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www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday May 30, 2007 - 3 Everyone loves a parade PHOTOS BY ASHLEA WESSEL / SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER MAKE SOME NOISE: Oakville's founder William Chisholm (left, Michael Brown) leads a Calithumpian Parade from Oakville Towne Square to Lakeside park to celebrate the town's 150th anniversary on Sunday. Participating in the noisemaking, costumed parade were (above, l-r) Oakville 150th Anniversary task force co-chairs Jane Hawkrigg and Francine Landry with Marianne Hawthorne, (bottom right) Holly and Sydney McLachlan, and (bottom left) Oakville Ward 2 Councillor Cathy Dudeck. Sports Council chair cheers North Park sports complex plan By David Lea OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF Town plans to turn North Park into a mega-recreation complex received a thumbs up from one of Oakville's chief sport's enthusiasts during a Monday council meeting. Cathy Watt, Chair of the Oakville Sports Council, threw her organization's support behind Town Council and its idea to turn the 79-hectare North Park, which lies near the corner of Dundas Street and Neyagawa Boulevard, into a complex that houses a variety of indoor and outdoor facilities. A multi-surface ice arena, indoor pool, recreation centre, library and indoor soccer field are being contemplated for the site, along with outdoor sports fields, skateboard and BMX facilities, trails, a splash pad and a leash free dog zone. "We commend the Town of Oakville for designating this parcel of land for sports and recreation," said Watt. "This truly is a major step towards satisfying some of the current need." The Oakville Sports Council is a partnership of community sports organizations that work cooperatively to provide a collective voice for sport in Oakville. That voice was speaking loud and clear during the Monday meeting telling the Mayor and the Town councillors that this new complex is something the town desperately needs. "Last September the Oakville Sports Council held a general meeting inviting the sports community, members and non-members, to attend. We wanted to know what they wanted for their groups and what they wanted from the sports council," said Watt. "By the end of the meeting it was evident. The major outcry was for facilities, something we pretty well knew. We learned that our local track and field group must train in Toronto's facilities and that small indoor sports groups must struggle to find affordable indoor facilities." Watt sees this as unacceptable given the popularity of sports in Oakville. "Halton Field Hockey is the largest in Ontario. The Oakville Soccer Club is the largest in Ontario and one of the largest in North America. The Oakville Skating Club is the largest in Canada. These are just a few," said Watt. "Our community sport groups have also enabled their athletes to excel to elite levels and advance to national, international and professional levels." While Watt praised Town council for its decision she also cautioned them to act fairly in the building of facilities at the park. "On behalf of our sports community, I ask that the needs of our sports community be met in an equitable manor. Staff have been consulting with the major user groups to gather information pertinent to their needs, however, it was evident at the April stakeholders' meeting that there is a need for sports groups to work in a cooperative manner with all sports at the table to ensure cooperation amongst all," said Watt. Concerns about the building of the complex at the North Park location have been raised by a local resident, who fears the presents of the complex and a new high school, the Halton District School Board may build on an adjacent property, will increase traffic congestion in the area. The public will have the opportunity to have their voices heard at a June 20, meeting in which town staff will present possible design concepts for the North Park property. The development of the site is expected to occur in several phases over the next 10 years, with construction beginning on the first phase as early as next summer.