The Mayor of Bluewater says he's been in very preliminary discussions with neighbouring municipalities about the potential for a regional approach to delivering recreation.
Tyler Hessel explains he's been talking to the Mayors of Huron East and Central Huron about conducting a study on what is currently available and what is needed and they hope to meeting with the Tourism, Sport and Culture Minister at the ROMA conference this month to discuss possible funding for the study. Hessel says the challenge for all of the municipalities is that when the lower-tiers amalgamated in 2001 they all brought their ageing infrastructure with them and it has now reached the point where major repairs or even complete re-builds are required so there is a lot of competition for limited dollars. Hessel says faced with that backdrop they have to be very efficient in how they deliver recreation and a regional approach might help eliminate duplication.
Hessel also points out under the Municipal Act municipalities are legally obligated to provide infrastructure like roads and bridges but they are not required to provide recreational services. So municipalities have built a wide range of recreational facilities with no provincial funding to support them and now many of those recreational facilities need some attention.