Town celebrates grants to refurbish centre

January 10, 2018 · 0 Comments

By Bill Rea
A lot of work has gone into refurbishing Mayfield Recreation Centre, and the Town is celebrating it.
The ribbon was cut Sunday to officially open the revamped facility. The ceremony took place as part of the Town’s annual Winterfest celebrations, as the Town recognized the contributions of the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) through the Ontario 150 Community Capital Program.
It was announced early last year that the Town had been successful in obtaining a grant from OTF for $500,000 for arena floor and board system replacement.
Phil Lankhof, recreation supervisor at the Centre, pointed to several of the improvements, including the shifting of the players’ benches to the other side of the rink. That had helped expand the viewing area. That has also freed up space for the several learn to skate programs offered at the facility. Parents have more room to help their youngsters on with their skates close to the ice.
As well, he said old wooden railings have been taken out of the stands in an effort to improve sightlines.
“It just sort of modernizes it,” he commented.
He also said all six change rooms in the arena have new rubber flooring or skate tiles.
Lankhof said the consultant on the project was Barry Bryan Associates and general contractor was Schilthuis Construction.
He was also impressed at how quickly the job was completed. He said it started in April, and was done by the middle of September, “which was tight, tight, tight time lines.”
“This was one of the real accomplishments last year,” Mayor Allan Thompson declared. “I think it looks beautiful.”
He added that in addition to the grant from OTF, the federal government provided funding for the compressor unit.
Dufferin-Caledon MPP Sylvia Jones observed the Trillium money also helped with the reboarding of the rink.
She added she was happy this project came in for the money.
“I would say, Mayor Thompson, it has been very well used,” she remarked.
The federal contribution was part of the Canada 150 Community Infrastructure program. It came to $39,655 for the Mayfield project. Brampton North MP Ruby Sahota had been in Town in May to announce the allocation on behalf of the Ministry of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, and she was back Sunday for the ceremonies. She stressed the value of partnerships between various levels of government and how they work to make communities better.

Mayor Allan Thompson cut the ribbon at Sunday’s celebration of the refurbished Mayfield Recreation Centre, accompanied by Councillors Rob Mezzapelli and Barb Shaughnessy, Dufferin-Caledon MP David Tilson, Town Crier Andrew Welch, Dufferin-Caledon MPP Sylvia Jones, Mayor for the Day Tanush Shrma, Councillors Doug Beffort and Johanna Downey, Brampton North MP Ruby Sahota and Councillors Gord McClure, Jennifer Innis and Nick deBoer.
Photo by Bill Rea