Barrie Winter Tennis Update (September 2011)
Final Press Release
With regret, the Barrie Community Tennis Club announces that the Ministry of Federal Development, along with its RinC counterpart, the provincial Ministry of Recreation, on Monday, July 11, officially rejected the proposed location of the Mapleview Community Church Campus (MCCC) for the indoor tennis facility proposed by BCTC, thereby closing the door on affordable winter tennis for Barrie citizens in the foreseeable future.
BCTC had applied to the RinC federal provincial stimulus program to build a tennis bubble and, indeed, in July, 2009, was awarded a grant of $400,000 for this purpose. The remaining $200,000 for the project was to be financed by BCTC.
In the absence of any municipal financial contribution from the City, BCTC arranged funding, but various obstacles presented by City Staff nonetheless delayed the project. City Staff, the Goliath to BCTC's David, opposed the project at every step. In particular, supported by several Councillors, they deemed unsuitable all City sites proposed by BCTC.
Finally, BCTC received Council approval to build the facility at Lennox Park, information Council ordered City Staff to release revealed that this location would require extensive and costly renovations to meet the City's demands.
When Painswick Park site was then proposed and rejected, BCTC was fortunate to receive support from the Mapleview Community Church Campus (MCCC). The MCCC Board sees recreation and sport as forms of outreach and ministry to all citizens of Barrie, regardless of affiliation.
RinC officials never questioned BCTC's financing during the almost two years of negotiations with the City, and had approved all site proposals without a word about financing. However, for the first time, they questioned BCTC's ability to finance the project when the Mapleview location was proposed – since the financing remained the same, BCTC can only assume that the federal and provincial governments were not prepared to support a project not located on municipal lands. In addition, after a prolonged delay in responding to BCTC's request for approval of the MCCC site, they alleged incorrectly that BCTC would not have time to complete the project by the required date (October 31, 2011). In reality, it takes only three and a half months to complete the project.
We did our best to bring affordable winter tennis to Barrie, and we thank the councillors who supported our vision, as well as MP Patrick Brown, and MPP Aileen Carroll. We can only hope that down the road another such wonderful opportunity might arise and receive support not only from elected officials, but also from City Staff who wield so much influence over community efforts.
Ray Demiray, President
Barrie Community Tennis Club Inc.
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Barrie Winter Tennis has secured a location! (April 2011)
We have exciting news! We have been working on this development for a few weeks and are pleased
to let you know we have secured a new location for our winter tennis facility, one we think you will all be very happy about: Mapleview Community Church Campus at 300 Mapleview Drive West!
As you may know, the Mapleview Campus owns 18 acres of land at this location where there is already a soccer pitch, volleyball and basketball facilities, and space for a future baseball diamond.
The Mapleview Board has unanimously approved our proposal to erect the bubble on land at this location!
We are grateful to our Vice President, Clark Canning, who is also Facility Director at Mapleview Community Church, for helping us bring this proposal forward.
Queens Park, of course, will remain our outdoor location for summer tennis.
Your Winter Tennis Committee, Executive, and Advisory Board are all thrilled with the new development. We hope you are too!
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Barrie Winter Tennis Update (March 2011)
As published in the Barrie Examiner, March 25, 2011:
Tennis club's initial goal has never changed course
As volunteers of the Barrie Community Tennis Club executive and winter tennis committee, we are trying very hard to build a winter tennis facility. It has been a gruelling process to get to this point.
After meeting with city staff and gaining their immediate support, we are requesting from city council to approve a change to Painswick Park as the best long-term location for winter tennis.
As you know, BCTC applied on its own for the RinC grant -- as we had just a two-week window to do so. If we had gone to the city to first ask for its approval, there would not have been time to deal with it and we would not have received the grant. We did inform the city of our application and left the location open per their request.
For this reason, the process may have appeared disorganized and we course-corrected as we went along, but our focus has always been the same: find the best location for a winter tennis facility for the city of Barrie.
We received confirmation of the grant on July 1, 2009, which seems like a lifetime ago, but it took 18 long months to get approval from the city. As each proposal was rejected, we proposed another, with a corresponding budget. We do not apologize for these new proposals. We are proud of our resilience and of our determination to find a way to realize our project despite months of opposition and rejection. And we have done this as volunteers, taking precious time from our day jobs and our families. No one should doubt our ability to make this project work.
Now 21 months later, and having finally obtained the kind of information and co-operation we have sought from the city all along, we have a location that would be the best for the facility itself, for public access, for cost effectiveness and best use of the funds for the future generations of Barrie residents.
That location is Painswick Park.
We have done everything by ourselves -- prepared professional- level business plans for the city, responded to staff reports, and made presentations and deputations to council -- both to the previous and the current councils, all the while keeping our club members up to date on every move.
