Part 1: Parks and Recreation Plan, Millennium Trail Concerns, and Youth Engagement - 05/29/2025
- PECConnect
- May 29, 2025
- 7 min read
The County Committee of the Whole met on May 29, 2025, at Shire Hall in Picton, bringing councillors, senior staff, consultants, community groups, and residents together for a wide-ranging afternoon session focused largely on recreation planning, community infrastructure, and public deputations. The meeting was convened to receive information, hear public input, and provide direction to staff ahead of future council decisions.
The meeting was called to order by Councillor Janice Maynard, who chaired the session. Maynard opened by welcoming council members, staff, media, and members of the public attending both in person and electronically. She confirmed that the meeting was being live streamed and reminded attendees that any participation would form part of the public record. Maynard also noted that any motions arising from the meeting would not be final until considered by Council at its June 10, 2025 meeting. After the agenda was confirmed and no disclosures of pecuniary interest were declared, the committee moved into its main presentation.
View the entire PEC Council meeting, or continue to speaker comments and councillor votes.
Parks and Recreation Master Plan Presentation
The central item of the meeting was a detailed presentation on the Parks and Recreation Master Plan, delivered by Jonathan Hack, Manager with Sierra Planning and Management, supported by their partner firm MBTW Landscape Architects. Hack explained that the plan had been in development since 2022 and was intentionally broad in scope, designed to guide recreation planning across the County over a 10-year horizon.
Hack emphasized that the document was not intended to prescribe individual facility upgrades or site-specific decisions, but rather to establish an overarching framework that could respond to changing population trends, growth rates, and financial realities. He described the plan as a strategic tool to help Council weigh recreation needs alongside other infrastructure priorities, using consistent evidence and community input rather than ad hoc decisions.
A significant portion of the presentation focused on the concept of recreation hubs, which Hack described as a way to balance County-wide access without defaulting to either political ward boundaries or complete centralization in Picton and Wellington. The proposed structure included primary hubs, secondary hubs, and outdoor hubs, each intended to serve different scales of recreation activity while recognizing existing facilities, volunteer-led spaces, and community-owned assets.
Hack outlined how the plan distinguishes between indoor facilities requiring significant capital investment and outdoor or unstructured recreation spaces that support everyday community use. He spoke candidly about operating costs, particularly for ice rinks, noting that current cost recovery levels were low but that continued subsidization remained a policy choice for Council. The purpose of the plan, he said, was to ensure those decisions were made with clear financial context.
The presentation also addressed state of good repair, stressing that maintaining existing facilities would remain a priority over building new ones wherever possible. Hack pointed to the Wellington District Community Centre as an example of a modern facility that could serve as a long-term anchor, while older arenas and fairgrounds would require ongoing reinvestment to remain functional.
Community Consultation and Strategic Direction
Hack reviewed the extensive public engagement undertaken as part of the plan’s development, including six community workshops, targeted stakeholder meetings, and an online survey that drew nearly 700 responses, most from County residents. He noted that the feedback gathered in 2023 remained relevant and that further public consultation was planned when the draft plan was released later in June.
Recurring themes from the consultation included access to recreation across rural areas, fairness in service delivery, volunteer sustainability, and the need for clearer policies around facility use and cost sharing. Hack stressed that volunteer organizations were the backbone of recreation in the County and that any increased municipal oversight would need to respect their role while ensuring consistent standards for publicly owned assets.
The presentation also addressed longer-term considerations, including land protection for future facilities, potential planning for a municipal pool or gymnasium over time, and the importance of aligning recreation planning with broader tourism and cultural assets such as museums, trails, and heritage sites. Hack noted that while demand for new amenities would continue to grow, the plan deliberately focused on sequencing and readiness rather than immediate expansion.
At the request of Council, the committee approved extending the presentation beyond its scheduled time to allow Hack to complete the overview and respond to questions.
Councillor Questions and Discussion
Following the presentation, councillors asked questions and raised local concerns related to recreation access, demographic change, and facility usage.
Councillor David Harrison asked how the plan addressed growing demand for pickleball, particularly indoor facilities for seniors during winter months. Hack responded that pickleball had been identified during consultations and would be addressed in the detailed implementation phase, noting that dedicated indoor space would depend on future facility investments.
Councillor Roy Pennell spoke about the popularity of the Wellington walking track and raised concerns about County-funded facilities being heavily used by residents from outside the County. He also suggested that underused land near the southern gateway to the County could be better leveraged as a welcoming space for visitors.
Chair Janice Maynard raised questions about how recreation hub classifications might affect smaller communities such as Consecon over the long term. She emphasized the importance of recognizing partnerships with privately owned or community-operated halls that provide recreation space without direct County maintenance costs. Hack acknowledged the concern and agreed that partnership recognition could be strengthened in the final plan.
Millennium Trail Deputation
The meeting then moved to deputations, beginning with Gregor Stewart, Chair of the PEC Trails Committee, who addressed the committee regarding the Millennium Trail in Wellington. Stewart focused on the impacts of the ongoing Wellington trunk water main and sanitary sewage project, particularly safety, communication, and restoration planning.
Stewart outlined concerns about inadequate signage during construction, uncertainty around the restoration budget and timeline, and the lack of clarity about what the trail and adjacent green space would look like once construction was complete. He stressed that trail users, residents, and visitors were repeatedly asking when the trail would reopen and what condition it would be in.
He also raised issues related to post-construction maintenance, including soil subsidence, tree replacement, watering responsibilities, and long-term upkeep. Stewart requested clearer communication, access to the restoration plan, and the opportunity for stakeholder walkthroughs before final completion.
In response, Adam Goheen, Interim Chief Administrative Officer, acknowledged the concerns and supported a coordinated approach involving engineering, operations, and stakeholder groups. Councillors discussed how best to ensure accountability and transparency going forward.
The committee directed staff to continue working with the Millennium Trails group and to report back to Council once a restoration plan was developed. The deputation was formally received.
Greater Than County Youth Collective Deputation
The next deputation was delivered by Christine Everall and Janet MacGillivray on behalf of the Greater Than County Youth Collective. Everall, who also works with the Students Commission of Canada, and MacGillivray, the Collective’s Project Coordinator, presented findings from a youth engagement report based on focus groups with councillors, committee members, and municipal staff.
They outlined key findings related to youth disengagement, geographic and financial barriers, and the lack of consistent pathways for youth participation in municipal decision-making. The presenters highlighted successful engagement models such as hackathons and co-design workshops and emphasized the importance of treating youth as active partners rather than passive service recipients.
Their recommendations included increasing outreach to youth, creating accessible engagement platforms, supporting youth-led initiatives, and exploring a formal municipal youth engagement strategy. Councillors responded positively, sharing reflections on generational decision-making and the importance of meeting youth where they are rather than relying on traditional consultation methods.
Council directed staff to investigate the creation of a youth engagement strategy in partnership with community organizations, and the deputation was received.
Public Comment and Meeting Conclusion
During the public comment period, Sue Mathieu, representing the Prince Edward Fitness and Aquatic Centre, spoke in support of the Parks and Recreation Master Plan’s recognition of PFAC’s role as the County’s only publicly accessible indoor pool. She outlined current usage levels, operating pressures, and PFAC’s own long-term planning efforts, including the potential for expanded facilities and enhanced accessibility.
With no further items for consideration, the committee moved into closed session to discuss land matters in the Picton Industrial Park and labour relations. The meeting later reconvened in open session to give procedural direction arising from closed session discussions. The Committee of the Whole adjourned at 3:25 p.m., concluding a meeting that was primarily informational and consultative in nature, setting the stage for future Council decisions and further public engagement.
Key Takeaways
1. The Parks and Recreation Master Plan sets a 10 year framework for facility investment, maintenance, and recreation hubs across the County, prioritizing state of good repair and financial sustainability over rapid expansion.
2. Public deputations highlighted safety and restoration concerns about the Millennium Trail and called for stronger youth participation through a formal municipal engagement strategy.
3. No final decisions were made, but staff were directed to refine the recreation plan, collaborate with trail stakeholders, and explore a youth engagement strategy ahead of the June 10 Council meeting.
Disclaimer: This article is based on a meeting with an approximate duration of 2:25:16 Due to the length of the meeting, our team was not able to independently review the full recording in its entirety. As a result, we relied on software-generated transcription, automated summarization, and automated recognition of speakers and participants, which may not be entirely accurate. All transcriptions, summaries, and related content are prepared by our team in good faith and on a reasonable best-efforts basis. The content is provided for general informational purposes only and is intended to support public understanding of the topics discussed. While reasonable efforts have been made to present the information accurately, automated processes may result in errors, omissions, or unintended misinterpretations. This article does not constitute an official, certified, or verbatim record of the meeting, and it should not be relied upon as such. Readers are encouraged to consult original source materials, official minutes, or recordings where available for confirmation or clarification. Questions, requests for clarification, or suggested corrections may be submitted to hello@pecconnect.ca for review and consideration.
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