Renovation of the Canterbury Community Centre - Report No. 1 - November 26, 2004
By Mark Inman, President, Canterbury Community Association

The Canterbury Community Association is pleased that our local councillor has taken the first steps towards the possible renovation and expansion of the Canterbury Community Centre in which our Association, as the centre's primary user, offers a multitude of programs, activities and special events for all age groups throughout the year.

On November 24, 2004, our local City councillor held a public meeting to introduce ward residents to what renovation/expansion might take place and how such work could be financed in order to be done sooner than later. Said renovations/expansion would cost between $1,500,000 and just over $2.5 million depending on which priority renovations/expansions would be undertaken This action would be dependent upon the public's reaction to the funding model being proposed, the components of which include monies from the centre users ( between $270,000 and $370,000); 20% from the City's Development Charge Reserve Fund (from $296,000 to just over $500,000); the imposition of a special area rate on area households raising up to $1,000,000 and the possibility of selling off park space which is currently part of the Canterbury complex.

As the primary user of the centre, the Association has taken the view that those renovations/expansions relating to the health and safety of centre users ( renovations to the centre's foyer and washroom facilities along with air conditioning) should be our first priorities followed by those of our Association which uses the centre facilities on a daily basis throughout the year (2 new meeting rooms along with a new general purpose room suitable for such popular programs as dance and taekwondo; improved office space to better respond to programming mandate; an improved gym facility; and a new technical arts room to service our growing arts programs such as oil/water colour painting, tole panting, beading, cartooning/animation etc.). Currently, the centre's core hour usage is at capacity due to the Association's very successful programming efforts, thereby forcing the CCA to use such off-site locales as the Canterbury High School, Pleasant Park Public School and Arch Street Public School. The Association has indicated that it is prepared to commit up to $300,000 to the proposed renovation/expansion if its concerns are met.

Given that all recent major renovations to other community centres have been funded through taxes collected across the City, the Association would prefer not to see a special "area rate" imposed on area households in order to generate up to $1,000,000 of the funding required. However, the CCA is prepared to support this component of the funding proposal if it means the renovation/expansion goes ahead now instead of some 10 to 15 years in the future. The CCA is adamantly opposed to any sale of park land now part of the Canterbury Recreational Complex. This park land serves local residents by providing much needed local green space, a children's play area, a wading pool, tennis courts, a basketball court and a horseshoe pitch. The CCA also uses this green space in its delivery of outside programs involving children. In addition, the Association would like the City to commit at least $350,000 to this project as it has already done in respect to the planned expansion of Greenboro Community Centre's weight room facility in conjunction with that centre's community association.

The Association looks forward to being actively involved in this initiative as it progresses.


Renovation of the Canterbury Community Centre - Report No. 2 - December 16, 2004
By Mark Inman, President, Canterbury Community Association

On December 15, 2004, City Council voted to accept the report of the Corporate Services and Economic Development Committee (CSEDC) relating to the renovation and expansion of the Canterbury Community Centre. This staff report was presented to and passed by the Committee on December 7, 2004.

Unfortunately, the staff report did not address the concerns of our Association over which priority items should be dealt with first and those relating to the funding model as presented. Our Association did make a written and oral presentation to this committee in an effort to have its concerns addressed but to no avail as committee members unanimously voted to accept the report as presented. Based on the four recommendations contained in the staff report, our Association made the following recommendations which are highlighted in bold:

That the Corporate Services and Economic Development Committee recommend City Council:

1. Approve the implementation of a limited scale partnership opportunity at the Canterbury Community Centre as a pilot project and as described in the staff report dated December 7, 2004 with the following amendment:

- The table listing Priority 1, 2, 3 and 4 shall be replaced with the following

PRIORITY
DESCRIPTION
TOTAL AREA
1
 Add air conditioning, renovate/expand the foyer area, provide 2 new meeting rooms with integral storage space, and provide a new general purpose activity room with a sprung floor, renovate the washroom facilities and improve office/storage space for the CCA City staff to provide revised estimates
2
 Improve/expand gymnasium (better lighting, improved acoustics, the replacement of the existing basketball hoops, better heating/air conditioning controls, facilitation of badminton/volleyball installations etc), add new technical arts room with integral storage
3
 Provide 1,000 - 1,200 sq ft of individual storage area for sports organizations and provide an additional storage area for external play equipment
4
 Provide limited office space for sports groups including minor storage support.  

Remarks: The city staff report contained a priority list which did not include air conditioning of the centre nor any further office/storage space for our Association's use in order to better serve our ward-wide clientele. The staff report did however, show amongst priority items number 1 and 2, those which our Association have classified as priority items 3 and 4 - storage and office space for as yet unspecified sports groups which do not use the centre on a continuing, regular basis nor offer any programming in the centre to all age groups on a regular and continuing basis.

