Facilities & Amenities Strategic Plan Master Recreation Plan 2014 DRAFT Contributors:

Laura Brankovich, Social Planner Ross Duncan, Fund Development Coordinator Jennifer Finnigan, Community Recreation Coordinator Bill Fraser, Principle of Fraser Fitness, Recreation Facilities Development Consultant Jillian Geen, Junior Planner Chen Peng, Assistant Director of Development Services

2 DRAFT Facilities & Amenities Strategic Plan Master Recreation Plan 2014

Approved: ______, 2014

______Mayor Patricia Mathews

______CAO Randy Patrick

DRAFT 3 MAPS

Map 1 Proximity of Other Public Recreation Centres 32 Map 2 Pathway Project Recommendations for Existing Neighbourhood Sites: High Priority 47 Map 3 Pathway Project Recommendations for Existing Neighbourhood Sites: Medium Priority 49 Map 4 Pathway Project Recommendations for Existing Neighbourhood Sites: Long Term Priority 51 Map 5 Reserve Lands in Chestermere 59 TABLES

Table 1 Time residents are prepared to spend travelling to facilities and amenities 22 Table 2 Top Recreation Activities 22 Table 3 Median Population Benchmarks for Development of Recreation Facilities 27 Table 4 Selected Results from Town Survey 2012 29

Table 5 Anticipated Usage of Facilities from Open House Mini-Survey 30 Table 6 Amenities in the Multi-Use Regional Recreation Facilities 34-35 Table 7 Cost Estimates 36 Table 8 Alberta Library Standards 37 Table 9 Assessment for Tax Bylaw 2013 40 Table 10 Existing Uses of Municipal Reserve Land (not exhaustive) 62

Table 11 Chestermere’s Outdoor Recreation Amenities Relative to Population Benchmarks 63-64 Table 12 Total Parks and Recreation Capital and Operational Expense per Capita 76 Table 13 Implementation Timeline 83 Table 14 Partners and Roles 84-85 Table 15 Indicators for Monitoring 90-91

4 DRAFT TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHESTERMERE FACILITIES AND AMENITIES STRATEGIC PLAN 8 BACKGROUND

1.0 INTRODUCTION 9 1.1 Current Situation 11

2.0 PURPOSE 13 2.1 Definition of Recreation Used in This Plan 14

3.0 SCOPE AND OUTCOMES 15 3.1 Scope 15 3.2 Expected Outcomes 15 3.3 Specific Goals Based on Identified Priorities 15

4.0 HOW THIS PLAN IS TO BE USED 16

5.0 PLANNING PROCESS 17 5.1 Literature Review 17 5.2 Inventories Development 17 5.3 Consultations/Community Engagement 17 5.4 Expertise Utilized 17

6.0 TRENDS AFFECTING DEVELOPMENT OF RECREATION AMENITIES 18 6.1 Chestermere’s Demographic Trends 18 6.2 Chestermere’s Employment Trends 21 6.3 Behavioural Trends across Canada 21 6.4 Recreation Development Trends in Alberta and Canada 23 THE PLAN - RECOMMENDATIONS 1. Develop a Multiplex 25 2. Establish a Continuous Multi-Use Pathway System 25 3. Maintain and Expand the Town’s Outdoor Spaces and Amenities to Meet the Needs of Chestermere’s Growing Population 25

7.0 PRIORITY: DEVELOP A MULTIPLEX 26 7.1 Goals 26 7.2 Population Benchmarks for Development of a Multiplex 26

DRAFT 5 7.3 Support for Developing Public Recreation Facilities 28 7.4 Residents’ Priorities for Facilities and Amenities Development 29 7.5 Surrounding Area’s Recreation Facilities 32 7.6 Comparison of Amenities in the Multi-Use Regional Recreation Facilities of the Selected Communities 33 7.7 Costing Estimates 36 7.7.1 Costing Estimates for a Multiplex 36 7.7.2 Costing Estimate for Construction of a Library at the Multiplex 37 7.8 Recommendations 38 7.8.1 Secure Land for a Multiplex and Amenities 38 7.8.2 Establish a Qualified Committee to Plan, Fundraise, and Possibly Operate a New Multiplex 38 7.8.3 Secure Funding Sources for the Multiplex 40 7.8.4 Planning for Efficiencies and Reducing Operational Costs 41

8.0 PRIORITY: PATHWAYS 44 8.1 Goals 44 8.2 Current Situation 44 8.3 Public Participation 45 8.4 Recommendations 46 8.4.1 Recommendations for Existing Neighbourhoods 46 High Priorities 46 Medium Priorities 48 Longer Term Priorities 50 8.4.2 Recommendations for Annexed Lands 52 8.5 Additional Considerations 56

9.0 PRIORITY: OUTDOOR AMENITIES 57 9.1 Goals 57 9.2 Reserve Lands/Special Designation Lands 58 9.3 Natural Amenities 60 9.4 The Town’s Outdoor Amenities 61 9.5 Chestermere’s Outdoor Recreation Amenities Relative to Population Benchmarks 62

6 DRAFT 9.6 Recommendations 66 9.6.1 Parks and Open Spaces Policy Recommendations 66 9.6.2 Playgrounds 67 9.6.3 Other Amenity Considerations 69 9.6.4 General Recommendations for Outdoor Amenities 74

10.0 FUNDING RECREATION INFRASTRUCTURE 75 10.1 Town Contributions 75 10.2 Grants 77 10.3 Community 79 10.4 Funding Recommendations 80

11.0 GENERAL RECREATION POLICIES 81

12.0 IMPLEMENTATION 82 12.1 Implementation Timeline 83 12.2 Support and Partners 84 12.3 Forces that could Impact Goal Achievement 86 12.4 Tools 87 12.5 Monitoring Progress & Evaluation 89

APPENDICES A. Town Survey 2012 Results 93 B. Open House - Major Recreation Facility 97 Pathway Sub-Project (April 22, 2013) 97 C. Surrounding Area’s Recreation Facilities 100 D. Pathway Projects’ Costs And Additional Considerations 104 E. Road and Path Width Standards/ Requirements 108 F. Federal Support for Provincial-Territorial-Municipal 109 Infrastructure on a Cash Basis 109 G. Population and Outdoor Amenities Comparison 110 H. Literature Review 111 I. Stakeholder Consultations 113

DRAFT 7 CHESTERMERE FACILITIES AND AMENITIES STRATEGIC PLAN The Chestermere Facilities and Amenities Strategic Plan is made up of four components: 1) Essential Facilities – including RCMP, Emergency Services and Health Facilities. 2) Master Recreation Plan (2014) – including planning for a multiplex, the pathway system and other outdoor amenities. 3) Environmental Resources – including the Wetland Policy and Environmental Resources Inventory. 4) Fiscal Model Analysis This document, the Master Recreation Plan (2014), provides the long-term strategic plan for the development of recreation facilities and amenities needed to support and build on the Town’s vision of Chestermere as Alberta’s recreation and leisure oasis.

8 DRAFT BACKGROUND

1.0 INTRODUCTION Wandering through Chestermere on a warm summer night, it is evident that an active lifestyle is important to residents. Throughout the community, one sees people cycling, kids on skateboards, couples strolling along the lake at John Peake park, parents pushing strollers, residents walking their dogs, golfers on the course at Lakeside Greens; and on the lake, residents are kayaking, sailing, wakeboarding or paddle boarding. Town Council has a vision for Chestermere’s future that is built on this active lifestyle. This vision is that Chestermere will become a recreation and leisure oasis for residents, where the recreation amenities available in town enrich the already high quality of community life. There is currently an extensive array of activities that residents can get involved in, within the community, thanks to: a) resident-initiated organizations: There is a wealth of organizations and associations in town that have been initiated by residents who share a passion for a particular activity, whether that be a sport, arts or leisure activity, or preserving the town’s historical heritage. b) organizations whose primary interest is not recreation itself, but who use recreation as a means to build community and promote values and leadership. These include religious groups, Camp Chestermere and the Town’s Community Services Department. c) private recreation and leisure businesses: Large and small, these businesses greatly enrich the range of recreation and leisure activities available in the community. d) schools e) fundraising activities and events Chestermere has been ‘put on the map’ recreationally because of the excellence of its events. Residents have organized impressive fundraising events like the 2012 World’s Longest Hockey Game, that raised over $1.6 million for the Alberta Children’s Hospital; the town’s first Relay for Life in 2010, that saw residents raising over $100,000 in the fight against cancer; and the recent climb of Mt. Temple, by 12 individuals fundraising for a church building for St. Gabriel the Archangel Parish. The town is also known for hosting great annual community events such as Waterfest, Winter Festival, Canada Day, Country Connections and the Fall Fair.

DRAFT 9 Among the fastest growing population in Alberta, Chestermere’s aspirations to become known for the excellence of its recreation facilities requires vision and long term planning. Throughout the community consultation process for developing this Master Recreation Plan, and in past studies, residents have given Town Council a clear message that meeting recreation needs are a priority. What was found was that: • some recreation needs are already being met to some degree, but are insufficient to the demand, such as hockey arenas, fitness centres, and outdoor sports fields; • some needs are not being met at all, such as an aquatics centre, water spray park, and field house, and that the development of these rank very highly in residents’ priorities. The Master Recreation Plan, 2014, is an important, necessary step toward making Council’s and residents’ vision a reality. This Plan contains information on trends relevant to the development of facilities and amenities in Chestermere, how Chestermere’s recreation inventory compares with other communities, priorities for development, recommendations, and a suggested implementation plan.

This is a community that likes to celebrate, and frequently sports and recreation are the reason for the celebration. This was evident in the huge turnout when the 2010 Winter Olympics Torch Relay passed through Chestermere. Marla Forth carried the torch through Chestermere as the Town played host to day 82 of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics Torch Relay.

10 DRAFT 1.1 Current Situation There are many existing recreation amenities in the Town. These include a number of parks, a variety of fields for soccer, baseball and other outdoor activities, a network of over 27 km of pathways, and our largest natural amenity used for an array of recreation activities, the Lake.

There are many organizations and businesses providing recreation programming/activities in Chestermere:

• Abstract Dance Academy • Chestermere Minor Football • Alberta 55 Plus Big Country Senior Sports • Chestermere Minor Hockey Association Society • Chestermere Oldtimers Hockey Club • Anndee’s Fitness for Women • Chestermere Regional Community • Anytime Fitness Association • Calgary Catholic School District • Chestermere Regional Soccer Association • Calgary Yacht Club • Chestermere Skating Club • Camp Chestermere • Chestermere Skunks Hockey Club • Canadian Tae Kwon Do College • Chestermere United Football Club (soccer) • Chestermere Adult Slow-pitch League • First Fire Production • Chestermere & Calgary Guides • Fit Kids Gymnastics • Chestermere Army Cadet Corps • Focus Tae Kwon Do • Chestermere Artisans • Hyperactive Watersports • Chestermere Beavers & Scouts • Leela Aheer • Chestermere Brazilian Jiu-jitsu • The Lake Recording Studio • Chestermere Castaways Hockey Club • Torjager Roller Hockey • Chestermere Community Basketball • Lakeside Greens Golf Club • Chestermere Country Fair Committee • Lakeside Quilters Guild • Chestermere Coyotes Hockey Club • Rockyview Waterski Club • Chestermere Curling Associations • Rocky View Schools • Chestermere Fine Arts Guild • Surfsup Stand Up Paddleboarding • Chestermere Karate Club • Urban Beautification Committee • Chestermere Ladies Club (Chestermere in Bloom) YELL • Chestermere Ladies Ringette • Synergy • Chestermere Lakers Hockey Club • Town of Chestermere (Arts Days) • Chestermere Minor Baseball • Whitecapper

DRAFT 11 Religious organizations Although there is only one dedicated religious facility situated within the town, and three outside the Town boundaries, there is a wide variety of faith communities active in Chestermere. They meet in schools, Town Hall, the Rec Centre, and private homes. Almost three quarters (74%) of residents report having a religious affiliation, with the highest groupings being Catholics, followed by Sikh, and United (NHS, 2011). Activities offered by faith communities enhance the overall recreation program/activity offerings in town.

Organizations Currently Funding Development of Recreation Facilities and Amenities in the Town: • Chestermere Rotary Club • Chestermere Lions Club • Chestermere/Langdon Oilmens Association • Chestermere-Conrich Regional Recreation Board • Bow North Recreation Board • Town of Chestermere • Developers (for example, Rainbow Falls water feature and the tennis courts in the Cove)

12 DRAFT 2.0 PURPOSE

There are two primary drivers of why the Plan is being prepared at this point in time:

1. A Master Recreation Plan is needed for the Town to be able to achieve the Town’s vision and determine what its role should be in relation to recreation, as well as respond to the Chestermere Regional Community Association’s Business Plan (2012). a) the Town Vision and Role in Relation to Recreation What the Town’s role should be in recreation facility development and the provision of recreation services has been a topic of much debate. Although the provision of recreation facilities is not legally mandated, most municipal governments in Alberta are the major providers of such facilities. In relation to parks and recreation, the Municipal Government Act (MGA) makes only general reference to the purposes of a municipality as including the provision of “services, facilities, or other things that, in the opinion of council, are necessary or desirable for all or a part of a municipality…” Currently, the Town takes a limited role in recreation, through the construction of parks, pathways, and sports fields; management of the community boat launch; organizing community events; and providing a small range of recreation activities. The Town is not a facilities operator; nor does it have a recreation department. The only recreation programs it provides come under the Community Services Department, where recreation activities are sometimes used as a means to achieve objectives related to healthy child and youth development, or community development. Not being directly involved in recreation operations or programming, the main funding support offered from the Town is in the form of grants and limited project support. The Town and Rocky View County both provide grants on an annual basis to the Chestermere Regional Recreation Centre toward its lifecycle maintenance needs, as well as participating with the County on the Chestermere-Conrich Regional Recreation Board, which provides grants to local organizations providing a recreation function. Funds are also allocated to maintain existing recreation amenities in the community such as playgrounds, parks, trails, and Chestermere Lake.

b) response to the Chestermere Regional Community Association’s Business Plan (2012): Chestermere has a rather unique situation in relation to the largest recreation facility in the town - the Chestermere Regional Recreation Centre (the Rec Centre). The Rec Centre predates the incorporation of the Town. It is operated by the Chestermere Regional Community Association (CRCA), an independent non-profit organization, and is situated on Rocky View County land, within the Town boundaries. This causes some confusion, in that many residents do not know that the Town is not the owner or operator of the Rec Centre, and do not understand the relationship between the Town and the CRCA Board. The lack of a Master Recreation Plan has left the Town poorly positioned to respond to two scenarios that have been proposed by the CRCA Board. One scenario is refurbishment of the existing building and dealing with its life cycle issues, and the other is expanding the

DRAFT 13 facility into a leisure centre that would be missing the most important amenity desired by residents – a pool. Both options that have been presented would require a major investment of funds by the Town. Council has decided to postpone making a decision on major capital expenditures regarding the Rec Centre until 2015. This allows time to consult with residents on their recreation needs and priorities, complete the Town’s Master Recreation Plan, and conduct a study to explore the feasibility of developing a major multi-use recreation facility, a multiplex. Once these tasks have been completed, the Town will be in a position to make decisions regarding recreation capital funding priorities.

