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The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday May 17, 2006 - 5 Town chips in $500,000 for Bronte Butterfly Park By Kim Arnott SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER The Bronte Butterfly Foundation (BBF) has convinced the town to donate $500,000 to the completion of its proposed butterfly park and winter skateway. Last week, the town's community services committee voted 3-2 in favour of giving the money to the foundation, in an attempt to get the long-delayed butterflies into the air. That recommendation was ratified by town council Monday night. Susan Sheppard, executive director of the BBF, says the town's commitment will help the group encourage other donors to ante up the additional $2.5 million needed to complete the project. The donation toward the capital costs of the project still must be approved at next Monday night's town council meeting. The $500,000 would come from the town's cash-in-lieu of parkland reserve fund, which can only be used for purchasing parkland and equipment for parks. Ward 2 Councillor Cathy Duddeck voted against the motion to make the donation to BBF, arguing that many important needs have been identified in the town's new draft Parks, Recreation, Culture and Library Master Plan.and the town needs to spend its money in a way that will provide benefit to the maximum number of people. Town staff also recommended against the contribution, suggesting that the project isn't a priority when compared to other needs. Ward 3 Councillor Chris Stoate suggested the donation would be a good investment for the town. He noted that the master plan calls for the future construction of outdoor skating rinks. "For the price of one of these rinks, which we might as well build in Bronte, we can leverage another $2.5 million to allow this group to finish the rest of their project," he said. The Butterfly Park and Winter Skateway plan was initiated by the Bronte Business Improvement Area (BIA) as a millennium project, in the hope of creating a year-round attraction to draw people to Bronte Harbour. The Butterfly Park, to be built on regional land at the harbour, will provide a natural outdoor habitat for butterflies. It will include garden areas of meadowlands, as well as brightlycoloured formal gardens, and a 201-metre long water feature that can double as a skating surface in the winter using an artificial ice surface. A gazebo has already been constructed in the area. The town previously agreed that it would pay half of the annual operating costs of the facility, estimated at about $221,000, once the project is completed. The BBF, a not-for-profit charitable foundation, will be responsible for the remaining operating costs. If the town's donation toward capital costs is approved by council, it will be made under the terms of a memorandum of understanding developed between the town and the BBF. That document notes that the town will only contribute its cash if the foundation arranges the rest of the necessary funding by January 2007, and starts construction on the project by April 2007. FOR BOYS & GIRLS FROM 8:30 AM TO 4:30 PM (Daily Lunch Included) JULY 10-14 JULY 17-2 JULY 24-28 JULY 10-14 4 JULY 31-AUG 3 Hours On Ice 3 Hours Golfing Activity Daily JULY 17-21 Activity Daily SPACE LIMITED Last Year Sold Out! CALL CAMP DIRECTOR DICK DECLOE 905.337.3361 ext.238 www.twinrinks.ca EVENT 4 FLOORS OF FURNITURE Sale Includes Custom Orders! · G. Brunetti · Vogel · Bogdon & Gross · Bühler · Artage · Gibbard · Canadel · Ferretti · Leda · Dutailier · Villageois · And More! NO TAX Ends Saturday May 20th 217 Lakeshore Road East · Downtown Oakville Since 1953 www.swissinteriors.com 905.844 .3530