UPDATE: The Strabane lighting is currently being considered in the development of the 2015 Capital Budget and Business Plan. Please refer to the staff report (August 2014, http://bit.ly/104WMzO) that established the responsibilities of the volunteers and the criteria to be used for new infrastructure requests.

We’ll continue to post updates as they become available.

UPDATE: The staff report on the Volunteer Ice Rinks did not go to Council prior to its summer break; the report will likely come before Council in August 2014. Staff will be initiating a budget request for the Strabane lighting, for consideration through the 2015 Business Plan process. Staff cannot guarantee it will be approved.

We can ensure that although the staff report has not yet gone forward this doesn’t mean that staff are not continuing to act on the issue! Will continue to post updates as they become available.

A Neighbourhood Volunteer Outdoor Ice Rink Program Update is now currently under review by City staff. The Update aims to formalize the volunteer and City staff responsibilities and the process for establishing new infrastructure improvements associated with winter outdoor ice rinks (both new lighting and water services to establish new ice rink locations), to ensure requests are prioritized and effectively provided.

This proposed formalized program will complement the Parks Lighting Policy approved by Council in 2008 that guides the City in determining the needs for park lighting (http://media.legistar.com/barrie/2008/ENG047-080630.pdf).

If the Program Update is approved, the request for lighting within Strabane Park will considered as part of this proposed program process and potentially included as part of the 2015 Business Plan.

It is anticipated that the Neighbourhood Volunteer Outdoor Ice Rink Program Update will come before Council in June 2014.

“Install lighting for hockey/skating at Strabane Park” has reached 500 votes! Access Barrie will bring this suggestion (including all comments) forth to the relevant departments to determine viability. We will post an update as soon as possible.

Voting is now closed; all votes have been returned to users.

To confirm: All votes for this suggestion are legitimate and registered to valid e-mail addresses. This suggestion has received the fastest legitimate climb in votes on this forum and it’s exciting to see that the forum is being leveraged as it was intended to be: by residents who spread the word among friends and neighbours to show their support, fairly have their say, and contribute to the forum’s reflection of popular opinion. We (Access Barrie) are excited to see the amount of residents so quickly engaged. Thank you!