2. The need to engage developers in funding public facilities Community growth provides benefits to the Town, the developers and the entire community; however, it also comes with added costs and impacts. These impacts needs to be supported financially by all those who benefit. The Town will need to increase essential services like fire halls and police stations, as well as other community infrastructure like recreation facilities, parks, and pathways. The residents support these enhanced services through property taxes and the developers should provide support in the form of a public facilities fee. As development moves forward on the new annexed lands, it is important that the Town engage developers to negotiate a mutually acceptable public benefits strategies to support the growth. Planning for all the future essential services and recreation amenities is a prerequisite for any new development. The Town must plan now in order to be able to support new growth and ensure financial sustainability of its services and amenities. 2.1 Definition of Recreation Used in This Plan We have chosen to use the definition of recreation developed by select leaders in the recreation field from across Canada presented at the 2011 National Recreation Summit: Recreation includes all those activities in which an individual chooses to participate, and includes sports, physical recreation programs, artistic and creative expressions, social and intellectual activities. Recreation is a fundamental human need and right and is essential to the psychological, social and physical well-being of each Canadian. Recreation is also an essential social service which has a three pronged purpose: • Citizen building • Community building • Environmental sustainability -The 2011 National Recreation Summit

14 DRAFT 3.0 SCOPE AND OUTCOMES 3.1 Scope The scope of the Plan is limited to public facilities and amenities within the mandate of a municipality to provide to its residents. Planning of facilities and amenities that fall within the provincial government’s mandate, such as schools and health facilities, are not included. Nor does the scope directly include recreation facilities and amenities that are privately owned and operated. However, these facilities are recognized as adding greatly to the overall mix of amenities available to residents, and have been taken into consideration in the planning for public facilities, so as not to duplicate the services they provide, and with regard to future partnership opportunities. 3.2 Expected Outcomes Expected outcomes of the Plan include: • population benchmarks for development of the most highly prioritized facilities and amenities. • an estimate of the costs associated with building the desired facilities and amenities. • important considerations for planning, including policy and implementation recommendations. • options for further exploration regarding how these facilities might be funded. 3.3 Specific Goals Based on Identified Priorities Three goals are addressed in the Plan:

1) Having the first phase of amultiplex underway by the time the population reaches 23,000. 2) Increasing connectivity of existing pathways, expanding the pathways system, and the development of related amenities. 3) Maintaining the vision of the Municipal Development Plan with regard to future park and outdoor space development in the annexed lands and continuing to increase the town’s inventory of outdoor amenities.

The Master Recreation Plan will support Chestermere’s community identity and recreation lifestyle residents value.

DRAFT 15 4.0 HOW THIS PLAN IS TO BE USED

This Plan is to be used as the guiding document in planning public recreation facilities and amenities in Chestermere, in the same way that the Municipal Development Plan (MDP) guides development of the ‘built’ community, and the Social Plan guides development of social infrastructure and other contributors to community quality of life. Recognizing the importance of recreation infrastructure in community quality of life, both the MDP and the Town’s Social Plan recommended development of a Master Recreation Plan. The Master Recreation Plan and the Social Plan should be considered companion documents that support the Municipal Development Plan, which is a statutorily required document under the Municipal Government Act. Recreation is a valuable means to achieving two of the visions found in these plans:

1. Chestermere has a unique, small town sense of community: Through recreation, residents get to know each other and establish the relationships on which sense of small town community is built. 2. Chestermere is a socially and culturally cohesive community: Shared recreation interests and sports activities create commonalities that transcend many individual differences, whether they be lifestyle, cultural, economic, or other differences.

16 DRAFT 5.0 PLANNING PROCESS 5.1 Literature Review (Complete list of sources found in Appendix H) The following sources were used to inform and support the analysis and recommendations set forth in this Plan. • trends affecting recreation facilities development in Alberta and Canada • demographic trends in Chestermere with recreation implications • the Town’s existing planning documents as well as ongoing project plans including the Municipal Development Plan, Design Guidelines, Landscape Guidelines, Land Use Bylaw, Engineering Guidelines Standard and the Social Plan • planning documents from neighbouring municipalities as well as Alberta communities chosen to be comparison communities for the purpose of this plan. • studies that were commissioned in Chestermere including: • the 2008 and 2012 Town Surveys • a feasibility study for an aquatics centre (completed by CDC Consulting Services Inc., 2009) • the CRCA’s Business Plan (Paul Conrad and Associates, 2012) The data given greatest consideration was the Town Survey 2012, as it had the highest amount of Chestermere resident input. The aquatic centre feasibility study was used for informational purposes only, as this report was not accepted by Council. 5.2 Inventories Development • existing recreation facilities and amenities in Chestermere: buildings, parks, pathways, and Municipal Reserve land • recreation facilities within a half hour drive of Chestermere that could affect use of future facilities in Chestermere • Chestermere recreation resources compared to selected Alberta communities 5.3 Consultations/Community Engagement • The Town Survey 2012 • Consultations with over thirty five recreation and community organizations stakeholders. • Discussions with nine developers and builders • Major Recreation Facilities Open House • Discussions with Rocky View County • A number of meetings and workshops with Town Administration 5.4 Expertise Utilized • Bill Fraser, principle of Fraser Fitness, was contracted as the Recreation Facilities Development Consultant to help with development of the Plan • The Town hired two positions to follow through with Plan Implementation: the Community Recreation Coordinator and the Fund Development Coordinator • Consulted Town Staff to gain expertise from different departments DRAFT 17 6.0 TRENDS AFFECTING DEVELOPMENT OF RECREATION AMENITIES 6.1 Chestermere’s Demographic Trends We continue to grow. The population of Chestermere grew 49% between the 2006 and 2011 federal censuses, making it the fastest growing community in Alberta and the 5th fastest growing in Canada, in its population category. Chestermere’s current population is 15,762 residents (Chestermere Municipal Census, 2013).

We’re going to be bigger than was anticipated at full build-out of the community. Full build-out within the old Town boundaries is projected to have a population of 22,643 by 2020. It is anticipated that the effects of development of the annexed lands on the town’s population will begin to be seen by 2016-17. The projected growth study of 2007 has been updated to reflect the actual amount of land that was annexed in 2009, plus the housing density that is currently being proposed for the annexed lands, i.e. 5-7 units per acre, rather than 5 units per acre. The following population projections for full build-out of the Town are based on an average of 3.2 persons/household. Long term planning needs to take population projections for full build- out of the community into consideration.

Housing Density 5 Units/Acre 6 Units/Acre 7 Units/Acre Population Projection 78,083 89,171 100,259

We continue to be a community of young families, but the “Boomers” are hitting maturity. Historically, Chestermere has been a community of young families, with very few seniors relative to other Alberta communities. Although this is still the case, and Chestermere’s median age is still less than that for Alberta and Canada, a shift may be in the early stages as the Baby Boomers (those born between 1946 and 1964) age and start to retire. Population’s Median Age

18 DRAFT Age Distribution as a Percentage of the Total Population

Note: Missing information for 2001 is due to a change in how ages were aggregated in the Community Profiles of 2006 and 2011.

The front end of this generation turned 65 in 2012. Although currently Chestermere does not have many seniors (5% of the population), the Boomers form a population bulge of up and coming retirees, with 3,173 residents between the age of 50 and 64 (20% of the population). As we know from the Social Plan, whether these residents will continue to stay as they get older, and whether Chestermere will become attractive as retirement community to Calgary residents, will depend on having housing that fits their lifestyles, and the facilities, amenities, and services available in the community that this generation expects. Although this is a very health aware generation, it is also a generation beset with lifestyle-related health problems. As Chestermere develops, it is remaining a community attractive to families with children and youth. Despite dramatic population growth, from 3,415 residents in 2001 to 14,825 in 2011, the proportion of children and youth is remaining fairly constant, forming 29% of the population in 2001, 32% in 2006, and 31% in 2011.

Chestermere is likely to remain a culturally diverse community. Chestermere remains a community of choice for immigrants who have been in Canada more than five years and are able to buy into the Chestermere housing market. According to the 2011 National Household Survey, 23% of Chestermerians were born in another country. The top two countries of birth are the same as Calgary: the Philippines (17.4%) and India (16.8%). Indian and Filipino families have a tendency to participate in recreation activities with extended family, including children as well as elders (Burns et al. 2008). The Filipino culture values the social use of parks. Filipinos are more likely to use parks in large organized groups. Picnicking and barbecuing is a favorite activity of this cultural group. There is a tendency for parents to want to experience outdoor recreation with children rather than sending them to participate in a program by themselves. In general, issues surrounding safety were very important to Asian Canadians. There was also a high value placed on recreation that provided educational opportunities.

DRAFT 19 Implications for Recreation Planning: • Additional recreation facilities and amenities will be needed to meet the demand created by population growth. Planning needs to be based on a projected population of 78.000- 100,000 at full build-out of the community (based on 5-7 households/acre). • As development of the annexed lands is planned, the Town needs to ensure that adequate land is allocated for recreation infrastructure development. • With 24% of the total population under age 14 (compared to Calgary at 18%), recreation options should reflect the needs of this age group presently, as well as planning for the future needs of this group as they age. • The large population of residents who will enter the senior age bracket (55 years of age) have specific needs and should have recreation options to allow for aging in place. • Health promotion, chronic disease management and rehabilitation programs should be available in recreation facilities, offered in partnership with healthcare professionals. • With a sizeable population of Filipino, Indian, and Vietnamese families in the demographic makeup of the Town, it is important to recognize cultural preferences and provide recreation amenities that allow for residents’ preferred activities. • Special consideration should be given to activities for elderly family members and religious beliefs that may require specific recreation needs. • Facilities will need to be built with flexible use in mind, such as gymnasiums and fields that can be used for a variety of sports, including those that are not ‘mainstream’ sports in Canada, but that are popular in the countries our immigrant residents come from. • There will be a need for large indoor and outdoor spaces that allow for large celebrations and events. These types of events are common in the cultures that make up our community, and are needed to accommodate our growing population.

Soccer tends to be a more popular sport than hockey with immigrant populations.

20 DRAFT 6.2 Chestermere’s Employment Trends Most of our working residents, work outside of the community. The percentage of employed Chestermerians who work outside the community remains high, 86% in 2013, compared to 87% in 2006. Implications for Recreation Planning: • A communications strategy and marketing campaign is needed to encourage residents to utilize local recreation options in order to ensure there are enough users to make recreation facilities operationally sustainable. This is particularly important for residents that work outside of Chestermere and do not have children, as they may not be drawn to return to the community directly after finishing work. 6.3 Behavioural Trends across Canada (Adapted from Stantec, 2013; other sources named throughout) Inactivity and Obesity Are Ongoing Problems. Data from the Canadian Health Measures Survey collected between 2007 and 2009 indicated that 85% of Canadian adults don’t get the recommended 150 minutes/week of moderate to vigorous physical activity considered to be necessary for good health. Numbers are worse for children and youth, of whom 93% don’t get the recommended amount of activity. Obesity in Alberta has increased between 2000 and 2011, with an estimated 25-29% of adult Albertans being obese in 2011 (Journal of Public Health, 2011). Shortage of time available for adults to be physically active. The average return trip commute to work for employed Chestermerians is 56 minutes (NHS, 2011). According to the CRCA study, 43% of their survey participants regularly leave the community to participate in recreation or community service programs on a weekly basis, 57% monthly. In the CDC feasibility Study, residents who indicated that most of their recreation takes place outside of Chestermere were asked why this was. 83% said it was due to lack of programs and facilities in town, whereas only 3 % said it is more convenient to participate elsewhere (CDC, 2009, p.19). Many residents have said that they don’t have time to get to know their neighbours, that the people they get to know are other parents whose children are in the same sports activities as their children.

People who cannot find time for recreation are obliged sooner or later to find time for illness. - John Wanamaker

DRAFT 21 Travelling time to amenities Table 1: Time Residents are Prepared to Spend affects people’s willingness/ Travelling to Facilities and Amenities ability to participate in activities, as illustrated in Table 1.

Preferred maximum travel time to access regularly engaged in recreation and leisure opportunities is generally less than 20 minutes. This should be taken into account when planning for recreation locations in order to facilitate maximum use.