2. Approve the expansion of the Canterbury Community Centre and the funding of the capital costs through a combination of development charges, contributions from community partners and a special area levy as detailed in this report with the following amendment:
- The funding model will be modified to reflect that only a certain percentage (30%) of the total monies provided by each contributing community partner not offering regular programming in the centre will go towards the construction of exclusive use space with any monies required to complete exclusive use space coming from the community partner designated to use such space.

Remarks: The city staff indicates that those community partners other than our Association will contribute approximately $80,000 towards the centre's funding model. However, these community partners, other than our Association, have made office and storage space their priority items and as such all of their monies could conceivably go to pay for exclusive space for their use only, depending on the costs involved, without any of their funding dollars going towards building of community space open to all of the centre's users. Our Association's commitment of close to $300,000, if our concerns are met, will go towards space either open to all of the centre's users or used in our efforts to meet the demands being placed on us by all of the centre's program attendees and the city itself.

3. Authorize the City Treasurer to establish a special area levy and payment schedule in support of the Canterbury Community Centre pilot project and report back to Council with the specifics of the rates and the catchment area at the time Council establishes the tax rates and other special levies(latter underlined part was an amendment to original staff report which was accepted by committee). Said by-laws shall stipulate that the designated area identified as being subject to this special levy shall not be subject to any further Special Services Levies as contemplated under Section 326 of the Ontario Municipal Act or Local Improvement Charges as contemplated under the same authority until this Special Services Levy is paid in full.

Remarks: The Association remains concerned that there could be a proliferation of "special levies" which could conceivably result in ward residents paying a multiple of "special levies" in order to pay for projects within the ward or city-wide. Our local councillor feels "it would be inappropriate and short sighted to remove a funding option from consideration by the community over the ten year period." He believes that "if a situation should arise in which the community could benefit from imposition of another levy then they should have the ability to consider and pursue that option". Our Association did present him with a modified amendment to the one above [Authorize the City Treasurer to establish a special area levy and payment schedule in support of the Canterbury Community Centre pilot project and report back to Council with the specifics of the rates and the catchment area at the time Council establishes the tax rates and other special levies. Said by-laws shall exclude the whole of the designated area identifed as being subject to this special levy from further such levies until the one being proposed is paid in full, subject to any other group of local area households within the designated area agreeing to accept further such levies applicable solely to them in order to make specific improvements in their local area] but his position remains as stated.

4. Authorize the City Treasurer to enter into appropriate contribution agreements with the community partners identified in the staff report, dated 7 December 2004 providing said partner has an organizational structure, a constitution and/or bylaws, the necessary insurances and an audited financial statement. If an agreement is entered into and the community partner in question defaults, the City shall be liable for all funds due and payable by the community partner in question. Similarly, all costs over the estimated capital costs of $2,500,000 will be paid by the City.

Remarks: This proposed amendment was an attempt to ensure that all contributors to this project have the wherewithal to make a financial commitment ; that the city would be on the hook for any defaults; and that any costs over and above the estimated construction costs would be borne by the city. The approved staff report does not deal with any of these points.

With all the approvals now in place, the next step for our Association will be to negotiate a contribution agreement which deals with its concerns. We will keep you updated as the process unfolds.


Renovation of the Canterbury Community Centre - Report No.3 - February 5, 2005
By Mark Inman, President, Canterbury Community Association

An Expansion Working Committee (EWC) has been established and its first responsibility was to assist in the development of the terms of reference to be used by the City in its proposal call to hire an architectural consultant firm. The chosen firm will undertake to design the renovated/expanded community centre, with the assistance of the EWC, and will oversee the actual construction. These terms of reference remain to be finalized following the EWC's input.

The chosen firm should be in place by mid-March 2005 and will work very closely with the EWC to develop blueprints which take into account the space needs of the Association, and others, as well as making sure the existing and expanded space is functional, practical and accessible. The Canterbury Community Association is looking for improved and expanded foyer space, meeting space, program space, office and storage space. In addition, air conditioning is a primary priority along with updated men's and women's washroom facilities that are accessible and include at least one shower stall per facility.

The EWC held its initial meeting on January 25, 2005, at which time committee members provided input on the overall issues such as those identified in the previous paragraph. Discussions did take place with respect to a possible construction timeline but it was deemed premature to deal with this issue until the outside firm is in place and the design process has further progressed. Mr Grant, the Project Manager from the City noted that " the reality is that each step of the process leading up to and including construction will have its own schedule. Given the current state of the building systems, a review of mechanical/electrical systems must be done; health issues must be addressed if required; and, geotechnical tests (bore holes) have to be carried out. A schedule will be prepared, and adjusted, as required, as the process unfolds. Every effort will be made to keep the process moving as efficiently as possible."

