Councillor Veri says “that decommissioning arenas is a non-starter”

By Jacob Fehr

LAST Thursday, Norfolk County’s Recreation and Parks Advisory Committee met at the County Administration Building in Simcoe to hear a presentation from municipal staff on a draft of the county’s new Master Recreation Plan. Community members were welcome to attend and offer comments at the meeting or online until March 3.

The plan makes many recommendations regarding Norfolk’s public recreation facilities, buildings, outdoor areas, and possible future recreation spaces. One of the most prominent recommendations is to build a new recreation facility with four ice pads in a location central to the county.

If that suggestion sounds familiar, it’s because building a new recreation facility to serve the whole county, often called “the hub,” was a hot-button issue locally from 2018–2020.

In 2018, Norfolk County Mayor Amy Martin campaigned for and won the county’s Ward 6 council seat as a strong proponent of the idea.

In 2019, the county applied to the province for $36.5-million to help build the recreation hub it envisioned on a $3.2-million land parcel at 682 Ireland Rd. in Simcoe.

Ontario refused to fund the county’s hub proposal. Subsequently, council decided to sell the hub land back to its previous owner, Zitia Group of Paris, in 2020.

Kristal Chopp, then Norfolk’s mayor, said in 2020 that she was unsurprised Norfolk’s application was unsuccessful.

“You had to be living under a rock to not see that coming,” she said.

Around that time, Ward 1 Councillor Tom Masschaele declared, “The hub is over.”

But now, some residents worry that the hub may be back.

Plan proposes closing four arenas, Annaleise Carr Aquatic Centre pool

The main recommendation in the Master Recreation Plan is to “construct a new facility in a central location, ensuring easy access for the entire Norfolk County community.”

That facility would have four ice pads and “a 25-metre, 8-lane competitive swimming pool alongside a therapeutic warm water pool.”

“Building four arenas together will reduce construction costs, streamline ice bookings, and optimize staff allocation, as one set of staff can efficiently operate multiple pads. This approach is expected to achieve approximately 25 per cent savings in energy costs through advanced ice refrigeration and HVAC systems. Additionally, more ice rental time will be available due to improved staffing alignment with scheduling,” the plan states.

The plan also indicates building new ice pads and a pool at one site would “optimize energy use and improve efficiency.”

Recommendations in the plan regarding Norfolk’s existing arenas and pools are contingent on council approving the hub proposal. Those recommendations include:

• Closing Talbot Gardens in Simcoe and tearing down its structure but keeping its ice surface for use from December to February as an outdoor rink.
• Closing Tricenturena in Waterford and reviewing it for non-recreational repurposing in the future.
• Closing Port Dover Arena and redesigning it as a recreation space for pickleball, badminton, and volleyball, and adding the town’s Senior Centre to the site.
• Closing Langton Arena and consulting with the public to select its next use, potentially as an indoor soccer facility.
• Keeping Delhi Arena open.
• Closing the Annaleise Carr Aquatic Centre in Simcoe, filling in the pool, and deciding its new purpose. Proposed options include renting the space to be used as a fitness facility operated by a private business and redesigning it as a recreation facility accommodating sports such as basketball and badminton.
• Keeping Delhi Kinsmen Pool open.

The 82-page plan contains several other recommendations regarding county recreation facilities, parks, trails, community centres, and more. To view the complete plan online, go to engagenorfolk.ca/recreation-without-borders.

Councillor responds to residents riled up by recommendations

Last Wednesday, a community member’s post on Facebook regarding the Master Recreation Plan received over 200 comments, many rebuking the plan’s recommendations for Norfolk arenas.

Some pointed out that last year, the county spent millions renovating bathrooms at arenas the report recommends for closure, suggesting it would be wasteful to close those facilities. Others mentioned that moving arenas away from users will increase fuel costs for parents who must drive their children further to skate or play hockey.

Ward 6 Counc. Adam Veri responded to some residents’ concerns directly on social media. The next day, he made a post addressing the hub hubbub.

“Council is not bound by any of Brenda’s recommendations. [Recently], council gathered for an information session in chambers where Brenda shared her draft report with us for the first time.

The sentiment from council was that decommissioning arenas is a non-starter.

“One thing that Brenda’s study did not fully capture is the social and cultural significance that arenas play in Norfolk County’s small communities. And that’s okay. The county brought in someone from outside Norfolk to take an unbiased look at what we’re doing and make suggestions. That’s a good approach. There’s no point in hiring someone to tell us what we already know.

“This is why you elect councillors you can trust to make decisions on your behalf. We know our communities and we know the priorities our residents have. Brenda did a good job and her conclusions about the arenas are logical. They are also not acceptable to most residents. Both of those things can be true at the same time.

“To be perfectly clear: council was never planning to decommission arenas. There is zero interest in exploring that recommendation any further. This was not a secret plan to put the hub concept back on the table. All related conspiracies and rumours are completely unfounded and total nonsense,” he said.

Staff will present the plan again at the council-in-committee meeting on Tuesday, March 11. At that meeting, the committee will discuss the plan and advise council about how to proceed.

Residents interested in sharing their thoughts on the plan should consider making a deputation at the meeting or contacting their councillor.

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Originally published March 5, 2025