1 City of Calgary’s Recreation Amenities Gap Analysis, (2010) 2 Rocky View County Survey (2010)

There is a move toward activities that can be done individually or in small numbers, close to home. According to ARPA (Alberta Recreation & Parks Association), “Many Albertans seek individualized, informal pursuits…that can be done at flexible times near or at home. Only a third sign up for organized sport, a sharp decline from earlier decades.” Table 2: Top Recreation Activities

22 DRAFT Implications for Recreation Planning: • Having recreation options available within the community is a necessary step toward encouraging and allowing residents to be more physically active, especially during the winter. A mutli-use recreation facility would provide increased opportunities for families to be active together,but also would allow for family members to go their own ways individually, exploring their individual pursuits. • Coordinated action at a community level is required to promote increased levels of activity. Partnerships like the Chestermere Walking Program, a partnership between Alberta Health Services, the Rec Centre, and Alberta 55 Plus; the annual Go Girl event at the Rec Centre; and Synergy’s Super Sampler of activities for boys are examples of groups taking steps in this direction. • ARPA believes that a shift needs to happen, to think about “… trails, passive parks, needs based drop-in programs and other flexible offerings that are fun and ‘for life’.” This matches the results found in the 2012 Town Survey that highlighted the importance of improving and expanding our pathway system and providing a multiplex with a pool. • Less time commuting to facilities and amenities means more time and energy available for physical activity and community participation. • Recreation facilities and amenities should be seen as more than sites for residents to engage in physical activities. They also fill a valuable role as social hubs of a community-places where friendships are formed and a sense of community is created.

6.4 Recreation Development Trends in Alberta and Canada

The following trends are evident in Calgary, our comparison communities, the province, and throughout Canada:

• An increase in specialized recreation parks: Mountain bike skills parks/BMX parks, skate parks, outdoor spray/splash parks, and dog parks.

• Increased user expectation for specialized recreation and leisure activities such as non-traditional cultural activities. This included dance, visual arts, performing arts, cooking classes, etc., as well as adventure recreation programming.

• Use of artificial turf with outdoor sports fields: Artificial turf extends the playing season as the fields can be in constant use, without the concerns about wear and tear that are associated with natural grass.

• An increase in multi-use, regional sports facilities: The configuration of amenities within these facilities is based on each community’s unique needs and preferences.

• Planning for operational sustainability right from the design phase: According to the National Recreation Summit, “In the future, facilities must be designed and developed with built-in cost efficiencies and as many revenue opportunities as possible”. Consideration is given in planning to multiple uses of the same space, and creative year-round use of facilities and amenities. DRAFT 23 • Multi-generational facilities, rather than stand-alone facilities for youth or seniors: According to Stantec: “Care should be taken before developing stand-alone senior centres because of changing expectations of the coming generation of older adults. Seniors’ oriented spaces should be grouped with other adult program spaces and include social elements. Stand-alone youth facilities have also proven to be less effective in most settings than the inclusion of youth elements in multi-generational facilities. Again, these spaces should be grouped with gymnasiums and other active areas.” (Stantec Consulting Ltd., 2013, p. 16) This matches what Chestermere and area youth said in the 2008 YELL Youth Survey. It was found that youth were not particularly in favour of having a youth centre, but they wanted more spaces in the community where they could gather.

• Public-Private Partnerships in the building of recreation facilities. These partnerships can take many forms.

• Green construction: LEED certification has become a standard in the recreation facility construction field.

• Operational sustainability: There is an expectation that a facility has dedicated capital reserve funds to meet its life cycle needs.

24 DRAFT THE PLAN - RECOMMENDATIONS

Through an environmental scan, literature review, stakeholder meetings, a review of promising practices, as well as residents’ input and staff expertise, the following three priorities have been identified for the Town of Chestermere: 1. Develop a Multiplex According to the 2012 Town Survey, 76% of residents support the development of recreation facilities and 20% provided provisional support (depending on cost, whether an increase in taxes would be required, what facility is being developed, etc.). The top facilities that residents identified they would use are: an aquatics centre, outdoor spray park, fitness centre, field house, indoor walking/running track, and an ice arena.

A strong desire for a multiplex in Chestermere, with an aquatics centre as the anchor facility, came across clearly in all the forms of community consultation. It is important that as this facility is planned that it is done with an eye for the future. Being aware of operating costs, the lifecycle of the building and maintenance requirements as well as future clientele’s needs will be critical to the facility’s success. 2. Establish a Continuous Multi-Use Pathway System Walking, hiking, jogging and running consistently rank in the top ten favoured recreation activities of Albertans (Alberta Recreation Survey over multiple years), and Chestermere is no different. The depth and breadth of information about Chestermere’s pathways at the April 2013 Open House showed that pathways are an important amenity to residents. Although there are many quality pathways within the Town, there is room to improve the connectivity of these pathways. As Chestermere continues to grow, our pathways provide not only a recreation amenity but an alternative mode to get around town. Pathway infrastructure needs to be maintained and enhanced; making sure existing and new pathways are connected and accessible. 3. Maintain and Expand the Town’s Outdoor Spaces and Amenities to Meet the Needs of Chestermere’s Growing Population While an aquatic centre and pathway development are important to Chestermere residents, there are a number of other recreation amenities needed to support the Town’s recreation needs. Playgrounds, spray parks, dog parks, and picnic areas are just a few of the amenities considered in the Master Recreation Plan. While there is limited space on existing Town-owned land for further outdoor recreation amenities, opportunities will arise as the Town grows making it important to identify amenity priorities and funding sources. Goals and recommendations have been established for each of the above priorities. These three sections form the Town’s Master Recreation Plan 2014. Following the three priorities are strategies and recommendations for funding recreation infrastructure ad finally an implementation plan.

DRAFT 25 7.0 PRIORITY: DEVELOP A MULTIPLEX 7.1 Goals Development of a multiplex that will be operationally sustainable. 7.2 Population Benchmarks for Development of a Multiplex Given the Town’s vision of becoming a recreation and leisure oasis for residents, priority needs to be given to addressing the identified deficits and creating facilities that residents want, that will be well-utilized and are operationally sustainable. For comparison purposes, Alberta communities were selected that are similar to Chestermere, with regard to being located in close proximity to a major urban centre, have a population of more than 13,000, and are growing. They also share common characteristics with regard to having large numbers of residents who work outside their community and having to compete with urban facilities for sufficient users to make their recreation facilities financially sustainable. The communities selected as comparisons for establishing median population benchmarks for development of recreation facilities were: Airdrie, Beaumont, Cochrane, Leduc, Okotoks, and Sylvan Lake. All recreation facilities in a community were included in the inventory, whether they be privately operated, operated by a non-profit organization, or by the municipality. This inventory was used to determine a facility/population ratio for different types of recreation facilities that have been prioritized by Chestermere residents. These were then rank ordered, and the median determined, to create a rough benchmark for development of different types of facilities.

The Median Population Benchmarks for Development of Recreation Facilities, Table 3, on the following page, lists benchmarks indicating the following: • Chestermere is nearing the population benchmark of 20,117 for development of a pool. • We are past the population benchmark for having a field house. • The four sheets of curling ice and two ice arenas in the community are within the population norms for these facilities (i.e. 4 sheets of ice for a population of 15,584, and one ice arena/ sheet of ice for each 9,426 of population).

Caution and judgement must be applied when using these benchmarks, as they do not take into account factors such as: • a community’s unique situation with regard to being able to build and financially sustain a facility • the relative importance of a sport to a community might move the timing for construction of a facility earlier, or later, than the benchmark would indicate • the cultural composition of a community might indicate the need for facilities that other communities might not have, or change the priority given to the development of particular facilities.

26 DRAFT Table 3: Median Population Benchmarks for Development of Recreation Facilities

How Chestermere’s development of recreation facilities compares against other communities, needs to be seen within the context of the community’s development and constraints. With its origins as a summer village, it wasn’t until a Town Survey was conducted in 2008, for the purposes of creating the Municipal Development Plan, that residents gave Town Council clear direction that they wanted Chestermere to be developed as its own entity, rather than a bedroom community of Calgary. Accompanying this were increased expectations to have desired amenities available within the community. However, Chestermere has a major financial constraint in meeting these expectations on the timeline that many residents want, i.e. the property tax base is 96% residential, as will be discussed further in this document. Unlike many of our comparison communities, there is no industrial contribution to our tax base, and commercial only constitutes 4%. Although there are other avenues to be explored in funding construction and operation of recreation facilities, our property tax base and total tax revenue is a major constraint affecting the timeline for development of a multiplex recreation facility. Council, as a steward of public funds, is cautious about the assumption of major debt on behalf of the community, and also has the expectation that the multiplex be operationally sustainable, so that it does not become a permanent drain on the Town’s revenue. Therefore, although there are smaller communities that have a multiplex, a benchmark population of 23,000 has been set for Chestermere to begin building a multiplex, so that the facility has enough users to cover the costs of its operations, and the Town has the opportunity to explore all the means possible to fund the facility.

DRAFT 27 7.3 Support for Developing Public Recreation Facilities 7.3.1 Response of Chestermere Residents in the Town Survey 2012 • 94% of Chestermere households said having an active lifestyle is important/very important to their household • 63% said more recreation facilities was their second highest priority for improving community quality of life, after more shopping and restaurants • 76% supported developing public facilities and amenities; 4% said no; 20% said it depends (on cost, whether it would require tax increase, type of facility)

7.3.2 Chestermere Area Residents Individuals defined as Chestermere Area Residents are those who live in the portions of Rocky View County referred to by the County as SE Rocky View (including the hamlets of Langdon, Dalemead, and Indus) and East Rocky View (including the hamlets of Conrich and Dalroy). As of 2013, 10,921 individuals lived in these areas – 6,579 in SE Rocky View, and 4,342 in East Rocky View. The fastest growing of these areas is SE Rocky View County, where the hamlet of Langdon has seen an 87% increase in population since 2006. As potential future users of the Town’s facilities, residents of these Recreation Districts were invited to participate in the Recreation Facilities section of the Town Survey. A number of means were used to promote the survey to County residents; however, there was a very low response. This leaves a number of important questions unanswered for planning purposes, particularly with regard to whether County residents can be included in the population thresholds for development of recreation facilities, and whether their use of facilities will help support the operational costs of these facilities. Town and County staff are working inter-municipally to answer these questions.

7.3.3 Stakeholder Consultations Every stakeholder organization that was consulted during development of the Plan expressed support to the Town in its quest to develop recreation amenities. The complete list of stakeholders that were consulted can be found in the appendices.

7.3.4 Rocky View County Rocky View County is currently undergoing a master planning process for recreation. New proposals from the SE Rocky View region and the Chestermere Rec Centre for large capital recreation projects will not be considered again until 2015.

28 DRAFT 7.4 Residents’ Priorities for Facilities and Amenities Development Residents were given two opportunities to prioritize the recreation facilities they desire, first in the 2012 Town Survey, and again through a mini-survey at the Major Recreation Facility Open House. In the Town Survey 2012, residents were asked to rank order a maximum of seven facilities that members of their household use, or would use if they were available in Chestermere. This provided two types of information: i) a rank ordering of the facilities in regard to what % of households would use them, and ii) a rank ordering of the facilities in regard to how often a facility would be used.

Table 4: Selected Results from Town Survey 2012

DRAFT 29 Table 5: Anticipated Usage of Facilities from Open House Mini-Survey

7.4.1 Aquatics Centre An aquatics centre remains the facility most desired by households that participated in the survey. It was noted to be the top priority in the 2008 Town Survey and the CDC study, and is the forerunner in regard to residents’ anticipated frequency of use. 89% of participants in the mini survey at the open house said they would use an aquatics centre at least once a week, and of those, 34% would use it 3 or more times per week. 7.4.2 Spray Park There continues to be strong support for an outdoor spray park, despite the expense and limited season for use. Findings of the 2012 Town Survey support the earlier findings of the survey conducted by the Spray Park Committee. However, it should be noted that the question was not asked directly whether they would still prioritize an outdoor spray park, if one were to be included in an indoor aquatics facility.

7.4.3 Fitness Centre Although there are a number of privately owned and operated fitness centres in the town, there was strong support for the development of a major fitness centre. These results are consistent with the results of the CDC Study that showed fitness/wellness centre as the 2nd choice across all ages responding to the survey.

7.4.4 Field House vs. Ice Arena In terms of residents’ prioritization of a field house or an ice arena, the Town Survey showed that the percentage of households that would use a field house is higher in comparison to an indoor ice arena (51% compared to 40%). However, when ranked according to greatest frequency of use/anticipated use, the arena ranked higher than a field house. At the Open House, 57% said they would use an Indoor Ice Arena at least once a week, compared with 55% who said the same regarding an Indoor Field House.

30 DRAFT 7.4.5 Outdoor Sports Fields 63% would use these more than once a week according to the open house. The Town Survey did not show a strong preference for these being located at the multiplex (23% prioritized ball diamonds and 28% prioritized outdoor soccer being located at the multiplex).

7.4.6 Arts Studios and Performing Arts Theatre Location of these amenities requires further investigation as a multiplex may not be most suitable place for a performing arts theatre. The potential size of the user groups, whether they need designated space, and what it would cost to operate relative to the number of potential users are important considerations. The experiences of our comparison communities can provide insight into planning considerations, for example: • Some Cochrane residents are not satisfied with the location of their theatre and hall space, which is located out of the downtown core. As was stated, “it is believed that the services available in the downtown are clearly seen as complementary, and possibly integral to the “theatre experience” (i.e. the restaurants, entertainment venues and retail outlets). • In Airdrie, the theatre at Bert Church High School is used by the school during the week and by other groups and the community during off school times, maximizing use of the theatre space.

Dancers perform at the Pavilion Stage in John Peake Park for the Canada Day celebration (2012).

DRAFT 31 7.5 Surrounding Area’s Recreation Facilities Planning for Chestermere residents’ recreation needs must take into account the surrounding area’s existing and planned recreation facilities. This is type of analysis is especially important for feasibility and needs assessments. Additional detail on each Recreation Centre identified on the map below is in Appendix C: Surrounding Area’s Recreation Facilities. Map 1: Proximity of Other Public Recreation Centres

32 DRAFT 7.6 Comparison of Amenities in the Multi-Use Regional Recreation Facilities of the Selected Communities All of the comparison communities, except for Sylvan Lake, have a multi-use recreation facility. The amenities found in these facilities are shown in Table 6, Amenities in the Multi-Use Regional Recreation Facilities, on the following two pages. Both Cochrane and Airdrie phased the development of their facility, prioritizing unmet needs over insufficiently met needs, with Cochrane now being in process of adding an aquatics centre to their facility, and Airdrie having recently added an arena. Beaumont is the smallest of these facilities, housing only an aquatics and fitness centre. They have indicated that in order to be more operationally sustainable, they would have gone larger, if they had the chance to plan and build their recreation centre again. In these multi-use recreation facilities it is very common to find: • a lane pool and leisure pool with a hot tub and steam room • a large fitness centre and associated studios • a field house • 2 or more arenas • food concessions Other facilities that are commonly found in these facilities include pre-schools/before and after school spaces, indoor play structures, non-profit organizations, and an indoor track.

