Plans Coming Together for a New Multi Use Recreational Facility in Ingersoll

Tuesday, 27 August 2019 10:26

The Town of Ingersoll is ready to submit an application for funding to build a new rec centre on Clarke Road that would include an ice pad, full sized gymnasium and a community centre.

INGERSOLL - The Town of Ingersoll is one step closer towards building a new multi use recreational facility.

The Town held a special council meeting last night so they could put something down on paper and submit an application for provincial funding. Mayor Ted Comiskey says they were looking at two locations and have settled on Clarke Road.

"The two sites we were looking at was the site above the north town line and also the site on Clarke Road. Because of the time frame that the Ministry has given us to make an application, we are really limited to the one option and that is the Clarke Road.

Comiskey says council also approved the recreational items that would be included in the new building, with the understanding that it will designed in such a way they can always add more.

"The building that would be constructed, would allow us to expand in the future, would allow us to add items. So in other words, last night we approved a single ice pad, a large gymnasium, a large rec centre or community centre and all the items that would go along with that, change rooms etc, etc. The design is going to be able implement a second ice pad down the road, if the community wants it and it can also have another ice pad for say the curling club attached to it, we could have additional buildings put onto it as well. So the whole idea is that this is a multi use recreational centre, with the potential to enlarge as the population requires."

Members of the public attended the meeting last night in earnest and Comiskey says a lot of the ground work on this project was done by the community.

"I want to thank the Multi Use Recreational Facility Group that came together, parts of the community, council representation, they are the ones that really did all of the foot work on this. I'd like to thank them for that, because what came in front of us last night, which we have seen, almost two years ago, but what we talked about last night and discussed was all the work that they did to put this together. So I want to thank the community for their participation in making their rec centre."

Comiskey says the old arena has run it's course and they will not maintain it once the new facility is built. It will still be in use however until the new rec centre is built. The Town will submit their application for funding from the Province in early September and then we can go from there.