Everything has been on our website for all to see, imperfections and all. On Jan. 24, 2011, we received approval for Lennox Park. Only after that did we have the tools (drawings) for
two parks (Lennox and Painswick) to work with to analyze specific site and cost factors.
At that point, it was no-brainer: Painswick Park was way better than Lennox, as 12 staff members from various relevant city departments immediately agreed when we sat down at our first co-operative meeting ever on March 3.We thank them all for being so open and forthcoming.
Yes, there will be more work to be done -- but it is better to do something right than wrong. We have never wanted to build this facility just for the sake of building it.
Our goal has never changed: to build a community-based, non-profit recreation and fitness facility that will be good for the city, for residents of Barrie and surrounding areas, for our members, and for future generations in Simcoe County.
Ray Demiray President
Barrie Community Tennis Club
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Member Information Meeting March 4th
(Please click here for the notes from the meeting).
Thanks to members who attended.
If you were not able to attend and have a question, please email it to barrietennis@hotmail.com.
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Barrie Winter Tennis Update (February 2011)
February 2011
Great news – we now have Council's support/approval for Winter Tennis in Barrie! Thank you to the members who attended the Council meeting February 7th to show your support. The vote was 8-2 in favour of the motion passed on January 24th with 2 amendments added and approved by Council.
It has taken a long time and a lot of work to get here and we are not finished yet. With the ratification at last night's meeting City Staff will now begin working with BCTC on design and costs.
Member Information/meeting
Here is a summary of some key information regarding the winter tennis project that we would like to clarify for all members to reassure you that there are no risks to the members in any way with the Winter Tennis Project.
1. There are no changes to Summer Tennis at Queens Park! Summer tennis will be entirely separate from Winter Tennis. Finances will be separate, and membership will be separate. Members may continue to enjoy tennis only in the summer and will also have the opportunity to join BCTC's winter tennis season - the choice rests with you!
2. BCTC has funding in place now for the Winter Tennis project! We have secured an arrangement with the bubble manufacturer for a loan to complete the $600,000 required ($400,000 will come from the federal and provincial governments). Financial payments for the $200,000 loan have been factored in to the winter tennis budget from the beginning. There are no new costs nor will there be, and BCTC will not enter into any project that surpasses our $600,000 cap! We will start general fundraising soon to be prepared and pay part of the loan ASAP.
3. Neither summer nor winter tennis members will be liable in any way in the unlikely event the project fails. BCTC is an incorporated, non-profit entity, which means that individuals are not liable for financial losses.
We hope that clarifies any major questions you may have had. In addition, we are holding an information meeting on the project:
MEMBER INFORMATION MEETING: Members are welcome to attend an information meeting on March 4th at 7pm at Mapleview Community Church – 300 Mapleview Dr. WEST (West of Veterans and East of Essa on the North side of Mapleview) to ask any further questions you may have. Ahead of the meeting we strongly encourage you to please review all information available by clicking on the links below as many of the answers to your questions are posted. http://www.barrietennis.ca/wintertennis.html
We have also updated your survey questions submitted last year ahead of the project – details available by clicking here.
If, after reviewing the information, you have any questions at all please email us at barrietennis@hotmail.com –we believe it is important for you to have the facts and are happy to answer your questions.
Thank you.
BCTC Executive & Advisory Board
Please click on the links below for updated information:
Lennox Park Proposal – January 2011
Bell Farm Road Proposal – January 2011
November/December 2010 Updates
For background on Winter Tennis, click on these links:
Barrie winter tennis proposal for Lennox Park tennis courts
Barrie winter tennis Deputation to council June 7th, 2010
Barrie winter tennis proposal for Lampman Lane tennis courts
Barrie winter tennis business plan presented to Community services committee May 18th, 2010
Barrie winter tennis business plan text, pictures and references
City of Barrie staff report to council
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Barrie Winter Tennis Update (Januari 2011)
January 17
On January 17th BCTC will take advantage of the new "Open Delegation" policy passed by Council on January 10 that allows 5-minute presentations to Council. We will outline the highlights of the Lennox Park and Bell Farm Road proposals recently submitted.
This is our final chance to obtain the City's approval for a location so we can bring Winter Tennis to Barrie. RinC funding deadlines are such that we will run out of time if Council does not approve one of these proposal.
Perhaps ironically, Council rejection of our previous proposals has resulted in our finest proposals to date. Both provide win-win outcomes for the City and for BCTC at virtually no risk to either party – the City will get a renovated asset currently unused and in disrepair should it choose the Bell Farm Road proposal, or a new, state-of-the art bubble to transfer to Painswick when that new facility is built with its projected 7 courts should they choose the Lenox Park proposal, and in either case, BCTC will be able to provide Winter Tennis within the City at an affordable price!