DRAFT 33 Table 6: Amenities in the Multi-Use Regional Recreation Facilities Amenities in the Multi-Use Regional Recreation Facilities Recreation Regional Multi-Use the in Amenities

34 DRAFT Amenities in the Multi-Use Regional Recreation Facilities (cont...) (cont...) Facilities Recreation Regional Multi-Use the in Amenities

DRAFT 35 7.7 Costing Estimates 7.7.1 Costing Estimates for a Multiplex 1. Hard Costs: Table 7: Cost Estimates

Note: • These estimated costs are a current value (calculation 2013), not a future value calculation • Costs are based on these facilities being built as part of a larger, multiplex, rather than stand-alone buildings • Furniture, fixtures and equipment are not included (incorporated into soft costs) • Contingency costs are not included

36 DRAFT 2. Soft Costs: Design Fees (8% of hard costs) $6,088,000 Furniture, Fixtures and Equipment (FFE - 10% of hard costs) $7,610,000 Project Management (4 % of hard costs) $3,044,000

Total Soft costs $17,682,500

3. Project Total Costs (If construction is not phased): Hard Costs $76,100,000 Soft Costs $16,742,000

Total Costs $92,842,000

Source of all costing estimates: Bill Fraser, Recreation Facilities Consultant

7.7.2 Costing Estimate for Construction of a Library at the Multiplex The library, currently a tenant in the Town Hall, has stated an interest in re-locating to a space in a new Multiplex. The Library should be included as a stakeholder and potential partner for fundraising. In Calgary, a number of recreational facilities have included space for a library. The following table sets out the standards for size of library facility, according to population, for Alberta. Library space as part of a multiplex has been estimated to cost $285/sq. ft. Table 8: Alberta Library Standards

Essential: provides basic library service Enhanced: builds on the essential service Excellent: the highest level of service Source: Standards for Member Libraries Within Alberta`s Regional Library System

DRAFT 37 7.8 Recommendations 7.8.1 Secure Land for a Multiplex and Amenities The Town’s Development Services is to continue working with developers to secure a site of 40-60 acres in the annexed lands, appropriately located, on which to build a Multiplex, with associated outdoor amenities.

7.8.2 Establish a Qualified Committee to Plan, Fundraise, and Possibly Operate a New Multiplex The Committee will have the required skill set needed to be the driving force moving ahead the development of a Multiplex. The Master Recreation Plan should become the guiding document for this committee’s work. a. Recommended Relationship of the Committee to the Town: It is recommended that Council establish a project committee that would be under the Town for a period of time, until it has the capacity to become independent. The Town would provide resources to support the committee in its work. The committee would be governed by the Town Committee Guidelines and a Terms of Reference will be developed detailing the relationship between the Town and the committee. b. Mandate of the Committee: • Explore financial feasibility - Work with a consultant to prepare a business plan and examine the financial feasibility of various options. • Design - Determine the combination of facilities in the multiplex that will meet the needs of the community and be financial sustainable. • Fundraise - Determine financial strategy for project and implement accordingly. • Operate - The committee will either evolve to an independent non-profit organization to operate the facility, or seek an organization to operate it. • Partner - The committee will work in partnership with the Town to achieve its mandate. c. Resources that will be required: i. Internal Resources: Resources provided from the Town will support the committee. These staff resources will evolve as the project progresses and the Town will need to adjust support as needed.

38 DRAFT It is recommended that the following positions be provided: • The Community Recreation Coordinator: will be involved in recruiting members, helping to ensure that the necessary skills, etc. are represented on the committee, assisting with applications for non-profit and charitable status, and in general, helping to increase the committee’s capacity to function as a board. This position will also be the liaison between the Town and Committee. • The Fund Development Coordinator: will help ensure that the committee is aware of funding opportunities and assist in the preparation of grant proposals. This person will work with the Community Recreation Coordinator to enhance the committee’s fund development capacity. • A Town Planner: will work with developers to secure a site for a multiplex of sufficient size and situated in an appropriate location. • The newly created Parks & Recreation Manager and Town Project Manager positions: roles to be determined. • The Controller: will advise the committee on the financial systems that need to be in place and will manage internal processes for financial donations, receipt of grants, tracking expenditures, etc... • The Communications Officer: will manage the Town’s communications relating to the project and may provide advice to the committee on communications as needed. ii. External resources: Resources will need to be contracted to provide services that will likely include, but are not limited to the following: • develop a business plan to confirm financial viability of the facility from its first phase through every step until completion. This will include a market analysis so that there is a firm understanding of who the future clientele of the facility will be, how many there are and what their needs are. • design the facility • develop a fundraising plan • project manage the construction • construct the facility The committee may determine other resources are required as the process progresses.

DRAFT 39 7.8.3 Secure Funding Sources for the Multiplex The Town has limited finances due to property taxes being predominantly residentially based (96% residential in 2013). Therefore, funds need to be strategically allocated, based on requiring efficiencies and planning for operational sustainability in the long term. Table 9:

It is recommended that Town Council declare a moratorium on considering capital project proposals until 2015, to ensure that decisions are well informed and that wise use is made of Town funds, with long term planning in mind. By that time: • the non-profit established to plan, and possibly operate a multiplex will have a proposal ready for Council’s consideration, • Rocky View County’s Master Recreation Plan will have been completed and they will have made important decisions that could have impacts on capital recreation spending by Chestermere Town Council. These include decisions on whether they will fund new facilities on County land or whether their money is best invested by supporting regional facilities located in urban centres that would serve their residents, and whether they support the CRCA’s proposed expansion plans. • Discussions will have occurred regarding whether the needs of field sports, such as soccer, are best served by building separate field house facilities or if these needs should be met within the multiplex. In the meantime, it is recommended that in addition to the existing contributions to the Chestermere Regional Recreation Centre, the Town should work towards setting aside funds annually for the new recreation facility.

40 DRAFT There are a number of other funding sources that can be tapped into and should be further explored as the committee begins moving the development of the new recreation facility forward. The main three sources are: • Town contributions, including funding from the Municipal Sustainability Initiative and developer contributions collected under the Public Facilities Fee. • Grants, including those from the federal and provincial governments as well as from private sources. • Community funding raised through general fundraising and sponsorship.

Additional details on each of the above sources are found in Section 10.0.

7.8.4 Planning for Efficiencies and Reducing Operational Costs • A feasibility and business plan needs to be conducted to confirm financial viability of the facility from its first phase through every step until completion.

Stand-alone pools/aquatics centres commonly create an ongoing financial drain on a municipality in terms of their operating and lifecycle costs. Planning for an aquatics centre would need to address reducing costs and maximizing efficiencies through considerations such as pairing aquatic facilities with other amenities, securing long-term tenants, and ensuring space is fully booked by planning for multi-use courts and flexible spaces.

• The mix of amenities in the facility should be chosen so that money-making facilities like a fitness centre can offset money losing facilities that the community want, like an aquatics centre.

DRAFT 41 • Phasing of the new facility should be explored. The first phase should focus on meeting unmet needs in the community that have been prioritized by residents. This would mean that the first phase for planning could include an aquatics centre and field house as the core facilities, with a state of the art fitness centre to help offset operational losses from the aquatics centre, and other facilities that would enhance the operational sustainability of the facility. • User groups should be approached to commit to fundraising a percent of the cost of the specific facility they will be using. It is important to provide sufficient time for these organizations to plan for such activities. • The recreation facility planning committee should develop a comprehensive fundraising strategy that could include grants, donations, sponsorship options and other timely opportunities. • The multiplex should be operated as a non-profit. However, special care should be made to promote community ownership of this project. • An assessment of the triple bottom line should support decision making, taking into account financial, social, environmental impacts to the Town and its residents. • The Town should follow best practices and learn from the experiences of other communities, particularly those similarly situated in close proximity to a major population centre, and with a low commercial/industrial tax base. • Facilities in neighbouring areas should be taken into account when forecasting demand and possible usage. • The goal is that the Multiplex will be operationally and life cycle sustainable, i.e. that it will generate enough revenue to cover the costs of operating it, and that enough money will be able to be put away in a capital reserve fund to cover maintenance and replacement costs over time. The facility should be designed for efficiencies and reduced operating costs wherever possible, taking the following into consideration: • The cost of running infrastructure such as water and sewer to one facility is less than that of providing infrastructure to multiple facilities. • Take advantage of economies of scale such as paying for only one facility manager, accountant, lawyer, maintenance crew, etc. • Planning multi-purpose use of spaces, such as gyms that are dividable, keeps space booked as they can be used for diverse activities. • Planning for full year use of space, such as having removable turf in a field house, so that ball hockey or lacrosse could use the facility during the offseason for football and soccer.

42 DRAFT • Planning in conjunction with other organizations could be mutually beneficial. For example, a school may not need to invest in building a gym or 2 gyms if it is located in proximity to the facility. The school’s use of the facility’s gym during non prime community use hours would be an ongoing source of revenue for the facility. • Planning for long term tenants, such as associated medical practitioners, a sports related store, a before and after school/kindergarten, personal trainers, food services, etc. provides a source of revenue, as well as drawing additional users to the building.

At the April 2013 Open House, 74% of respondents indicated that they saw benefit to incorporating some health services within a large recreation facility. Suggestions from respondents included babysitting, physiotherapy, a sports doctor, massage, and food and beverage shops as desired services.

• Having vending machines and a bank machine on site are low maintenance sources of revenue. • Accessibility should be taken into account to ensure all residents of Chestermere can make use of the recreation facility including people with special needs, youth, and seniors.

Recreation facilities can be designed to accommodate the needs of people of all ages, with all types of abilities. By ensuring facilities are accessible to all residents, the Town can support the health and well-being of its community.

• It is not recommended that the Town support the construction of stand-alone community association buildings. Should communities decide to create community associations or should residents’ associations created by developers decide to function more as community associations, it is recommended to use a model similar to that used in NE Calgary. In this model, a number of community associations use the multiplex as their home. This relieves community association boards from the responsibility of having to maintain and operate a facility, and frees them to do what they are intended to do, i.e. focus on activities that bring residents together as a community.

DRAFT 43 8.0 PRIORITY: PATHWAYS Improving and expanding the pathway system in the Town has been identified as a top priority for the residents of Chestermere. Of particular importance is the need to address connectivity, including key missing links and the safe crossing of major roadways, such as Chestermere Blvd. (Highway 1A). Given the importance placed on the pathway system by residents, as well as the sensitivities that must be addressed in pathway development, a thorough assessment and review of the existing pathway system was completed. This allowed staff to identify and develop preferred options for addressing missing links and bridging major barriers. Using this information, a specific section addressing pathways has been established to support the broader Master Recreation Plan. 8.1 Goals • Establish a continuous multi-use pathway system connecting neighbourhoods to community facilities, shopping areas, and employment destinations. The pathway system will be designed to encourage physical activity, provide an alternative transportation option, raise property values as it provides a Town amenity, as well as support economic development and tourism. • Provide policy recommendations that give direction to council on the expansion of the current pathway system, as well as provide support to Town negotiations with developers regarding pathway construction. • Ensure that comprehensive pathway planning occurs early in the development process to secure land for pathway space as well as to ensure connections to existing pathways. 8.2 Current Situation Chestermere’s Pathway System is a network of 27 km of pathways running throughout the Town that facilitates non motorized movement for both recreational and transportation purposes. The pathway system provides a multi-use amenity shared by different types of users. Many of the paths are paved with asphalt, while others are gravel or cleared natural surfaces. They are typically off street; however, sidewalks play an essential role to provide connections between pathways. There is also access to a regional pathway running along the Canal at the south end of the Town. This provides a route to the City of Calgary, Rocky View County and connects to a much wider network of pathways.

44 DRAFT 8.3 Public Participation The fall 2012 Town Survey identified that having an active lifestyle was considered important/ very important to nearly all (94%) of the households that participated. It was found that bike/ walking paths were among the top three priorities for Town service enhancements and over 200 households provided additional information on the topic of pathways. Most of the comments related to suggestions for where there needs to be more pathways; where there needs to be connections between pathways; safety concerns related to lighting and traffic crossings; usability issues such as snow/ice removal; and areas where maintenance is needed. It was also suggested that a pathways map would be useful. The information gathered through the survey and the open house, along with staff consultation with over thirty-five recreation and community service groups and nine developers and builders was combined to provide an overall picture of the Town’s pathway system. There was a general consensus that although the existing pathway system was considered to be to have good/very good accessibility (87%), beauty (86%), usability (84%) and maintenance (79%) based on Survey results, the connectivity of the pathways is less than satisfactory and should be a high priority to address. A staff workshop was held in January 2013, to assess all the findings to date and explore opportunities for expansion, enhancement and increased connectivity of the pathway system. Staff offered recommendations for locations and projects to improve pathway connections as well as for policy considerations. A list of thirteen feasible project options was created and placed on a map for use at the Open House held the end of April, 2013. The Open House allowed staff to present the thirteen recommended projects, to gather additional resident input and determine where the main priorities are when looking to improve the pathway system. The chart below shows the percent of Open House participants who chose each project as best matching their priorities for pathways.

DRAFT 45 8.4 Recommendations Information and findings from the above sources have been brought together to identify the needs and wants of the Town’s residents. Taking residents’ input into account, along with additional staff expertise, costing considerations, and site visits, the following recommendations for pathway policies to guide development in the annexed lands, as well as project recommendations for existing neighbourhoods have been established.

