martin. “But in the new year, I would like to sit down with some of these groups that are raising money - if we could all get on the same page here there’s a lot of external issues coming up whether it’s wastewater allocation or whether it’s cost ‌ so we’d kind of have an idea of the vision perhaps, rather than this motion that’s kind of sitting out there in theory.â€?
Councillor Marlene Ottens agreed, stating, “I think it’s easier to raise money for something that’s tangible, rather than an abstract concept.� McRoberts offered to set up a meeting between staff and splash pad proponents and bring a report back to council. McRoberts’ earlier report raised questions about the size of the project and volume of water to be used. The report indicated the annual cost of the operation for a splash pad in Owen Sound is about $17,758. “This cost is for water only as the water is then treated on site (de-chlorinated) and discharged to the harbour. If it was discharged to the sanitary (sewer system) the cost would at least double,� stated the report. “This could mean an operating cost of $15,000 to $35,000 Continued on page 12
Township won’t plow local trails in winter
Cultural moment - Mapleton Mayor Neil Driscoll and business development and marketing coordinator Crystal Ellis pose with an untitled painting by the late Henni Klaassen. The Mapleton artist’s work was the subject of the first cultural moment, which has been initiated as a regular feature at township council meetings. Ellis pointed out the natural landscape was one of the biggest influences that can been seen in much of Klaassen’s work. This piece is part of a series exploring textures, which Klaassen created in 2012. photo by Patrick Raftis
by Patrick Raftis ALMA - Mapleton council has decided not to act on a request for winter plowing of a portion of the walking trail through Wallace Cumming Park here. On Nov. 24 Jim de Bock of the Alma Optimist Club presented council with the request. De Bock noted the Alma Public School track and field team uses the trail on a weekly basis. He said local residents and groups, as well as visitors to the community, also use it regularly. A staff report from CAO Brad McRoberts presented to council at the Dec. 8 meeting indicates providing the ser-
vice at the Alma park would set a precedent for providing similar service levels in other communities “and the overall cost and implications need to be considered on this basis.� The report notes there are about of three kilometres of trails in Mapleton, approximately 1.2km in Drayton, 0.5km in Moorefield and 1.3km in Wallace Cumming Park. McRoberts estimates providing maintenance the entire 3km would require approximately three to five hours per snowfall. An additional two to three hours would be required for travel and loading/unloading equipment. Continued on page 10
Mapleton turned down by Trillium for Drayton skatepark funding
by Patrick Raftis MAPLETON - Mayor Neil Driscoll was not happy to learn the municipality’s application for Ontario Trillium Foundation funding for a skate park in Drayton has been turned down. Driscoll reported at the Dec. 8 council meeting that he was advised in a recent telephone conversation that Mapleton’s application was unsuccessful. “I did get a call back from the Trillium organization, if you can call them that,� said Driscoll. He added a Trillium official advised him “the
threshold for your area has been already allocated.� Essentially, said Driscoll, “they spent the money before our application was looked at.� He added he was also told that other applicants “were more needy than we were.� The Trillium official told Driscoll the township should take a look at its “dollar metrics� and costs per square foot and re-apply for a future round of funding. Driscoll said the official “couldn’t tell me� what grant threshold area Mapleton Town-
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ship is in. Driscoll also said he asked the official, “how does one get on that committee?� and suggested to council, “Maybe it’s time to get someone from Mapleton on that committee.� He said the official declined to tell him “how many rural people are on this committee� or to provide an application form. The OTF website indicates local funding applications are assessed by the foundation’s Waterloo-Wellington-Dufferin Grant Review Team, whose
members’ names and brief biographies can be found on the website of the Ontario Public Appointments Secretariat. Driscoll stated, “It’s just very frustrating that they can say we only have so many dollars for your area ‌ to me she’s saying, ‘Yeah, maybe you think your project is important but we only have so many dollars and we want to get rid of them as quickly as possible.’â€? The topic arose after councillor Marlene Ottens asked if the skate park project should be added to a list of projects
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under consideration for Mapleton’s 50/50 funding program, through which the municipality shares costs of community improvement projects with local service groups or other organizations. CAO Brad McRoberts noted that since the Trillium application for skate park funding was unsuccessful, “we’re missing that one-third of the funding, approximately $33,000.� However, McRoberts said accessing the 50/50 program may not be the next move the township should make.
“I believe there’s a whole raft of discussions that we need to have ‌ it might be a bit premature at this point to suggest we take additional 50/50 funding and contribute to it,â€? he said. Council has approved the idea of a skate park at a location in Drayton’s Kinsmen Park, utilizing and combination of community fundraising, local business sponsorship, municipal dollars and grant funding. The cost of the facility has been estimated at about $100,000.
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