Returning ice to Simcoe Recreation Center would cost millions, says report

Coun. Alan Duthie has doubts Norfolk County will be getting a new recreation facility in the near future.

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The Simcoe councilor made the comment after a report was presented at a council-in-committee meeting on Tuesday related to the feasibility of returning an ice pad to the Simcoe Recreation Centre.

A county staff recommendation to delay decisions on future operations until a master recreation plan is complete has been approved by councillors.

“I want to add a word of caution to all the user groups that are assuming that a recreation master plan will say we need a new facility,” said Duthie. “While I certainly hope that’s the case, I don’t know that we can afford it. We have a massive undertaking in regard to water. It’s a big problem in Norfolk County.”

Norfolk is in a difficult financial position, with about $85 million outstanding debt, depleted reserves, and aging assets, including roads, drinking water, wastewater and stormwater systems.

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Duthie said a new recreation facility would cost upwards of $100 million. Even if the upper levels of government each paid a third, he said, it would still leave the municipality on the hook for at least $33 million.

County treasurer Amy Fanning said taking on additional debt for a new facility would only be possible with a “bump out of other projects.”

Duthie received support for a motion in April asking staff to investigate the potential of returning an ice pad to the Simcoe Rec Center four years after the previous council voted to have it removed.

Duthie said he’s heard from many Simcoe residents who want the ice back. He also made reference to an online survey in which county staff asked residents for their opinions on how a multi-purpose floor at the rec center should be used. An ice pad there was converted into a polished concrete surface in 2021. The overwhelming response, said Duthie, was “put the ice back.”

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The report prepared by county staff set the cost of re-establishing an ice pad at $2.1 to $3 million for the purchase and installation of refrigeration equipment and replacement of the ice rink floor. Other costs, including new ice resurfacing equipment, new arena boards and glass, an updated HVAC system, and debt servicing costs bring the total closer to $5.2 million, said the report.

Gordon Malo, technical director for Norfolk Minor Hockey, told advisors back in April the decision to remove the ice from the rec center as a cost-saving measure due to low utilization rates shocked arena users.

Malo said due to the lack of available ice, Norfolk Minor Hockey had been forced to offer less programming and have rec teams travel outside the county for practices. He also said many adults no longer play hockey after their teams folded due to lack of ice time available at reasonable hours.

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Duthie said Tuesday he was “a bit disappointed in the tone of the report” drawing attention to a reference that user groups are unwilling to relocate to other facilities.

“With the 2024/2025 fall/winter ice allocation process almost complete, there is still a quantity of ice available at the Langton Arena,” said the report. “The difficulty is that many user groups have competing wants for the same ice times in the same arenas and are often unwilling to change or move to another time or location.”

Duthie said it’s not always possible for a Simcoe parent to get their child to the Langton arena for a 5 pm start time.

“I don’t necessarily think it’s fair to say they’re willing to change. Sometimes it’s simply impossible to make that happen.”

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Brandon Sloan, Norfolk’s general manager for community development, said one of the key findings that will come from the master recreation plan is how many ice surfaces are needed now and in the future.

“At this stage, I’m not sure if it’s looking like we would need much more,” said Sloan. “There could also be recommendations for preferred locations or combinations of recreation/multipurpose facilities.”

The multi-purpose floor in the Simcoe Rec Center is being used for a range of activities, including pickleball, floor hockey, badminton, roller derby and indoor sports practices. Part of the building is a seniors’ center.

“I really value the importance of recreation in our community for all members of our community,” said Duthie. “We need to invest in the community and make conscious, cautious decisions about what we do with our recreational amenities that are here.

“I wish we had a report before us that looked at innovative ways to fix our today problems but that’s not what we got.”

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