8.4.1 Recommendations for Existing Neighbourhoods: High Priorities A. Connect John Peake Park Pathway across the WID canal to the Cove Neighbourhood Park.

Building a paved pathway across the northern edge of the Lake will connect existing paths on either side of the WID canal. This provides enhanced recreation opportunities around the Lake, as well as provides a route for non-motorized transportation across the lake to neighboring residential and commercial areas.

B. Create a paved pathway From Oakmere Way through to the Town Centre Commercial Area.

C. Enhance the Altalink pathway north of Windermere Drive. The gravel pathway can be cleaned up and the two connection points can be improved, both with signage and path markings.

D. Create a gravel pathway along the Altalink right-a-way south of Windermere Drive to Oakmere way. An existing natural path has been formed from use. This natural desire line should be followed when gravel is laid. A crosswalk with painted marking and signage should be created across Windermere Drive between this pathway and the existing path running north along Altalink. This project will require approval and cooperation with Altalink. E. Create a paved pathway between #180 and #188 Seagreen Way running from the Seagreen Way street sidewalk to the pathway running along the stormwater pond behind the residential homes.

F. Connect the pathways running alongside the Altalink Right of Way South of Merganser Drive down to West Lakeview Close. The path will be a 2.5m wide area separated by a rumble strip and road painting. The crosswalk at West Lakeview Drive will be enhanced. A pathway running across Altalink from Lakeview Inlet to the West Creek community’s pathways will be set with gravel.

Connecting the existing small segments of pathway would complement recent pathway upgrades along West Merganser Drive. With enhanced crosswalks, it provides a safe north-south route through the southern part of Town and provides pedestrian and cycling route to Chestermere Lake Middle School.

46 DRAFT Map 2: Pathway Project Recommendations for Existing Neighbourhood Sites: High Priority

HIGHWAY 1 1

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DRIVE ³² 300 LS GREENS PL ROAD S.MERE KEY 100 E LV PL

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LAKEVIEW WC CLOSE 200 COVE Chestermere Lake WC BAY WEST 100 WC200 WCCT LAKEVIEW CRES SHORESLV

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LAKEVIEW SHORES WC POINT CREEK LANDING CAVENDISH 400 BEACH BAY WC BAY WEST LAKEVIEW CIRCLE

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WEST GRAND BEACH BAY RANGEROAD 281 GREEN LAKEVIEW GATE F DRIVE W L.VIEW

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WC MEADOW 100

WCMEWS WCMEWS

INT Triangle Park TWP RD 241A SIENNA PASS S.GREEN MANOR QUALICUM BEACH BAY

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CASCADES

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FALLS RF LANE

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RAINBOW FALLS E FALLS RAINBOW FALLS GATE

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RAINBOW RAINBOW FALLS

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KINGFISHER LANE RANGEROAD 281 KINNIBURGH KB LINK

SANDPIPER LANE CIR

P. MEADOW POINT

PARADISE MEADOW DRIVE RGE RD 282 RD RGE P. MEADOW BAY

DRIVE

D

0 250 500 Meters

MEADOWLegend Date: January 8th 2014 Recommended Pathways WaterRAINBOWROA This map may not be reproduced, in whole or part, in any form Recommended Pathways or by any means without written permission of The Town of

Chestermere. The Town of Chestermere provides this PARADISE Existing Pathways Parks Chestermere, Alberta information in good faith, but it provides no warranty, nor accepts ¯ any liability arising from any incorrect, incomplete or misleading Railway TWP RD 240 TWP RD 240 information or its inproper use. TWP RD 240

DRAFT 47 Medium Priorities G. Extend the East Lakeview Road pathway south to the canal. Create a pathway along the canal connecting this to the existing WID bridge.

The extension of the pathway on East Lakeview Road will create a continuous path around the southern edge of the lake. The pathway along the canal will connect new neighbourhoods in the south east.

H. Enhance safe crossing and increase connections across Chestermere Blvd. at West Chestermere Drive. Pedestrian crossings and pathways connections should be coordinated with the Chestermere Blvd. Corridor Plan currently in progress by the Town. At this time it is suggested that a crosswalk be added to the west side of the intersection and an additional crossing closer to the lake connecting Anniversary Park and John Peake Park. When the time comes for bridge infrastructure updates, alternative crossing options, such as underground passage, should be assessed.

Improvements for pedestrians along and across Chestermere Blvd. was listed as the top priority by participants at the Facilities and Amenities Strategic Plan Open House in April 2013. This has remained a main concern with the Town’s Corridor Study focusing on creating a safer pedestrian environment across and along the boulevard.

I. Connect the pathway along West Chestermere Drive in front of the existing Recreation Center to Chestermere Blvd.

J. Enhance the crosswalk crossing West Chestermere Drive from the southern area of Anniversary Park to the pathway running in front of the Regional Rec Centre. Depending on usage, to be determined after the Anniversary Park re-development, the enhancements could include a crosswalk light or raised/distinctive pavers and enhanced signage.

West Chestermere Drive in front of Anniversary Park is designated as a Playground Zone with maximum speeds set at 30 km/hr. However, as the Park is developed, bringing increased vehicles and pedestrian activity, an enhanced crosswalk will improve all users’ safety.

K. Connect West Creek Springs to Merganser Drive pathway. Currently a path leads to a small playground. This should be extended to meet the West Merganser Drive pathway.

48 DRAFT Map 3: Pathway Project Recommendations for Existing Neighbourhood Sites: Medium Priority

HIGHWAY 1 1

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VIEWPOINTE TERRACE

WAY

VISTA

WHITECAP

LAKEPOINTE

SHORELINE DRIVE

WATERLILY COVE

PARADISE PLACE

COVE CL PARADISE ACRE COVE CLOSE H STONEMERE

PARK GREEN

WAY

ASPENMERE

RAINBOWROAD ASPENMERE DR COVE

200 COVE CT

MARINA BAY

RAINBOW BAY 1

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ASPENMERE CL C. LINK DRIVE

STONEMERE CLOSE

A.MEREPL PARADISE BAY PARADISEROAD COVE CRES

COVE DR 200 C. PT COVE COVE ROAD PLACE

100 STONEM ERE P OINT

P.M ERE CRT COVE ROAD

GREEN MARINA 100 K C. POINT COVE ROAD C. HILL COVE ROAD

PARKMERE I BAY

COVE

PARADISE LANE COVE RISE

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200P.MERE CRT

John HAWKMERE

STREET Peake

HM

MEWS WINDERMERE BLVD Park MAIN J H.MERE CL

VIEW MORRIS HAWKMERE HM GA WAY JOHNWAY

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DRIVE Chestermere Regional Anniversary Millenium STATION Park WILLOWMERE CL Park CHES TER MERE Recreation Center

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DRIVE ³² 300 LS GREENS PL ROAD S.MERE KEY 100 E LV PL

GREEN400 PL LS Golf Course

GREENS GREENS GREENS

GREENS 200 EAST

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COURT 100 LS 100

200LS COURT 300 LS LS 300 LAKEVIEW PL

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300 EAST 500 EAST LAKESIDE GREENS COURT 500 LS LAKESIDE LAKEVIEW PL L.VIEW PL GREEN PL

400 EAST COURT L.VIEW PL EAST L.VIEW

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INT Triangle Park TWP RD 241A SIENNA PASS S.GREEN MANOR QUALICUM BEACH BAY

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CASCADES

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SANDPIPER LANE CIR

P. MEADOW POINT

PARADISE MEADOW DRIVE RGE RD 282 RD RGE P. MEADOW BAY

DRIVE

D

0 250 500 Meters

MEADOWLegend Date: January 8th 2014 Recommended Pathways WaterRAINBOWROA This map may not be reproduced, in whole or part, in any form Recommended Pathways or by any means without written permission of The Town of

Chestermere. The Town of Chestermere provides this PARADISE Existing Pathways Parks Chestermere, Alberta information in good faith, but it provides no warranty, nor accepts ¯ any liability arising from any incorrect, incomplete or misleading Railway TWP RD 240 TWP RD 240 information or its inproper use. TWP RD 240

DRAFT 49 Longer Term Priorities L. Pave pathway at the South end of the Lake. This would include any paving required to connect the path across the WID bridge to the east side.

Improving pedestrian and cycling pathways around the southern edge of the Lake provides a connection from the east pathways system to the west. This was one of the top three priorities listed by participants at the Facilities and Amenities Strategic Plan Open House in April 2013.

M. Create a pathway on East Lakeview Road between Merganser Drive East and TWP Rd 241A. A multi-use pathway should be established along the east portion of the road. This should initially be an on-street pathway identified and separated by road painting. In the future, as the area to the east develops, an off-street separated pathway should be built along the east side of the road.

N. Create a Commuter Bike Path along Rainbow Road connecting the Western Headworks pathway running along the canal up to Chestermere Blvd.

The Western Headworks Pathway is a paved multi-use path that runs from the southern edge of the lake, and West Chestermere Drive, west to the City of Calgary. It is nine kilometers from the Lake to the City’s border providing a connection to a wider regional pathway system, including a route to the down town core. Creating a connection along Rainbow Road will enhance the ability for residents to bike to and from Calgary.

O. Pave a pathway behind Chestermere Lake Middle School connecting West Lakeview Point to West Chestermere Drive. Signage will enhance wayfinding.

50 DRAFT Map 4: Pathway Project Recommendations for Existing Neighbourhood Sites: Long Term Priority

HIGHWAY 1 1

³² WEST PARK DRIVE

VIEWPOINTE TERRACE

WAY

VISTA

WHITECAP

LAKEPOINTE

SHORELINE DRIVE

WATERLILY COVE

PARADISE PLACE

COVE CL PARADISE ACRE COVE CLOSE

STONEMERE

PARK GREEN

WAY

ASPENMERE

RAINBOWROAD ASPENMERE DR COVE

200 COVE CT

MARINA BAY

RAINBOW BAY 1

COVE CT 100 ³²

ASPENMERE CL C. LINK DRIVE

STONEMERE CLOSE

A.MEREPL PARADISE BAY PARADISEROAD COVE CRES

COVE DR 200 C. PT COVE COVE ROAD PLACE

100 STONEM ERE P OINT

P.M ERE CRT COVE ROAD

GREEN MARINA 100 C. POINT COVE ROAD M C. HILL COVE ROAD

PARKMERE

BAY

COVE

PARADISE LANE COVE RISE

COVE DRIVE MARINA RD

200P.MERE CRT

John HAWKMERE

STREET Peake

HM

MEWS WINDERMERE BLVD Park

MAIN O H.MERE CL VIEW MORRIS HAWKMERE HM GA WAY JOHNWAY

HAWKMERERD DRIVE H.MERE PL WAY WINDERMERE

DRIVE Anniversary Millenium STATION Park WILLOWMERE CL Park CHES TER MERE

WAY DRIVE

OMGREEN

OAKMERE MARINA WAY

STONEMERE HIGHWAY 1

WILLOWMERE OAKMER E POINT PLACE

100 INVERMERE OM PL

CLOSE SPRING

OAKMERE

LS GREENS CL MERE CR INVERMERE CL 200 200 GREENS S.MERE OM PL S.MERE LS LINK WAY PLACE DRIVE LAKESIDE GREENS

SPRING WAY MERE LS GREENS PL 100 DRIVE S.MERE PL Sunset MERE S.MERE Park SPRING 200 SPRINGMERE CLOSE LS GREENS GROVE Golf Course PL SPRINGMERE 1 CHESTERMERE BOULEVARD

DRIVE ³² 300 LS GREENS PL ROAD S.MERE KEY 100 E LV PL

GREEN400 PL LS Golf Course

GREENS GREENS GREENS

GREENS 200 EAST

COURT GREENS

COURT 100 LS 100

200LS COURT 300 LS LS 300 LAKEVIEW PL

WEST CHESTERMERE DRIVE CHESTERMERE WEST

300 EAST 500 EAST LAKESIDE GREENS COURT 500 LS LAKESIDE LAKEVIEW PL L.VIEW PL GREEN PL

400 EAST COURT L.VIEW PL EAST L.VIEW

LS GREENS GA MERGANSER DRIVE WEST MERGANSER DR E HIGHWAY 1 WC CRES L.VIEW

BAY ³² INLET

WCSPRINGS DRIVE WCSPRINGS

200 CREEK 300

POND WC SPRINGS LAKEVIEWCOVE McIVOR TERRACE 100 WC WEST CREEK

BAY BLVD CREEK WEST

LAKEVIEW WC CLOSE 200 COVE Chestermere Lake WC BAY WEST 100 WC200 WCCT LAKEVIEW CRES SHORESLV

WCGLEN CT COURT

WEST

300 SANDY BEACH WC BAY

WEST LAKEVIEW PASSAGE

EASTLAKEVIEW ROAD

LAKEVIEW SHORES WC POINT CREEK LANDING CAVENDISH 400 BEACH BAY WC BAY WEST LAKEVIEW CIRCLE

RAINBOWROAD WEST

WCCIRCLE VICTORIA BEACH BAY

N WEST GRAND BEACH BAY RANGEROAD 281 GREEN LAKEVIEW GATE DRIVE W L.VIEW

W.CREEK 200

WC MEADOW 100

WCMEWS WCMEWS

INT Triangle Park TWP RD 241A SIENNA PASS S.GREEN MANOR QUALICUM BEACH BAY

WESTCREEK DR BLVD KINNIBURGH CRYSTAL CRES SG LINK BEACH BAY LAVENDER WAY INDIGO LANE WAY LINK CREEK SG LAVENDER Western Headworks LANE RAINBOW FALLS WEST

WESTLAKEVIEW PO

WEST L.VIEW PL SEAGREEN TOPAZ Pathway DRIVE GATE PASSA GE

SG CL WEST BOULEVARD COLTON COURT SG WAY LAKEVIEW TOPAZ GATE LONG BEACH LANDING

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MANOR

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CASCADES

FALLS

KINNIBURGH

FALLS RF LANE

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PASSAGE

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SANDPIPER LANE CIR

P. MEADOW POINT

PARADISE MEADOW DRIVE RGE RD 282 RD RGE P. MEADOW BAY

DRIVE

D

0 250 500 Meters

MEADOWLegend Date: January 8th 2014 Recommended Pathways WaterRAINBOWROA This map may not be reproduced, in whole or part, in any form Recommended Pathways or by any means without written permission of The Town of

Chestermere. The Town of Chestermere provides this PARADISE Existing Pathways Parks Chestermere, Alberta information in good faith, but it provides no warranty, nor accepts ¯ any liability arising from any incorrect, incomplete or misleading Railway TWP RD 240 TWP RD 240 information or its inproper use. TWP RD 240

DRAFT 51 8.4.2 Recommendations for Annexed Lands: • The pathway and sidewalk system should be designed to: • establish convenient and direct pathways within neighborhoods, to community facilities, commercial areas, and employment destinations. • promote walking and cycling as an alternative to vehicles within the Town. • be designed in accordance with the Town’s Municipal Development Plan, Design Guidelines, Landscape Guidelines, Land Use Bylaw and Engineering Guidelines standard. • connect to regional pathway systems where appropriate. • Separated pathways and sidewalks make up the pathway system in Town. This Plan makes recommendations mainly for multi-use pathway connections. As pedestrian and cyclist volume increases there will be a need to separate uses by providing specific bike lanes. Main connector roads and regional pathways should be designed to transition to separate uses when demand arises. • The Town should work with neighboring municipalities to identify existing and potential regional pathways in order to establish continuous systems with cross boundary connections. • Through the Corridor Plan, opportunities for inter-municipal collaboration and regional pathway plan alignment should be fully explored. The Town should work with the City of Calgary as the Corridor Plan moves forward to ensure a regional connection along Chestermere Blvd.. where it meets the City’s border.

