Adam Prudhomme
Editor
On the one year anniversary of its election, Greater Napanee council spent a good portion of its regular meeting on Tuesday discussing a familiar topic-an aquatics facility.
This discussion was a bit different, as it centred around exploring partnerships with surrounding municipalities in an effort to secure funding for a new pool and recreation centre.
Welcoming members from neighbouring Loyalist Township, the chambers heard of a proposed sustainable community centre partnership that would see Greater Napanee support in principle a funding application by Loyalist.
Ric Breese, mayor of Loyalist, addressed Greater Napanee council in a deputation asking for support in their quest to secure an Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program grant to upgrade the W J Henderson Arena, which is located in Amherstview. Noting that six per cent of current users to the arena were Napanee residents-which amounted to about 230 people-Breese reasoned an upgraded facility would benefit Greater Napanee as well.
“What we want to do is create a place for all ages and abilities that is easy to access and circulate through, with a program that extends outdoors, innovative in air quality, big focus on innovation and inclusivity as well,” said Loyalist CAO Rami Maassarani.
The proposed upgrades, which currently project to cost upwards of $50 million, would see the W J Henderson Arena replace its current pool with a new one, renovate the library and become home to its municipal offices and social services. Though the W J Henderson Arena does currently have a pool, at 45 years old its nearing the end of its life and would need costly repairs if it’s to be used much longer.
Loyalist came to Napanee looking for no promise of financial support at the moment, rather just a general show of support with no obligation attached.
“If municipalities join together to combine resources, odds of the project being funded (by the ICIP grant) increase significantly,” said Maassarani.
“I think that there is a fear that you would be looking to absorb any program that might replace anything we might do here,” said Greater Napanee mayor Marg Isbester. “Neither of us are trying to do the other one out of a facility that is needed in both areas.”
Council ultimately agreed to accept Loyalist’s presentation with the condition that they made no promise of financial support and would revisit the idea down the road if they are successful in obtaining funding. Greater Napanee is working on a proposal of their own for funding of an aquatics facility that would possibly be built onto their own existing arena. The deadline to municipalities to apply to the federally and provincially funded grant is Nov. 12.
“We’re not trying to get Loyalist Township to build us a pool,” Isbester stated. “We’re trying to get them to support us in us getting an aquatics centre and we’re trying to support them in not just an aquatics centre, but every other feature they’re looking for that we’re not looking for in our application.”
Deputy mayor Max Kaiser made a motion that Greater Napanee seek support for their own application from neighbouring municipalities to the west who would be likely to use an aquatics facility if one were built in Napanee.
-A date is expected to be determined for a public meeting on taxation policy at council’s next meeting, which is set for Nov. 12. Town staff will provide a list of dates that fit around everyone’s schedule and council will vote on the date and location of the meeting, which is expected to be of great interest to residents.
-Isbester opened the council meeting with a few comments on the federal election.
“We want to congratulate Mr. (Derek) Sloan on his victory to be our new representative within Hastings-Lennox and Addington,” said Isbester. “We’re wishing him success. I understand he’s going to be reaching out to us, which is great. I’d also like to thank Mike Bossio for his solid years of working on behalf of our riding and the people in it.”