Residents encouraged to participate in “say how you play” effort
The Municipality of Port Hope is preparing a new Leisure Services Master Plan to identify community priorities for parks, recreation, and culture services over the next ten years.
“Always striving to meet and exceed the interests of our community, Staff has designed a Leisure Services Master Plan campaign that will help inform them of the recreation, leisure, and cultural experiences that best suit our residents,” explains Bob Sanderson, Mayor of the Municipality of Port Hope. “This campaign also aligns nicely with our Strategic Plan, with a goal to enhance the quality of life for our residents.”
Through public input and research, the Master Plan will be an actionable strategy that can readily adapt to changes in the community and emerging trends. In concert with other guiding documents (such as the Official Plan, 2009 Consolidated Waterfront Master Plan, 2011 Active Transportation and Trails Master Plan, 2012 Cultural Plan, and 2016 Age Friendly Plan), the Plan will assist the Municipality and stakeholders in making strategic investments to promote a healthy community and improve the quality of life for residents.
The Master Plan will explore topics including:
· Recreation and culture programs
· Indoor and outdoor facilities
· Parks and open spaces
· Related services and practices
“This campaign will enable us to determine the best use of tax dollars for facilities, program offerings, recreation opportunities, cultural programming, parks and field usage and more,” continues Jim McCormack, Director of Parks, Recreation, and Culture. “The 2010 Leisure Services Master Plan was a highly successful strategy that provided the roadmap for our popular recreation and leisure services over the last decade. It’s time for an update, and this campaign will undoubtedly ensure that the new Master Plan addresses the current wants and needs of the community, with a clear vision for the Department for the next ten years.”
Public and stakeholder consultation is critical to developing a plan that responds to community needs. As such, Staff has launched a “Say How You Play” campaign, a community engagement effort aimed at determining how residents use parks, facilities, and services, as well as how we can improve public spaces and services for future generations. Additionally, the Municipality has retained Monteith Brown and Associates to assist with the community engagement campaign and draft the Master Plan.
Over the coming months, there will be a number of opportunities to get involved, including:
· A Community Survey.
Online: www.surveymonkey.com/r/leisureservicesmp
In-person at Municipal facilities (once they reopen to the public)
· Public Open House for residents to learn about the project and to provide input.
· Written comment submissions may be directed to jsnoek@porthope.ca
Residents can also look forward to a Public Input Session, to be held near the end of the planning process to present the Draft Master Plan and gather additional feedback.
Note: In-person consultation events are impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and will be scheduled at an appropriate time in the future.
Additional information and campaign details can be found at porthope.ca/say-how-you-play
Author: Pete Fisher
Has been a photojournalist for over 30-years and have been honoured to win numerous awards for photography and writing over the years. Best selling author for the book Highway of Heroes - True Patriot Love