January 24 & 25
On January 24th we anticipate Council's vote and approval of one of our proposals. Following this on the 25th, BCTC will hold a Members General Meeting to answer any final questions members and hold a final vote on support for the project (members will also be able to vote by email).
We need to have the majority of the expenditures incurred by March 2011 with the project completed by October 31, 2011 to meet the RinC's extended deadlines.
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Barrie Winter Tennis Update (November 2010)
After exhausting and failing in all attempts to gain support for a winter tennis facility from outgoing
Mayor Aspden, his Council, and City Staff, BCTC approached Barrie North Winter Tennis in November, 2010, and after receiving an interested response from the major shareholder, made an offer to buy the facility.
BCTC was in a position to finance the purchase with the $400,000 RinC grant and to purchase a new bubble. However, after giving a conditional okay to the new idea, the ministry later did not officially approve it on the grounds that the funds wereoriginally granted not to buy a business, but rather to purchase a new bubble. In addition, BNWT did not in the end respond to the offer to purchase.
If the $400,00 RinC grant is to be used, it must be used before the deadline of March 31, 2011.
BCTC will explore all possible options before that date.
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Barrie Winter Tennis Update (August 2010)
Barrie Community Tennis Club received $400,000 Grant from Federal and Provincial Governments for an indoor tennis facility for Barrie and surrounding communities. We prepared the reports listed below for city council. If you are looking for information, please refer to the links below to access the reports and proposals submitted. BCTC obtained quotes and estimates for all our submissions. City proposals and costs estimates were not available to us and only presented at the May 31st Council meeting.
BCTC is very disappointed in the lack of support from the City of Barrie.
We tried very hard. We thank councillors Lynn Strachan, Rodney Jackson, Barry Ward, Alex Nuttall,
Andrew Prince, Mike Ramsay, and MPP Aileen Carroll, and MP Patrick Brown for their support and
assistance. Regretfully, we lost council's support as Lynn Strachan was not able to be at the council
meeting June 14th 2010 due to a previous commitment. At this meeting Mayor Dave Aspden, councillors Mike Prowse, John Brassard, Gerry More and Jeff Lehman voted against discussion, resulting in a 5 - 5 tie and Council's failure to approve BCTC's request to proceed with a Winter Tennis facility in Barrie. As Andrew Prince said, the councillors who voted against 'weaseled their way out of a discussion'.
The full timeline of events is available in the press release linked below.
We ask you to please look at the FACTS we have provided so you have the TRUTH. Then, you can be the JUDGE as to whether due and fair process was followed by City Staff and Council.
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Winter Tennis in Barrie
On January 25, 2010, Ray Demiray delivered a formal Business Plan for the construction of a winter tennis facility in Barrie to Barbara Roth, City Director of Operations, Leisure, and Transit Facilities and Randy Watson,Manager of the same. They had requested the plan after meeting with Ray and Jane Suderman on January 5 to assist Randy in making his Committee Report to Council on Barrie 's Master Recreational Plan and the place of winter tennis in the grand scheme of city recreation.
Since the delivery of the Plan on January 25 and after further consultation with Randy, various City Councillors, and members of the Winter Tennis Committee, Ray also communicated to Randy that BCTC is open to suggestions other than those presented in the plan.
In particular, while BCTC proposed Queens Park as the location for the winter tennis facility (bubble) and designed its proposal around this site, BCTC is also open to other locations the City might designate, such as Lampman Lane or Shear Park.
Ray also indicated that since the bubble is portable, the City could designate Queens Park as a temporary site to take advantage of the RinC grant ($400,000 that must be used by March, 2011), and then when a permanent site is chosen, the bubble could be relocated there.
Ray further indicated that while the Business Plan is based on the proposal of BCTC ownership and operation of the facility, BCTC is also open to City ownership and operation if that is Council's preferred option.
We remind members that the normal process of securing Council support for such a venture was not followed in this case because we simply did not have time: MPP Aileen Carroll alerted Ray to the RinC grant program on May 13, 2009, and with the application deadline of May 28 looming, Ray and Jane quickly cobbled together the application for a grant to a build a bubble, that, to everyone's surprise (and delight) was immediately successful. (Randy Watson was, however, apprised of our intentions and provided with a copy of the application when it was submitted.)
We are making available here an abridged version of the Business Plan submitted by Ray, as well as a PowerPoint presentation we have prepared to present to Council when the occasion arises. As you peruse the abridged version and/or PowerPoint slides, please keep in mind that BCTC remains open to all City suggestions for making winter tennis a reality in Barrie.
To view the PowerPoint presentation, please click here.
To view the abridged version of the Business Plan (note: the Executive Summary appears in its full form), please click here.
To read the results of the Winter Tennis Survey held among our members please click here.
To view the Presentation of May 18, please click here.