The Association remains confident that it will be able to continue its 2005 -2006 programming during the construction process either on-site at the centre or elsewhere in the local community in such facilities as on-site temporary portables similar to those we see at schools.

Stay tuned for more updates as the process moves forward.

Renovation of the Canterbury Community Centre - Report No.4 - June 17, 2005
By Mark Inman, President, Canterbury Community Association

A lot has happened since my last report of February 2005. In April 2005, it was announced that Pye and Richards Architects Inc. would be the chosen project architect and Chris Wanczycki from the City’s Design and Construction Division would also be coming on board.

The newly expanded Expansion Working Committee (EWC) met a number of times throughout April, May and June with the result that a final design for the new expansion has now been finalized.

The new client oriented space to be added to the centre will include a large hall with a wooden floor suitable for dance and taekwondo programs; two new multirooms both with sinks to facilitate art programs and one with computer cabling in place to allow for future computer classes to take place therein; new accessible washrooms, a new “smart” computer site available for public use; and a much enlarged foyer area to allow for a client waiting area that will include seating/reading space. Apart from this client space, there will be new and expanded office/storage space for the CCA as well as a significant increase in overall storage space including better storage for playgroup equipment and gymnastics equipment.

On the renovation side, the existing washrooms will be renovated and brought up to modern day standards; there will be an expanded and more public oriented city desk area, and the existing ceiling of the gym area will be replaced (depending if $$ remain).

All of the additional space will be situated to the front of the existing centre with the front of the building becoming the main drop-off, entry point to the expanded centre.

The only outstanding issue facing the CCA is the finalization of its financial agreement with the City to cover off its $300,000 funding commitment. While the City has agreed to our paying said amount over ten years or less, the CCA has voiced its concerns over the fact that it has no guarantees that it will be allowed to continue offering programs at the centre during its debt repayment period or thereafter. As such, the CCA is refusing to sign any financial agreement until its existing program management agreement is amended to provide the CCA with a guarantee that its programming efforts will be allowed to continue over the next ten years and beyond.

If all goes well, it is anticipated that construction will begin sometime in October/November 2005 with completion by June 2006.

DONATION TO CANTERBURY HIGH SCHOOL'S DANCE PROGRAM

The Canterbury Community Association (CCA) is pleased to announce its $2,500 donation to the Canterbury High School's dance program. The CCA's Canterbury Dance Centre, which offers jazz, tap, ballet and hip hop to over 300 students, has had a very long and successful relationship with the school's dance program through its use of the school's dance studios, further enhanced by the fact that a number of its instructors are graduates of the excellent dance program offered at the school. In recognition of this enduring and positive relationship, the CCA decided to make a donation to the school's dance program with the hopes that the monies would assist the school in maintaining or improving its facilities while also assisting the students currently enrolled. This donation follows on the CCA's earlier donation last year to the Canterbury Arts Centre Development Association, a registered charity, who's primary goal is to support the Arts Canterbury program, keeping it the "Best Arts Program in Canada" - as stated in the August 2004 issue of Maclean's Magazine. More information on the CACDA can be found on its website - www.cacda.com

 
HELP GIVEN TO THE SOUTH OTTAWA JUNIOR "B" CANADIANS

The Canterbury Community Association is pleased to announce that it recently donated $5,000 to the South Ottawa Junior "B" Canadians hockey club whose team plays out of the Brian Kilrea Arena, part of the Canterbury Recreational Complex. As a result of this donation the CCA will receive various forms of recognition including having its logo and name displayed in the team's game programs, a prominent sign in the arena itself, public address announcements highlighting the CCA's support and at least two "Canterbury" nights in which the Association will be honoured as a contributor to the club's fundraising efforts. In addition, the Association will receive blocks of tickets as required in order which it will be giving out to its program registrants. Both parties are extremely excited about this opportunity as the club will be using the monies to help its players and its operations while the Association will benefit from increased visibility in the community and be able to assist its program participants to support a locally-based hockey club through free admittance. For those in the community who are not aware of the South Ottawa Junior "B" Canadian hockey club , the team, whose home games are on Tuesdays starting at 7:30 p.m., plays a 40 game interlocking schedule with teams from the Valley and Metro Divisions of the Eastern Ontario Junior 'B' Hockey League. The season started in September of this year and runs to February 2005. The club is currently in first place in the Metro Division with a record of 7 wins and 3 losses. If you wish to get more information please visit the team's web site at www.southottawacanadians.ca