Online or in person, have your say about proposed sites for the aquatic centre and double gymnasium

Residents are invited to go online or visit a public open house next week to examine details and provide feedback about the three shortlisted sites for the proposed aquatic centre and double gymnasium in Orillia.

The open house date has been set for Wednesday, Oct. 24^th from 7:30 pm to 9:30 pm at the Orillia City Centre, 50 Andrew St. S.

Earlier this week, the Recreation Facilities Committee (RFC) shortlisted the following locations:

• David H. Church School, 230 James St. E.
• McKinnell Square Park, 135 Dunedin St.
• A portion of the FLSmidth lands, 174 West St. S.

 Site plan drawings, a list of pros and cons for each location, and a survey to solicit residents’ feedback will be available at the open house. Or, people can find the same information and survey online. Visit www.orillia.ca and click “Recreation Facility Project.”

All public comment received at the open house or online will be presented to the RFC for consideration before any site decision is made. 

“We want everyone who’s interested to come out and ask any questions they’d like and see and hear for themselves why these sites were chosen,” said Councillor Michael Fogarty, RFC Chair. “We’ve done a lot of community consultation the past year and this is another opportunity for people to let us know what they think so that we can make an informed decision.”

As a base programme, the new facility will include:

• An aquatic centre with a 25-metre pool, leisure pool and therapy pool
• A double gymnasium that can accommodate two International Basketball Association-sized courts (as a minimum), as well as additional support spaces.

The Committee also chose additional amenities for consideration:

• Walking/running track
• Fitness Centre
• Pre-school/babysitting program room
• Shuffleboard courts/skateboard park
• Four-diamond baseball complex with support amenities

The Committee’s has done extensive research and engaged the public on this project over the last year by:

• Spearheading a study that showed the recreation needs of Orillians have changed over the last decade and that an aquatic centre and double gymnasium are the required elements at this time;
• Initiating surveys and interviews with more than 30 related stakeholder groups which represent a broad cross-section of potential facility users;
• Holding public meetings so that people could ask questions about and examine conceptual drawings of the facility;
• Creating four working groups that included community volunteers and stakeholder organizations that have recommended additional amenities to complement the aquatic centre and double gymnasium. The working groups met all year to provide a list of recommendations to the committee;
• Listening to the concerns of individual constituents about the final site and amenities required in the facility.

 For more information, please visit www.orillia.ca and click on “Recreation Facility Project.”

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Media Contact information:

Joe Kim

Communications Manager

City of Orillia

705-325-8929

jkim@orillia.ca