A regional pathway running along Chestermere Blvd. would provide an active transportation route option for commuters and visitors to and from Calgary.

• Additional regional pathway locations should be decided through collaboration with our neighbours taking into account surrounding municipal and regional plans. • For east-west regional pathway locations, conceptual connections are 16th Avenue (Trans Canada Hwy), Memorial Drive and Township Road 241. These should be explored and planned for. For north-south connections, Rainbow Road and Conrich Road should be looked at. Attention to possible future interchange projects across 16th Avenue (Trans Canada Hwy) at Rainbow Road and close to Conrich Road is important to ensure regional pathway connections are taken into account right from the design stages. • The Town shall integrate the pathway system into street and utility corridors rather than use narrow municipal reserve parks for trail connections whenever possible.

52 DRAFT New Communities • Developers must plan, design and build pathways to provide pedestrian connections throughout new communities, providing linkages between residential, commercial, employment, institutional and open space lands. These should align with the existing pathway system as well as planned and existing regional pathways. • Pathway plans must be included at the Area Structure Plan (ASP) and Outline Plan stages. • It is recommended that pathways and picnic areas be constructed around the wetland areas, which may be designated as Environmental Reserve at the subdivision stage, with an appropriate setback.

Intersections • New pathways should cross as few roads and driveways as possible. • When a pathway intersects a road, enhanced crossing features shall be established. Crossings at local roads should have signage and road markings. Crossings at collector or arterial roads should have signage, crosswalk road markings, and light. • Raised and/or contrast pavement should be use to establish a visual cue for drivers to yield to pathway users. • Visual clearance from all directions must be sufficient to allow pathway users and vehicles to see each other.

An example of distinctive pavers, road markings and lighted signage.

Signage, Materials, and Maps • Pedestrian and cycling pathway sign standards should be established complementing the Land Use Bylaw signage regulations, Landscape Guidelines and the Design Guidelines. Clear signage and street markers enhance safety and ease of wayfinding. • In high use areas or where pathway width is constrained, ground markers, such as a yellow center line, should be used.

These types of markers act as a visual cue indicating to keep right and yield half of the other side to oncoming users.

DRAFT 53 • Paved pathways are the preferred type and should be used whenever economically feasible. Priority should be given to high use areas and main connector routes.

Asphalt is the preferred material for pathways as it is less expensive than concrete and provides a smoother ride for cyclists, in-line skaters and wheelchairs.

• The Town should continue to provide updated maps and signage highlighting recreation facilities.

Measured Pathway Signage

John Peake Park

ASPENMERE CL

ASPENMERECLOSE

STONEMERE CL

STONEMERE CLOSE

STONEMERE CLOSE

PARADISEROAD

ASPENMEREPL MARINA DRIVE

COVE RD

100 PARKMERE CRT STONEMERE PT

PARKMERE GREEN 1 km

PARKMERE GREEN MARINA DRIVE

C h e s t e r m e r e L a k e

PARKMEREGREEN

PARKMERE GR Chestermere Town Hall

MARINA ROAD

MAIN STREET

200 PARKMERE200 CRT NOTICE John Peake - No littering Park WINDERMERE BLVD

MAIN STREET

- Pick up after pets Safeway WAY MORRIS I*

PARADISEROAD JOHN - Pets must be leashed HAWKMEREROAD A&W YOU WINDERMERE DRIVE ARE Chestermere Station HERE 0 50 100 Plaza Meters Petro ¯ - Park closed from 12am to 5am Canada

WAY

MARINADRIVE Anniversary - This park is regularly maintained Pathway Network Measured Pathway Water Green Spaces I* Washrooms and inspected Park

- Stop aquatic hitchhikers; clean, drain, and dry your watercraft. Interesting Facts - No motorized vehicles Home of Chestermere's annual Water Festival and Canada Day celebrations.

Should you have any concerns please call 403-207-2807

Signage providing measured pathway routes haves been posted at numerous sites. The maps promote the pathway system and walkability of the Town by identifying safe routes.

54 DRAFT Safety • Establish pathway specific design guidelines, including the Crime PreventionThrough Environmental Design (CPTED) principles, to ensure pathways provide a safe user environment. This should take into account lighting, landscape and surrounding environment designs. • Pathways should be designed for barrier free access with rest areas sized and positioned to allow for use without impeding adjacent pathway traffic.

Benches off to the side provide a rest area making the pathway running along the Lake more comfortable for use by those with diverse needs and abilities.

Cycling • Establish design standards for on-street cycling, including bicycle facilities, signage, and road markings. • Bicycle parking should be provided in visible locations near building entrances and pedestrian walkways without conflicting with pedestrian circulation. • On-street bicycle route design should be considered on major corridor routes. • Ensure safe and direct pathway access to the regional pathway running along the Western Headworks canal.

Bike lanes found in Vancouver. Signage and road markers clearly signal cyclist priority, while planters separate vehicles from bike route. DRAFT 55 8.5 Additional Considerations The recommended pathway projects have taken into account costing considerations and impact to residents, as well as other stakeholder considerations. These additional considerations are important to ensure project budgets can properly be addressed for the Town’s yearly budgeting, asset management requirements and general cost-benefits analysis and prioritization. The approximate cost breakdown for each project can be found in Appendix D: Pathway Projects’ Costs and Additional Considerations. The costs have been determined based on estimates from Town Staff, engineer consultants and unit price averages reported by Alberta Transportation (2012). Additional concerns and notes for consideration are also found in Appendix D.

56 DRAFT 9.0 PRIORITY: OUTDOOR AMENITIES 9.1 Goals The Town’s open space system is comprised of natural areas, parks, corridors, school fields and urban plazas serving environmental and/or recreation functions. These spaces are town amenities providing cultural and natural benefits that should be promoted, conserved and enhanced as an ecological and recreation system. Public spaces should reinforce the community’s identity. This can be done by incorporating public art such as the bike racks in the shapes of sails, bikers and fish found in community green space, and providing space for cultural events and community gatherings, such as Water Festival, Winterfest, Canada Day, and skating on the lake.

Water Festival 2012 Ice carving at Winterfest 2012

Canada Day Celebration 2013 ‘Movie in the Park’ on Canada Day 2012

The MDP sets out specific policies for parks and open spaces. The recommended policies that follow build on those in the Municipal Development Plan to ensure public open space is designed to accommodate both the existing and the future needs of a diverse population.

DRAFT 57 9.2 Reserve Lands/Special Designation Lands Reserve Lands Under Section 666 of the Municipal Government Act (Alberta), there are four types of reserve lands: • Environmental Reserve: wetlands; or a strip of land, not less than 6m in width abutting the shore of any lake or river for the purpose of preventing pollution or providing public access to and beside the water. • Municipal Reserve (MR land): land owned by the Town and intended to be used for community recreational purposes, such as parks and sports fields. • School Reserve (SR land): land set aside for public school facilities • Municipal School Reserve (MSR) joint use site: The Town will not be using this designation in the future. The Town typically requires developers to set aside a total of 10% of a parcel of land that they want to develop as MR and SR land, with the configuration of this land being negotiated through the Master Area Structure Plan/Area Structure Plan application process. Open Space Standards across Canada ranges from 11.75-20 acres open space per 1,000 population. Chestermere currently falls within these standards with approximately 202 acres of developed park space for its 15,762 residents. However, we do not meet the benchmark norms of the comparison Alberta communities, as indicated in Section 7.3.

Special Recreation Lands This is a zoning category in Chestermere for privately owned land used for recreational purposes.

58 DRAFT Map 5: Reserve Lands in Chestermere

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0100 200 400 600 800 1,000 Legend Meters Last updated: March 7th 2013 Public Utility Lot Municipal Reserve ER / MR Areas This map may not be reproduced, in whole or part, in any form or by any means without written permission of The Town of ¯ Chestermere, Alberta Chestermere. The Town of Chestermere provides this Municipal School Reserve Environmental Reserve information in good faith, but it provides no warranty, nor accepts

DRAFT 59 9.3 Natural Amenities 1. The Lake Chestermere Lake is a 2.65 km2, 4.8 km long reservoir of the Western Irrigation District. It is used for off stream storage during the summer, fed by a canal from the Bow River, with two irrigation canals providing crop irrigation. The water level is lowered annually, when the canals are drained during the late fall. The lake has environmentally protected areas, such as the peninsula at Cove end, and has had public enhancements including 4 public access parks directly on the lake front: • John Peake Park • Cove beach with tennis courts and beach volleyball court • Sunset beach with pebble beach and beach volleyball court • Anniversary Park expansion, incorporating a sand beach and promenade, anticipated to be completed Fall 2014. The Lake has many recreational uses including: stand up paddleboarding, boating, sailing, swimming, wake boarding, water skiing, kayaking, canoeing, fishing, jet skiing, in the summer; and a skating rink and skating paths near Anniversary Park, and snowmobiling in the winter.

60 DRAFT The lake front also houses three privately owned community amenities: • Camp Chestermere, a year round facility much loved by Chestermerians, who have fond memories of going to camp there dating back 60 years, long before the Town was incorporated. • The Calgary Yacht Club, whose fleet of sailboats racing on the lake on a summer’s evening is an iconic view of Chestermere. • HyperActive Sport provides aquatic play rentals.

2. Wetlands in Annexed Areas The Town is currently developing its Wetland Inventory and Policy. Wetland areas should be identified in the area structure plan, the delineated and conservation strategies to be determined at the outline plan/land use redesignation stage, and be constructed/engineered at the subdivision stage. It is recommended that pathway and picnic area be constructed around the wetland areas, which may be designated as Environmental Reserve at the subdivision stage, with an appropriate setback agreed by biologists. 9.4 The Town’s Outdoor Amenities Communities need a combination of neighbourhood spaces, community and regional spaces These can include: • Neighbourhood spaces: modest green spaces, pocket parks, playgrounds • Community spaces: soccer fields, baseball diamonds, and linear parks • Regional spaces: may include tournament size outdoor facilities with regulation-sized fields, wetland parks/environmental preserves, playing fields surrounding a regional recreation facility In Chestermere, Municipal Reserve Land has been used for a number of different community recreational purposes. Table 10, on the following page, lists some of the existing ways it is being used. However, it is not exhaustive, with a number of playing fields and playgrounds not shown.

DRAFT 61 Table 10: Existing Uses of Municipal Reserve Land (not exhaustive)

9.5 Chestermere’s Outdoor Recreation Amenities Relative to Population Benchmarks As was done for indoor recreation facilities in Section 7.2, Chestermere’s outdoor amenities were compared against Alberta communities selected due to commonalities they share with Chestermere. The cautions regarding use of benchmarks that are identified in Section 7.2 apply here as well. Table 11, on the following page, shows the median population benchmarks for the development of outdoor recreation amenities.

62 DRAFT Table 11: Chestermere’s Outdoor Recreation Amenities Relative to Population Benchmarks Chestermere’s Outdoor Recreation Amenities Relative to Population Benchmarks Population to Relative Amenities Recreation Outdoor Chestermere’s

DRAFT 63 The benchmark for dog parks is only limitedly valid, as it does not take into consideration the size of these and whether more No benchmarks were provided if the majority of communities did not have these facilities, i.e. beach volleyball courts, boat launches,

Regardless of population size, communities only had one these specialized recreation amenities: skateboard parks, bike

1 2 3 Notes * * * disc golf, multi-sports courts, outdoor exercise circuits (outdoor gyms), pools, public beaches. advantageous to have one large park or a number of smaller parks that require lesser commute use them. Chestermere’s Outdoor Recreation Amenities Relative to Population Population to Relative Amenities Recreation Outdoor Chestermere’s cont... Benchmarks community gardens, outdoor performance venues, and spray/splash parks. Therefore, benchmarks were not provided for these facilities. community gardens, outdoor performance venues, and spray/splash parks.

64 DRAFT Summary of Comparison to 2014 Benchmarks Deficit: As it stands currently, in order to meet the norms for our comparison communities, Chestermere requires 4 more ball diamonds, 3 more outdoor rinks, 38 additional hectares of parks, 6 more playgrounds, and 1 more tennis court.

