Public Consultation for Recreation and Parks Master Plan

The Town of Arnprior, in partnership with Stantec Consulting Ltd, has embarked on an exciting endeavour to create a strategic Recreation and Parks Master Plan that will guide the future of recreational services and infrastructure offered by the Town. A pair of public engagement tools – surveys and an open house – will start to build the foundational blocks of this master plan over the coming weeks.

The Community Engagement Surveys will be available starting June 16 through a link on the Recreation and Parks Master Plan project page and print versions will be available at Town facilities including the Nick Smith Centre, Town Hall and the Arnprior Market. The public and stakeholders are asked to complete the survey by July 9, 2023.

The Virtual Public Open House will take place on Wednesday, June 28 starting at 6:30pm via Zoom through a guided PowerPoint presentation, online Google Jamboard session and live question and answer session. Those interested in participating in the virtual public open house can do so at this link.

“Ensuring the public and stakeholders have ample opportunity to provide feedback, share ideas and express their vision on the direction of recreational services in Arnprior is crucial to this planning process,” said Graeme Ivory, Director of Recreation. “This aim of the plan is to create a framework that will allow the Town to respond to new opportunities as they arise, and ensure that adequate parks, facilities, and programs meet the needs of the Town's existing and future residents and visitors.”

All Recreation and Parks Master Plan materials will be available on the project page. This will allow the public to remain engaged and informed throughout this planning process that will also include an in-person Public Open House in the Fall and a presentation to Council.

The Engagement Program for the Town of Arnprior Recreation and Parks Master Plan will be open, inclusive, accessible and multi-faceted. The Project Team will incorporate community priorities into the decision-making process and clearly communicate how stakeholder input has influenced the development of the concepts and recommendations through all engagement events.

Community Engagement Surveys: The Community Engagement Survey will capture feedback and information through four different surveys:

• Public Engagement Survey: designed to solicit information on the general public’s perception of the current parks and recreation systems, and what type of facilities and programs the public would like to see in the future. Click here for the Public Survey
• Youth Engagement Survey: Youth have a critical perspective as they are the next generation of leaders. Developmentally, they are defining their self-identity and seeking their place in the world. These groups can be a valuable resource in the refinement of the recommendations and vision for the plan and understanding of the perspective of youth in the community. Click here for the youth survey
• Seniors Engagement Survey: Like many communities across Ontario, the proportion of older adults in the Town has been increasing significantly over the last decade and is expected to continue at a rapid pace over the next decade. It will be important to understand how the Town can assist older members of its community to continue participating and utilizing parks and recreational spaces. It will be the aim of the Seniors Survey to learn about the valued aspects of the existing system and what they would like to see in the future. Click here for the seniors survey
• Stakeholders Engagement Survey: There is a significant number of sports groups, associations, private business and extracurricular societies operating within the Town’s catchment area. The stakeholder engagement survey will aim to understand trends and any key themes that may be arising in the various sport and recreation communities. The Survey Link will be emailed directly to stakeholders.

Virtual Public Open House

This public open house will focus on the following:

• Project description and need for this project
• Project Background
• Goals & objectives
• Existing conditions inventory
• Trends and best practices
• Next Steps

Following the Virtual Public Open House, a copy of the presentation, a transcript of the PowerPoint, and a comment section for feedback will be added to the Town project website for review and comment from public/stakeholders.