Parks, Recreation, Tourism and Culture Master Plan

The Parks, Recreation, Tourism and Culture Master Plan will guide and manage the Township’s facilities, services, programs, events, and amenities over the next 10 years. The Master Plan will establish strategies to meet needs for parks and open spaces, recreation tourism and culture services in collaboration with community partners.

How you provide input!

Here’s how you can get involved to make sure your voice is heard:

• Review the following information panels to learn about the project.
• Click here to complete the community survey. The survey will be open until May 23, 2021.
• Submit written comments to the Township or send an e-mail to whatsup@warwicktownship.ca.

Project Scope

The Master Plan will explore the following topic areas:

• Recreation, tourism and cultural facilities;
• Leisure programs, activities, and events;
• Parks, open spaces and trails; and
• Service delivery policies and practices.

Project Objectives

• Identify needs based on demographics and participation trends;
• Establish direction for the future of parks, recreation, tourism and culture in the Township;
• Develop strategies to meet identified needs; and
• Engage the community in a process that supports the Master Plan.

PRTC System Benefits

Parks, recreation, tourism and culture opportunities provide many benefits to individuals and communities including:

• Improved mental and physical well-being;
• Enhanced social well-being and promote inclusion;
• Help build strong families and communities;
• Connect people with nature; and
• Provide wide-ranging environmental and economic benefits.

Trends Influencing Parks, Recreation, Tourism and Culture

Parks, recreation, tourism and culture opportunities are influenced by a number of trends that are being experienced across Ontario. Some of these trends are highlighted below.

Facility Trends

• Facilities are aging, requiring municipalities to reinvest, replace or repurpose infrastructure.
• Accessibility legislation requires new or renovated municipal facilities to accommodate persons with disabilities.
• Modern municipal facilities serve as community hubs and, where possible, are multi-use in design to provide a variety of civic programs and services for residents.

 Participation Trends

• Physical activity levels have been low for a number of years due to the lack of free time and related factors.
• There is a growing popularity for unstructured / self-scheduled activities.
• There are increasing requests for activities and amenities such as pickleball, outdoor fitness equipment, public art, trails.

Programs and Services

• Emphasis is being placed on maximizing the use of existing assets before building new infrastructure.
• Partnerships allow municipalities and their community partners to share resources.
• Urban/rural municipalities often adopt a community development model -an approach where the municipality provides facilities and supports local organizations to deliver programs and services.

Potential Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic can be expected to affect the demand for and delivery of parks, recreation, tourism and culture services. The following are some potential impacts that the pandemic may have on the sector in the short-to longer-term.

• Continued population growth in less urbanized areas;
• Emphasis on health equity and access to parks, trails, and other services;
• Growing interest in unstructured, individual and small group activities;
• Desire for outdoor recreation (including four season use), placing pressure on trails, parks, washrooms, etc.;
• A possible shift in prime-time demand due to people working from home with more flexible hours;
• Volatility in volunteers and special events;
• Substantial changes to operations(e.g., demand for touchless services, cleaning, visitor management, staff training, etc.), possibly resulting in higher costs and/or greater levels of subsidy;
• Significant impacts on building design (ventilation, spacing, access/egress, mid-door spaces, etc.);
• Constant engagement and communication–people need accurate and real-time information;
• Rethinking of some third-party partnerships(schools, etc.); and
• Greater use of technology to help support changes (virtual programming, etc.).

Community Profile

• The Township of Warwick’s population is currently 3,600 persons with 40% of residents living in the Watford settlement area.
• The Township’s population is projected to remain near current levels over the Master Plan’s 10 year planning period.

Population Growth by Age Group, 2011-2016

Source: Statistics Canada 2011 and 2016 Census

Have your say!

Click here to complete the community survey before May 23, 2021.

Submit written comments by e-mail to whatsup@warwicktownship.ca