Meets Norms: Chestermere meets the norms for golf courses and the kilometers of pathways. Surplus: Chestermere has one soccer field above population norms. In utilizing this information, it needs to be noted that the outdoor amenities in other communities have been built over time and these benchmarks don’t reflect changing usage of these amenities that may have occurred in response to the changing popularity of particular sports. Before it is determined that Chestermere needs to increase the number of particular amenities to meet the norm, the current and future anticipated popularity of that sport in Chestermere, needs to be considered. Conversely, even though the benchmarks show that we have a surplus of soccer pitches relative to the norm, that does not necessarily mean that there is a surplus, given the growing popularity of soccer in the community. The need for increased outdoor recreation amenities needs further exploration.

Planning for the Future Summary of Projected Amenities Needed By Population of 23,000: A population of 23,000 was selected for projecting future recreation needs as this is the benchmark population that has been set for construction of a Multiplex in the town. The benchmark analysis shows a number of outdoor amenities will also be vying for funding in the years leading up to attaining this population. Specifically, by a population of 23,000, the town could need an additional 8 ball diamonds, 1 golf course, 4 outdoor rinks, 12 kms of pathways, 94 hectares of parks, 15 playgrounds, 4 soccer fields, and 3/4 tennis courts to meet existing norms.

Maintenance of Outdoor Amenities: As the Town’s role in recreation increases, it will need to increase the attention given to maintenance and life cycling of outdoor amenities. The Town is beginning to amass a significant inventory of sports fields and specialized recreation parks (Bike Park, Skate Park, the redeveloped Anniversary Park), in addition to the other parks and playgrounds it is responsible for. There will be increased demands on staff time as well as increased knowledge required to safely maintain and lifecycle the equipment in the specialized recreation parks. A schedule will also need to be developed to rotate the use of sports fields to reduce wear and tear. Booking of the Town’s sports fields should be brought in-house in order to coordinate this.

Specialized Recreation Parks: As noted previously, no population benchmarks were established for Specialized Recreation Parks, as our comparison communities tended to only have one of these parks, regardless of the size of their population. With this being the norm, it would appear prudent that in planning these parks, consideration should be given to accommodating future growth. This would apply to the skateboard park which is currently under redevelopment, and a splash park that is being recommended in this plan. The bike park is of sufficient size to accommodate future population growth.

DRAFT 65 9.6 Recommendations Recommendations for the Outdoor Amenities section have been divided into three categories: Parks and Open Spaces, Playgrounds, and Other Amenities Considerations. 9.6.1 Parks and Open Spaces Policy Recommendations The recommended policies below build on those in the Municipal Development Plan: • Larger parks, including sports fields and passive natural areas, should be favoured over smaller block-lots and neighbourhood tot lots in new development areas. Centrally located parks of 20 acres, or more, is the preference. • Acquisition of land for the open space system can occur through dedication of Municipal Reserve, Environmental Reserve, a conservation easement, voluntary conservation, land purchase or other means. • A conceptual system of parks and open spaces, as well as school sites, should be planned at the Area Structure Plan stage. Open space should connect to or integrate with parks, recreation spaces and other natural features. • Plans for future development of the various Municipal Reserve sites should incorporate Universal Design (barrier free) and CPTED (Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design) principles. • Open spaces and recreation amenities should be provided within multi-residential developments, mixed use and commercial developments. Public access to these amenities should be provided. • Public plazas should be provided within a Town Centre and other non-residential focal points to provide space for public and cultural events.

A plaza with benches and waterfall feature in the Rainbow Falls neighbourhood.

66 DRAFT • Public amenities such as rest areas with benches, picnic space and BBQ areas should be established as part of the Town’s open space system. A significant character park should be located at Gateway Entry Feature locations. • The design of the open space network should prioritize conservation or minimizing the loss of natural green elements and natural topography. Natural areas required to maintain ecosystem connectivity and features with significant biophysical functions should be identified and protected. Following the Town’s Wetland Policy will provide guidance to integrate open spaces and parks into the wetland system. • Engineered systems that are designed to mimic nature are encouraged where natural functionality will be lost through development. • The Town should work with neighboring municipalities to identity and link open space systems that cross borders for ecosystem viability and preservation when appropriate. • Recreation amenities may be allowed within open space where there is no negative impact on ecological and hydrological functionality or connectivity.

9.6.2 Playgrounds

Playgrounds play an important role in directly supporting the liveability of our communities and enjoyment for our residents. 97% of Albertans feel that playgrounds and play facilities are integral to children’s development and welfare (Alberta Recreation and Parks Association). The Town vision supports the ongoing development and enhancement of play areas throughout the community. As of Spring 2014, Chestermere currently maintains playgrounds at the following parks:

520 East Lakeview Road 132 Lavender Way 101 Aspenmere Close 129 West Creek Springs 304 Parkmere Green 150 Oakmere Way 141 Springmere Drive 740 East Chestermere Drive 275 Windermere Drive 135 Cove Close 216 Lakeside Greens Crescent 184 West Lakeview Circle 188 West Creek Circle 179 Lakeview Cove 168 East Chestermere Drive 168 West Chestermere Way 197 West Creek Drive

Playground Recommendations: Maintain and enhance existing playground facilities. • Playgrounds should have the highest play value possible, encouraging the development of physical skills, creativity, and cooperative play. • Playgrounds meet Canadian Standards Association standards to ensure safety for users.

DRAFT 67 Ensure playgrounds are accessible to everyone. • Incorporate barrier free design where applicable.

Explore opportunities to incorporate innovative playground design into new and existing playgrounds. • Playgrounds should nurture different styles of play and provide play spaces for all stages of childhood. • Connect playground spaces with natural features such as hills, water features, or plazas.

Ensure community input is obtained from the beginning of the design stage where applicable. • Design public meetings and design workshops for new communities with a specific playground component and discussion. • Work with schools to explore partnering opportunities to enhance planning processes.

Continue to work with developers to ensure recreation spaces are effectively planned for. • Work with developers to designate specific open areas for playgrounds on Municipal Reserve land rather than taking cash-in-lieu.

“Today, playground should be a word used when referring to holistic play environments integrated into parks, schoolyards, community centres, greenways and plazas designed to be used by people of all ages at all times of the day and year” - Manitoba Report, p. 70

68 DRAFT 9.6.3 Other Amenity Considerations

There are a number of outdoor amenities that Chestermere residents have identified as desirable through public surveys. These include:

Tobogganing Hill As one of the top outdoor amenities residents have stated they would like in Town, the feasibility of providing a tobogganing hill, as well as location options should be further explored.

Temporary toboggan hill in Anniversary Park. Winter 2013

Off Leash Dog Park Some residents have been using the open space at the northwest end of the lake as an unofficial off leash dog park. Many people enjoy the location of this amenity; however there have been some conflicts between dog park users and people using the pathway that intersects the park, as well as the Town’s concern of disturbing migratory birds’ nesting areas which cover a large area just west of the lake shore. Town Administration is currently looking at options for possibly relocating the park. Recommendations will be forwarded to Council once appropriate research and site analysis has been completed.

DRAFT 69 Spray Park Creating a spray park has been identified as one of the priorities ofT own residents. Despite people knowing a pool is being planned which often incorporates a water play area; there is still a strong resident demand for a separate outdoor spray park. In the water park survey done in 2009, 92% of respondents indicated that they would use a spray park at least once a month, with half of respondents stating they would use the facility several times per week. Further investigation into best practices, as well as feasibility is required. A spray park committee was struck a few years ago with the aim of building an outdoor spray park somewhere in Chestermere. The committee and the Town were unable to find a suitable location for the spray park. However, the committee gained valuable learnings: • Incorporating the spray park inside the new multiplex would allow for year round access to the amenity and may be more cost effective. However, it appears that residents remain committed to having an outdoor spray park. It is still recommended that the recreation facility planning committee investigate incorporating spray park elements within the new recreation centre. • A spray park should be favoured over a splash park. Because splash parks allow water to accumulate rather than drain directly, splash parks need to be supervised when open to the public and water quality needs to be consistently monitored. • Spray parks should also be designed with a range of ages in mind. It can be designed in such a way so that age “zones” are created allowing various ages to enjoy the space at the same time. • Appropriate sizing of a spray park is an important consideration. Spray parks that are too small will only become frustrating for those trying to compete for a space to play. A moderate sized park for Chestermere is recommended with age specific “zones” within. Providing a number of small spray parks will provide more locations, but the play value will have decreased significantly as a result and children would not find them as appealing. • Operating, maintenance and lifecycle costs need to be determined during the planning process. • There are a couple of instances where communities have a more simple style of spray park, that can then be used as a skating surface in the winter. More investigation is needed on the viability of applying this idea in Chestermere.

70 DRAFT Outdoor Exercise Circuit Outdoor exercise circuits offer fitness stations with exercise machines for public use in park and green space areas. They are becoming a popular amenity in many communities as they are usable throughout the year and are typically free to the public. This was identified as a lower priority item in the community survey done in Chestermere; however, grant and partnership opportunities should be kept in mind as development continues in the Town. The circuit should be designed to have convenient access as well as be usable for adults through the life stages. Care should be taken to not place exercise circuits close to playgrounds, as children often cannot tell that it can be unsafe for them to be playing on the equipment. A series of different exercise machines can be placed in public recreation spaces.

As our population ages, an outdoor exercise circuit is a great way to provide an outdoor activity and amenity to keep our community healthy and happy. This would also ensure free access to exercise equipment for all community members.

Outdoor picnic and BBQ areas Survey results and community consultation, combined with demographic information, suggests that outdoor picnic and BBQ areas would be popular in Chestermere. There are a number of these areas already in place in the community, and further promotion to the community would be valuable. When developing new park space, picnic and BBQ areas should be incorporated where feasible. Further investigation should be made into enhanced picnic areas, which could include shelters and areas to accommodate large families or other gatherings.

DRAFT 71 Public Art Public art is a wonderful and creative way to speak to community values and celebrate local identity. It can have both aesthetic and/or functional roles taking on form such as: • Functional streetscape (distinctive lighting and pavement features, multi-functional street furniture and interpretive wayfinding and signage) • Artistic landmarks and architectural design (gateway feature and bridges) • Features in the natural environment (park, landscape and pathway design) Bike racks can provide public art while promoting cycling.

There are a number of public art projects already in place in the community and these projects have been the product of local community groups, such as YELL Youth Council, commissioned by the Urban Beautification Committee, or the efforts of the Historical Committee. The Town should continue to incorporate local art in public places on a case by case basis with the Urban Beautification Committee taking a lead role to promote and forward proposals.

72 DRAFT Outdoor Soccer Fields There are plans to build additional soccer fields alongside new schools, as well as to incorporate outdoor multi-use playing fields on the campus of the new multiplex. The Town will continue to investigate further opportunities to build sports fields to meet community demand as development continues in the Town. Maintenance of current field inventory should be further investigated.

Outdoor Boarded Hockey Rink Both outdoor boarded hockey rinks and leisure skating surfaces prove to be very popular through the winter. While there is inherent risk to skating, the Town wants to ensure that we are providing ice surfaces that do not pose undue risk to its users. The Town is in the process of developing policies and procedures to facilitate outdoor skating in the future. The Town is currently piloting an “Adopt a Rink” program with the Chestermere Outdoor Recreation Association. This program creates partnerships with residents to support outdoor rinks. Results from the pilot will be evaluated in 2014, and it is expected that the program will be able to expand across the community beginning Winter 2014/15.

Community Events Space John Peake Park functions well now as the outdoor venue for Town celebrations such as Waterfest, Winter Festival, and Canada Day. Situated on the lake, the park space brings residents together around the Town’s greatest natural amenity. However, it is anticipated to reach its capacity as a community events venue by the time the town’s population reaches 30,000. An additional, perhaps larger venue will become necessary at that time. It is recommended that a green space be planned to accommodate occasional use as an events space, rather than creating a dedicated space. The Town’s Events Coordinator and representatives of the performing arts community should be involved in the design of the space to ensure their needs are addressed, such as ensuring that electrical conduits and irrigation lines are out of the way and paths are built to accommodate large trucks dropping off equipment close to where it needs to go. Permanent staging and seating should not be built due to the cost and the short season for outdoor performances. Also, it would limit the ability to arrange the space flexibly, according to the type of event or performance.

DRAFT 73 9.6.4 General Recommendations for Outdoor Amenities It is recommended that the Town further investigate the feasibility of the amenities listed above. Factors that ought to be considered include: • Existing research already undertaken Some projects, such as the off leash dog park and the spray park have already had some work done to date by Town Administration and/or volunteer committees. It will be valuable to incorporate past information when re-examining the viability of these recreation amenities. • Size and potential locations of amenities As future development is determined, it is recommended that Administration plan for spaces in which to incorporate future recreation amenities. • Capital and development costs Capital and operational costs should be considered for each project. It is also important to develop a strategy for maintaining assets as well as accounting for operating and life cycle expenses.

Public volleyball court at Sunset Park.

74 DRAFT 10.0 FUNDING RECREATION INFRASTRUCTURE The three funding sources traditionally utilized to fund municipal recreation facilities are municipal funds, provincial and federal grants, and community fund development. In the past, the ideal was for each source to provide an equal proportion of funding. However, the new trend is that municipalities are providing a major portion of the costs. The Town has three sources of funding for recreation infrastructure: • Town contributions, including funding from the Municipal Sustainability Initiative, developer contributions collected under the Public Facilities Fee, and property taxes. • Grants, including those from the federal and provincial governments as well as from private sources. • Community funding raised through general fundraising and sponsorship.

10.1 Town Contributions

Community Town Contribution Contribution

Grants The Municipal Sustainability Initiative (MSI)

Town Contribution

FUNDING SOURCES Developer Contribution

Property Taxes (be cautious)

i. The Municipal Sustainability Initiative (MSI): Typically Chestermere has received $3.5 million – $3.7 million per year from the MSI for community infrastructure, but the amount received depends on: population (48%), Education Property Tax requisitions (48%), and kilometers of local roads (4%). Recreation facilities and amenities are in competition with other Town infrastructure priorities in utilizing this fund. This program is scheduled to end in 2017. It is too early to know if it will be extended, or possibly replaced by another program.

ii. Developer Contributions: Public Facilities Fee are fees currently included in the Town Services Fee Schedule. These are fees paid, typically by developers, which are intended to fund new essential and recreation services that provides services to the population growth from new development.

