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Parks and Trails
The city of Guelph does not own land suitable for additional parks, and the Parkland Acquisition Funds come from Development Charges which are increasingly limited and contested. This was the topic of a recent City of Guelph public consultation.
With the intensification of neighbourhoods comes a desire and increased need for access to outdoor green spaces, trails, sports fields and other amenities, and yet we have the operational reality of limited funds to pay for land acquisition.
Much of what we think are city parks and that residents use for recreation are actually school board and Conservation Authority properties. Monitoring our ability to provide parkland for a growing city is a concern.
As a member of city council I voted to support the community proposal for a National Urban Park on the former York Road Correctional lands. The city has oversight of the lands and designated the area as a Heritage Conservation District. While the majority of these lands are owned by the province who had declared the property as surplus. The community efforts hope to secure federal approval and support as a National Urban Park.
Community Priorities
Housing
While the development of affordable housing is very important, there is also a serious need to protect our stock of low-cost affordable rental housing and advocate with all levels of government for an investment and the immediate development of community public, rent geared to income and supportive housing.
