GET TO SHOVELS
FASTER.
Collingwood has spent years studying recreation needs. The need is no longer the question.
What we already know
- 3,300+Responses to the general survey.Joint MURF Feasibility Assessment
- ~90%Said recreation facilities were very or extremely important to them.Joint MURF Feasibility Assessment
- 37 acresAt 725 Tenth Line, about 34 of them buildable.Town of Collingwood
- ~245,000 sq ftThe size of facility the Town says the site can support.Town of Collingwood
The Town and The Blue Mountains completed a Joint Multi-Use Recreation Feasibility Assessment that found strong demand for additional recreation capacity across multiple categories. More than 3,300 people responded to the general survey, and approximately 90% said recreation facilities were very or extremely important to them. The study ranked aquatics first, ice second and courts third, followed by library and community space.
Joint Multi-Use Recreation Feasibility Assessment, via Town of Collingwood council materials
Council has also now authorized the purchase of 725 Tenth Line for a future Multi-Use Recreation Facility and other potential community uses. The property is approximately 37 acres, with about 34 buildable acres, and the Town says it can support a facility of up to roughly 245,000 square feet, associated parking and site infrastructure, with room for future expansion. The land transaction is expected to be completed by the end of 2026.
Town of Collingwood, Engage Collingwood
Our arenas, pools and gyms are effectively at capacity. When nearly every hour is booked by leagues or paid programs, free skates, family skates, open gyms and public swims disappear with them — and lower-income families are the first to lose access. New capacity should create room for everyone, not just more booked hours.
We have moved beyond asking whether Collingwood needs more recreation capacity. The question now is: how do we get it built?
SYNCHRONIZED
PARALLEL DELIVERY.
Major municipal projects are too often managed sequentially. One study finishes before another starts. Design waits for servicing. Funding waits for design. Partnerships wait for a finished concept. Procurement starts late. Every handoff creates more waiting. That can add years.
Program → site work → design → funding → partnerships → operating model → procurement → construction
Each stage waits for the one before it. Dead time builds up.I want to run the MURF differently. Instead of moving one major workstream at a time, I would move the critical pieces in parallel, connected through one project lead, one master schedule and constant communication. We would launch the major workstreams together:
- Program + designConfirm what we are actually building, right-size the facility and move concept design forward.
- Site + servicingAdvance water, wastewater, stormwater, transportation, utilities, environmental work, parking and site access while design is underway.
- Funding + grantsPursue provincial, federal and other funding sources while the project is still being shaped.
- Regional partnershipsWork with neighbouring municipalities, the County, schools, sports organizations and other potential partners before the project scope is locked down.
- Operating modelDetermine staffing, maintenance, utilities, programming, rental revenues, sponsorships and the expected annual taxpayer contribution before construction.
- Procurement + deliveryDetermine the best project-delivery method early so procurement does not become the next major delay.
The goal is not to skip steps. The goal is to stop making every step wait for the last one.
ONE PROJECT. ONE SCHEDULE.
ONE SOURCE OF TRUTH.
Parallel delivery only works if everyone is working from the same information. I would establish a dedicated MURF Project Office with one accountable project lead responsible for integrating all of the workstreams. That team would work from one live critical-path schedule, one decision log, one funding calendar and one project budget.
- If Engineering discovers a servicing issue, Design should know immediately.
- If a grant requires a specific accessibility, sustainability or tournament component, the Design and Finance teams should know before the drawings are finished.
- If a regional partner is prepared to contribute capital or commit to long-term programming, that needs to be incorporated before scope is finalized.
- If the operating model shows an amenity creates an unsustainable annual cost, we should fix that during design, not after the building is already built.
Residents should also be able to follow the project. A public dashboard should show where we are on design, cost, funding, partnerships, servicing, procurement, risks and schedule. If something moves off schedule, Council and the public should know why and what is being done about it.
PARALLEL DOES NOT
MEAN RECKLESS.
There still need to be clear decision gates. We should not commit taxpayers to full construction while major questions remain unanswered. The work moves forward in parallel, but Council still stops at major checkpoints.
- ScopeDo we agree on what we are building?
- Business caseDo we understand capital cost, operating cost and project risk?
- FundingDo we have a responsible funding stack and municipal contribution?
- ConstructionAre design, procurement, financing and schedule ready to move?
That gives us speed and financial discipline.
What should be in it
The final amenity mix has not yet been approved by Council. The feasibility assessment ranked aquatics as the number-one priority, followed by ice and courts, and also identified strong demand for community gathering space, walking space, fitness and other multi-use amenities. My vision is to test a true regional recreation destination built around:
- A major aquatics component
- Two ice pads
- Four indoor courts
- Fitness and wellness space
- An indoor walking component
- Modern change rooms
- Community and meeting rooms
- A community kitchen
- Flexible family and gathering space
- Spectator and tournament infrastructure
- Room for future expansion
That is a vision, not a blank cheque. The business case needs to determine the right scale for each component based on demand, cost, operating impact, partnerships and available funding. The feasibility assessment itself recommended developing multiple options, ranging from a larger full-service facility to a more modest version focused on the highest-priority amenities. That is exactly the approach I support.
BUILD FOR THE COLLINGWOOD
WE ARE BECOMING.
This facility cannot be designed only for today's population. Collingwood is projected to continue growing significantly over the coming decades, and the property sits close to The Blue Mountains, Clearview and major future-growth areas. The feasibility assessment specifically identified population growth and existing recreation capacity pressures as reasons doing nothing would be an unwise option, and noted that some of the strongest growth in both Collingwood and The Blue Mountains is occurring near the municipal boundary.
That means the site plan should preserve room to grow. We may not need every future court, rink, pool feature or community space on day one. But we should make sure utilities, parking, access, servicing and the building layout allow expansion without starting over.
- Reserve expansion zonesKeep clear areas where another rink, court, wellness or community space could be added.
- Plan the circulationEntrances, parking, servicing and internal corridors should anticipate future additions.
- Place the plant smartlyMechanical, electrical and back-of-house systems should not sit where future growth needs to go.
- Build flexible roomsMovable walls, shared support spaces and multi-purpose rooms where that makes sense.
- Phase the programAdd future amenities when demand, partnerships and funding justify them.
- Upgrade over timeSystems should be designed so technology can change without rebuilding the building.
MAKE IT REGIONAL
WHERE IT MAKES SENSE.
The original feasibility assessment was completed jointly with The Blue Mountains and ultimately recommended a partnership approach, because combining resources could create greater financial capacity, larger-scale amenities and potentially a stronger case for outside funding. The Blue Mountains has since continued considering a partnership approach for the next phase of its recreation planning. The new site also sits close to both The Blue Mountains and Clearview, and the Town specifically identifies the location as creating opportunities for regional partnerships and shared services.
I would bring those conversations back to the table early. That does not mean Collingwood gives up ownership or control. It means asking whether other communities are prepared to contribute through capital funding, operating agreements, guaranteed programming hours, tournament partnerships, shared services or other arrangements. I would also explore opportunities with Wasaga Beach, Simcoe County, school boards, sports organizations, healthcare and wellness organizations and institutional partners where there is a clear benefit to Collingwood. A larger demonstrated service area can strengthen the project's business case and make it easier to show broader community impact.
USE PARTNERSHIPS TO CHASE
MORE OUTSIDE MONEY.
Ontario's Community Sport and Recreation Infrastructure Fund, Stream 2, supports major new and transformative recreation facilities. Municipalities can apply for up to 50% of eligible project costs, to a maximum of $10 million, and the Ministry may consider more than $10 million for a qualifying Signature New Build under unique and exceptional circumstances. The current intake closes on 22 December 2026 at 4:00 p.m.
Government of Ontario, Community Sport and Recreation Infrastructure Fund Stream 2 guidelines
- Operating and financial capacity
- 30%
- Community need
- 25%
- Addressing a gap in services
- 20%
- Economic impact
- 15%
- Community support
- 5%
- Value for money
- 5%
That lines up extremely well with the work already completed through the feasibility assessment, and it is worth reading the weightings carefully: the single biggest thing the Province scores is whether we can actually afford to operate the building. The fund also recognizes projects that can attract sporting events, tourism and economic activity. A regional partnership does not automatically raise the Province's percentage contribution. What it can do is create a stronger story around a larger population served, demonstrated need, shared use, stronger financial capacity, tourism, tournaments and regional economic impact — and if neighbouring municipalities contribute financially, that reduces the amount that has to come directly from Collingwood.
BUILD IT AS A
RECREATION DESTINATION.
Community access must come first. But the facility should also be designed to attract tournaments, competitions and regional events. A properly designed combination of ice, courts and aquatics could bring families into Collingwood throughout the year. That supports hotels, restaurants, shops and local businesses while generating facility revenues through rentals, programming, concessions and events. The feasibility assessment itself identified the ability of a larger regional facility to support higher-calibre recreation offerings and tourism as one of the potential benefits of partnership. We should design for that opportunity from the beginning.
KNOW THE OPERATING COST
BEFORE WE BUILD.
Capital cost gets most of the attention on large public projects. Operating cost is what residents pay for every year afterward. Before final construction approval, I want Council and residents to see a realistic operating model. We should know the expected costs of staffing, utilities, maintenance, repairs and lifecycle replacement. We should also know the realistic revenues from memberships, ice rentals, aquatics, court rentals, tournaments, camps, concessions, leased space, sponsorship and programming. The feasibility assessment specifically identifies the operating model, anticipated revenue and expenses, governance and capital requirements as part of the next detailed business-case stage.
The annual taxpayer subsidy should not be a surprise after the doors open.
CONTROL THE COST
BEFORE CONSTRUCTION.
This is a major project, and I will not support an unlimited municipal cheque. The feasibility assessment notes that without a detailed footprint and program it is too early to determine a reliable final construction cost. Its 2025 benchmarking used a broad hard-cost range of approximately $670 to $1,180 per square foot, plus typical soft costs such as architecture and engineering. That range alone shows why scope matters.
Joint Multi-Use Recreation Feasibility Assessment, 2025 benchmarking
Before Council approves construction, I want:
- A defined program
- Independent cost estimates
- A funding strategy
- A realistic operating model
- A risk register
- A maximum municipal contribution
We should also independently re-price the project as design advances, so Council sees cost escalation early instead of after tender.
The first 90 days
As Mayor, I would push to establish the parallel delivery structure immediately. My first ninety-day plan for this project would be:
- Create the MURF Project Office with one accountable project lead and an integrated staff team.
- Confirm the functional program and develop multiple scope options rather than one all-or-nothing concept.
- Launch site, servicing and infrastructure work immediately so those issues do not delay design later.
- Build the grant strategy now, including a full assessment of the current CSRIF opportunity and other eligible funding.
- Re-open formal regional partnership discussions with The Blue Mountains, Clearview, Wasaga Beach, Simcoe County, school boards and other potential partners.
- Develop the operating pro forma at the same time as concept design, not afterward.
- Determine the preferred procurement and project-delivery method early.
- Publish the master schedule and project dashboard so residents can see exactly what needs to happen before shovels go into the ground.
WORK IN PARALLEL.
COMMUNICATE IN SYNC.
GET TO SHOVELS FASTER.
By the end of the first major phase, Collingwood should know exactly what we are building, what it costs, who is partnering with us, what grants we are pursuing, what taxpayers are responsible for, what it will cost to operate and when we can realistically begin construction. That is when we move to shovels. Not because we rushed — because we removed unnecessary waiting.
I support the Multi-Use Recreation Facility. But supporting it means more than saying we should build one. It means having a credible plan to design it, finance it, operate it and deliver it. Collingwood has already done a significant amount of the research. The site is being secured. The community has told us recreation matters. Now we need to execute. Do the planning. Line up the funding. Run the work in parallel. Then build it.