DRAFT 75 Public facility fees should be reviewed and revised based on the estimates of the cost of development for essential services (i.e. fire halls, RCMP buildings/stations) and a major recreation facility. Innovative strategies in regards to cooperation with developers in developing the major recreation facilities and outdoor amenities to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes should be explored. Should developers have difficulty to allocate the 40-60 acre site for the proposed multiplex based on the limited dedication of Municipal Reserve, a combination of Municipal Reserve land and purchasing the land in-lieu-of public facilities fee can be considered by the Town as an option to obtain the appropriate size for the site.

iii. Property Taxes: The tax base of the Town is 96% residential and 4% commercial. Limiting industrial uses to light industrial and preferring to develop and support small and local businesses were community quality of life preferences that residents communicated in the 2008 Town Survey. What this means, is that the Town does not have the tax revenue that would come from large retail and major industry. The cost of developing recreation amenities therefore, sits more heavily on residents’ shoulders. The Town’s projected property tax revenue for 2014 is around $13 M. These funds pay for Town administration and a variety of Town services that are required, such as police, snow clearing, road and parks maintenance, by law enforcement, etc… Given this limited revenue, the Town has been cautious about assuming debt on behalf of residents.

The following Table 12, shows Chestermere’s parks and capital recreation budget per capita compared to select Alberta communities. Table 12: Total Parks and Recreation Capital and Operational Expense per Capita

Source: Smart Perspective: Smart Strategies: Smart Town, Perspectives Report for Town of Chestermere September 2012.

76 DRAFT On average the Town allocates less funds than the selected above communities to parks and recreation. This could be due to the difficulty of keeping up with the fast population growth in Chestermere , a lack of understanding of residents’ recreation needs, or a focus on other Town needs. Whatever the reason, the Master Recreation Plan 2014, will provide a basis to determine more adequately the recreation needs and wants of residents, as well as how much budget the Town should be dedicating to meet those needs.

The following two sections, 10.2 and 10.3, identify other/additional options that municipalities may currently have for funding recreation infrastructure development. However, it should be noted that this information should be seen as a starting point for exploring funding possibilities. Funding streams and opportunities are constantly changing and as the project develops, planners will need to keep abreast of changes. 10.2 Grants

Community Public Grants Contribution Federal Budget (Economic Action Plan Grants 2013)

Town The Community Improvement Fund Contribution

FUNDING SOURCES The New Building Canada Fund

The P3 Canada Fund, and the Gas Tax Fund, etc.

Private Funding Sources

Public-Private Partnerships (P3s)

other private partnerships (e.g. developers)

public, charitable or not-for-profit organizations (e.g. schools, libraries, the YMCA,etc.)

density bonusing (other provinces)

loan guarantees to community organization

DRAFT 77 It is recommended that the following funding sources be explored as part of development of the business plan.

iv. Federal and Provincial Funding Sources A challenge for municipalities is the lack of ongoing provincial and federal funding streams for development of recreation infrastructure. The National Recreation Summit 2011 is advocating that a national recreation and parks infrastructure strategy be developed, but in the meantime communities need to position themselves to be ready to proceed with recreation projects whenever funding opportunities are available. Some of the infrastructure programs that could be applicable to Chestermere’s Facilities and Amenities are as follows: • The Building Canada Fund (established in 2007) works to fund projects up to 2014. Investments have been/are being made in the public infrastructure owned by provincial, territorial, and municipal governments. All projects are cost shared, with the maximum federal contribution of 50%. Other federal infrastructure programs that exist today that are no longer accepting applications include: Infrastructure Stimulus Fund, Municipal Rural Infrastructure Fund, Canada Strategic Infrastructure Fund, and Infrastructure Canada Program. • 2013 Federal Budget (Economic Action Plan 2013) has allocated $53.5 billion to a new Building Canada Plan to create jobs through public infrastructure development. The Plan works in cooperation with provinces, territories, and municipalities. It is subdivide into two key areas: 1. The Community Improvement Fund ($32.2 billion) The Community Improvement Fund will be of interest to Chestermere. The Fund was set up in response to the requests of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and Canadian municipalities’ Mayors. The Fund will provide $32.2 billion over the 10 years of the New Building Canada Plan. $21.8 billion over these 10 years will stem from Gas Tax Fund payments – and the list of eligible Gas Tax categories will expand to include culture, tourism, sport & recreation. This is a fund that the Provincial Government oversees and that Chestermere has received funds from in the past. It is one of the most significant funding sources. The Community Improvement Fund will also provide $10.4 billion over 10 years under the incremental GST rebate for municipalities. 2. The New Building Canada Fund ($14 billion) This Fund will subdivide into two components, the National Infrastructure Component ($4 billion) and the Provincial – Territorial Infrastructure Component ($10 billion). The latter component’s funds will be granted to Provinces and Territories, but it is not yet clear how they will be distributed at that level.

78 DRAFT • Concerning Government funding for Facilities and Amenities Infrastructure, The Town of Chestermere ought to take in to consideration all of the sources listed above, as well as Provincial funding streams already familiar to the Town (MSI etc.) • Other federal and provincial government grants may become available that are not directly targeted to recreation infrastructure, but that may be appropriate for this purpose. For example grants for health promotion that are targeted to decreasing obesity; grants for improving the accessibility of public buildings; grants targeted to seniors or youth; grants promoting the inclusion of New Canadians; and grants for the arts. For detailed funding amounts allocated by the Federal government see Appendix F: Federal Support for Provincial-Territorial-Municipal Infrastructure on a Cash Basis.

v. Private Funding Sources Adapted from Recreation Summit, 2011 • Public-Private Partnerships (P3s) allow for the development of public infrastructure, with the private sector assuming a share of risks in financing and construction. The public sector doesn’t pay for the facility until built, the cost of the facility is paid over the lifespan of the facility, and the cost is known up front to the taxpayer. • Municipalities can partner with the private sector through other means, such as the private sector operating public facilities under contract, the private sector operating its business from within a public recreation facility, a developer constructing a multipurpose building and leasing a portion to the municipality. • Partnerships with public, charitable or not profit organizations such as schools, libraries, the YMCA, sports associations, and local sport clubs should be actively pursued. • Density bonusing is used in some provinces. This refers to developers being allowed to contribute capital or operating support for recreation centres in exchange for approval to increase the size or density of a commercial or residential project. 10.3 Community

Community Community Contribution Contribution

Grants involve community service groups (e.g. Chestermere Foundation) Town Contribution resident and corporate donations/naming rights FUNDING SOURCES

Recreation Facility Committee to get non- profit and registered charity statuses to to fully access funding opportunities cooperate with school boards by sharing facilities e.g. a gym, arts centre, performing arts centre

DRAFT 79 The following recommendations should be taken into account as community funding sources are pursued. • Involve community service groups and organizations that may be interested in general fund raising or sponsoring the development of particular amenities in the Plan. The newly formed Chestermere Foundation is one example of such a group. • Encourage private, corporate, and family donations by: • offering sponsorship and recognition, such as naming rights, hockey boards, paid advertising on TV screen in lobbies, etc. Businesses associated with developers, such as electrical, flooring, windows companies, etc... could also be encouraged to make donations/sponsor particular recreation amenities. • raising awareness and community pride through communication and engagement strategies. • Achieve registered charity and non profit society status for the Recreation Facility Committee, in order to maximize funding opportunities, such as being able to issue tax receipts for private and corporate donations, and being able to access grants that are only open to organizations with charitable or non-profit status. • Explore opportunities to cooperate with school boards by locating the multiplex in proximity to a school to share facilities such as a gym, arts centre, performing arts centre in order to utilize funds more effectively. 10.4 Funding Recommendations • The Public facility fee should be reviewed and revised based on the estimates of the cost of development for essential services (i.e. fire halls, RCMP buildings/stations) and major recreation facilities. • The Town should work towards putting aside $300,000-$400,000 annually in the Town budget to fund the proposed improvements in this plan, with regards to outdoor amenities and pathway connection and surfacing within existing neighbourhoods. • Innovative strategies in regard to cooperation with developers in developing the major recreation facilities and outdoor amenities should be encouraged (or can be considered). • In addition to the existing Rec Centre contributions, used to help with facility maintenance, the Town should work towards setting aside funds annually for the new multiplex. • The Town should continue working with the County of Rocky View to ensure we maximize regional recreation funding opportunities. Open communication is essential as both the Town and the County plan for meeting recreation needs.

80 DRAFT 11.0 GENERAL RECREATION POLICIES • The Outline Plan and/or land use redesignation application shall provide details on planned recreation facilities and outdoor amenities that reflect, and are in compliance with, the Master Recreation Plan 2014. The Plan implementation shall be supported through the contribution from all developers in the affected areas. The value, conditions and form of contributions will be determined as the part of the Plan process in consultation with the development industry. • A staff committee should be formed to implement the Pathways and Outdoor Amenities recommendations. • The Town should take an enhanced role in capacity building, awareness and education for recreation. This should include enhanced communication of existing recreation amenities that provides information on location, use and safety. Maps should be created highlighting specific recreation information. • All recreation planning should prioritize connectivity. Connections as a whole should be thought of, rather than stand-alone features, for example, the system of open spaces, sports fields, and recreation facilities needs to be linked by pathways and green corridors. • As new facilities are planned, additional investigation on the effect they may have on the recreation facilities currently operating in Chestermere should be explored.

The Town’s Website offers information on recreation opportunities, including upcoming community events and maps showing recreation amenities.

DRAFT 81 12.0 IMPLEMENTATION A long term plan to provide an overall picture of the Town’s recreation facilities and amenities needs and wants, as well as realistic financial situation, is required in order to make decisions regarding Town investment for recreation purposes. With guidance from this Master Recreation Plan the Town has begun to set out strategies and steps that will ensure the recreation needs of our residents are met now, as well as that future needs are planned for. We need to be ready to “leap” – we need to secure money from the Town budget now to get going on creating a package – with designs and a more detailed plan – so that when grant opportunities arise, we will be a strong contender to get that money. We also need to build policy that will allow recreation amenities to be partially funded by growth, ensuring adequate available funds are allocated to specific recreation amenities.

John Peake Park.

82 DRAFT 12.1 Implementation Timeline The table below shows a general timeline of action items suggested for the implementation of the recommendations found in this Plan. Table 13: Implementation Timeline 13: Implementation Table

DRAFT 83 12.2 Support and Partners Once the Master Recreation Plan has been completed, it will act as a guiding document for Town planning. As development occurs, the recommended policies should be adhered to and projects completed based on timeline recommendations as well as funding availability. The Plan requires commitment and proper resource allocation to actually carry out the intentions set. The following table provides a list of partners and the roles needed to be taken to implement the recommendations in the Plan and reach the Town’s recreation goals. Table 14: Partners and Roles

84 DRAFT Partners and Roles cont...

DRAFT 85 12.3 Forces that could Impact Goal Achievement

Positive forces pushing Forces acting as obstacles towards success against achievement

86 DRAFT 12.4 Tools

Regulatory It will be the responsibility of staff in Development Services to ensure policy recommendations are followed and planned for as development is approved. Bylaws may need to be established to provide staff with rights of enforcement. The fee schedule will be updated to include a Public Facilities Fee. A clear fee assessment formula and calculation process should be understood and followed by Staff. This will need to be established into Development Services’ procedures when the fee schedule is adjusted. As the Municipal Development Plan is updated, it should include land use policies to ensure the goals in this Master Recreation Plan are achieved. These should include pathway connection, open space, and recreation amenity requirements. It should also include an enhanced focus on recreation amenities and services. As the Transportation Master Plan is updated, it should include regional and local pathway systems as set out in this Master Recreation Plan. It should include policies that match and compliment those found in this Plan to ensure active transportation options are easily accessible options for residents and visitors.

Funding There are a number of funding sources suggesting in the Plan that should be explored to support recreation amenities and programs. The main three sources are: • Town contributions • Grants • Community funding The Fund Development Coordinator will take the lead working with the Recreation Facility Committee to fund and apply for grant opportunities. The Directors of each department should be aware of the recommendations in the Master Recreation Plan and as opportunities to undertake the projects and implement policies, it will be the responsibility of senior staff to secure funding. It will also be their responsibility to ensure, where applicable, the funding is planned for in the yearly budget and that the required staff resources are available to implementing this Plan. Council’s support will be required for budget, resources and other funding sources as projects progress.

Communication With the help of the Communications Coordinator, the Community Recreation Department will keep residents updated on recreation projects as they move forward mainly through the Town’s social media methods, but also by posting information in the Town newspaper and making sure e-mail updates are sent to key stakeholders groups. The final Plan and Summary will be circulated to all staff. As recreation projects and policies are

DRAFT 87 implemented, the project manager of each project will be responsible to update and circulate information to staff as appropriate to departments’ procedures. Information will need to be passed across all departments as recreation-related issues impact the work and planning in all departments.

Through collaboration, all of the Town’s departments will work together towards implementing the Master Recreation Plan and achieving Chestermere’s recreation goals.

88 DRAFT 12.5 Monitoring Progress & Evaluation This Plan provides recommendations for immediate actions, as well as long range planning policies to ensure that both present and future recreation needs of residents are provided for. As the actions get underway, the community grows and recreation needs change, this document should be updated and the implementation actions added to. Progress towards the implementation of the recommended actions and policies should be monitored and adjusted approximately every 2-5 years to ensure recreation needs are being effectively met and that funding options are being pursued. This will be the responsibility of the Manager of Parks and Recreation, with the support of staff from Development Services where needed. The implementation portion of the plan should be referred to for yearly budgeting, in order to determine which resources should support which projects to most effectively provide and improve recreation amenities. