EZT rec committee provides township with budget wish list after public consultation; chair hoping to improve communication with residents

By Lee Griffi, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

East Zorra-Tavistock’s (EZT) recreation advisory committee (RAC) has operated for over two years with what could be called a low profile, but that may change as the township prepares the 2025 budget.

Kyle Smith is a community member and chair of the committee, and he explained there are three projects RAC has asked council to consider.

“A multi-use facility, a splash pad in Innerkip and a dog park. These were top items to be considered from two open houses as well as an online survey that was completed in the summer by staff and committee,” he said. 

The results were presented to the committee in the fall and included data from township residents. There was a total of 16 asks by residents and the top three were a multi-use facility, outdoor multi-use courts and more trails. The spray pad came in at seventh on the list while the dog park was 10^th.

“From the discussion at the October meeting, township staff indicated there are several grant opportunities that they would look at applying for should council approve such projects. Keep in mind our committee mandate is to make suggestions to council, and it's ultimately their decision to approve our recommendations,” said Smith.

Larry Brown is a Tavistock resident who started a walking and social group at the Memorial Hall in Tavistock during the colder months. He said the recommendations, particularly the bricks and mortar part, are a step in the right direction.

“It’s good to see at least some interest in expanding the facilities across the board.”

Brown said one of the barriers to expanding the offerings for area residents is a lack of available storage for items such as crokinole boards. He added municipalities need to do more for residents, mainly because fewer people are involved in organizing social and recreational activities.

“The community spirit has definitely diminished. People are extremely busy working multiple jobs and when they get home, they have to rush their kids to hockey and other activities. It doesn’t leave a lot of time for anything other than family. That shows up in the lack of interest in service clubs.”

Brown, a member of the Tavistock Men’s Club, said some people can’t afford to pay membership fees nor do they have the time to participate.

Currently, there is no programming offered by the township, but Smith explained some residents have come forward to organize their own.

“The township itself currently doesn't offer programming directly on their behalf but there are some community members that have come forward and started a variety of programs be it outdoors or indoors. We've heard from pickleball groups, a walking group and there's a group that gets together and plays cards in Tavistock.”

Brown and his wife, Nancy, have been bringing seniors together on Monday and Wednesday mornings and so far, the township has not asked them to pay for use of the Memorial Hall.

Smith added the committee has talked about the potential of the township itself offering programming directly from the township, but no suggestions have reached the council table yet. He also said improved communication is needed.

“This was discussed at our last committee meeting about finding ways to communicate to residents. More work needs to be done with this, not only at our committee level but also at the (township) staff level,” Smith said.

Very few communities offer no-charge activities for residents of any age. Brown doesn’t expect EZT to change the norm based on what other area municipalities are doing.

“People are having to pay, even the Wilmot Recreation Centre is charging to use the walking track. The walking track at Cowan Park in Woodstock is a paid facility. Senior groups in Woodstock and Stratford charge membership fees,” Brown said.

Will Jacques, former EZT clerk and current community and recreation services manager, said most recreation opportunities in the community using township facilities are run by user groups or private individuals. 

“This has been the case for a number of years and not unlike most other municipalities,” he said. “Organizations who use our recreation facilities have been responsible to pay for their usage. As with all of its programs and services, the township continuously reviews what it offers to ensure that we are meeting the needs of our residents, while also ensuring that we are properly managing the township in a fiscally responsible manner.”

He added if additional recreational programming opportunities are made available in the future, it would involve council review and discussion. 

“Should there be financial considerations for the township and patrons or organizations, typically these discussions would occur during annual budget deliberations.”   

The township is also looking into potential grants through the Community Sport and Recreation Infrastructure Fund, which provides funding to municipalities, Indigenous communities and non-profit organizations.

The next RAC meeting is scheduled for Dec. 11 in Hickson in council chambers at 7 p.m. Smith said he hopes it will be livestreamed on the EZT website, but Jaques said the township isn’t yet sure if that will happen.