Village Blue officially opened in SouthFields Village

November 24, 2014 · 0 Comments

By Bill Rea
There’s been considerable talk over the last couple of years of a community common area as a centrepiece in SouthFields Village.
The talk became reality last Thursday as the ribbon was cut for Village Blue.
“This is the vision we’ve had from the very beginning,” declared Mayor-Elect Allan Thompson, who added it took a lot of work, as well as creativity to get the funding together. “We didn’t compromise anything.”
“This is a huge coup for all of us working together.”
The ribbon cutting ceremony was hosted by Coscorp Inc. and Monarch Homes.
The Village Blue currently consists of a gazebo in the middle of a square.
Tom Baskerville, vice-president of development with Coscorp, said there is an oval track surrounding the feature, with chiller pipes already installed in the ground beneath it. That will mean it can be frozen to set up an ice-skating track in the winter. He added all the equipment is not yet hooked up, so such skating will likely not be possible for this winter, but there are hopes for the years to come.
He also said public washroom facilities are currently under construction, and he added the pavilion will have electricity. As well, there is a large grassed area in the middle that can be flooded to provide an outdoor rink for skating or pick-up hockey.
The area below the square feature includes a stormwater management pond. The area around it is to be landscaped. It will also include trails that will be connected with other systems in the area.
Baskerville agreed a lot of time and effort went into making the Village Blue a reality.
“Mayor (Marolyn) Morrison was determined there would be skating,” he remarked, adding she’s been a great supporter of the community. “The people who live here couldn’t be more proud.”
Morrison was pretty impressed with the with the contributions of the builders.
“If you weren’t as giving as a company to the community, there wouldn’t be as much here,” she observed. “These things are important to a community and a wholesome community.”
“Monarch and Coscorp have come to the table every time,” she added. “It’s going to be phenomenal. The two companies have always stepped up when asked and contributed.”
“It’s the first greenfield community that’s been built in Caledon,” she said. “It’s special.”
The day also saw a $10,000 donation to Headwaters Health Care Foundation from Coscorp and Monarch. Baskerville pointed out a new subdivision creates new demands on the local health care system.
Kathy Armstrong, representing the Foundation Board, was on hand to accept the cheque.
“This is so outstanding,” she said. “This will have a tremendous impact.”

Mayor Marolyn Morrison cut the ribbon at Village Blue last Thursday. She was accompanied by Councillor-Elect Johanna Downey; Linda Robinson, sales and marketing director for Monarch Homes; Elizabeth Sawicki, vice-president of land for Monarch; Scott Arbuckle of RBI Group; Mayor-Elect Allan Thompson; David George, president of Monarch; Tom Baskerville, vice-president of development with Coscorp; Richard Costigan, vice-president of Coscorp; Ken Bokor of the SouthFields Village Residents’ Group; and Kathy Armstrong, representing the Headwaters Health Care Foundation Board.
Photo by Bill Rea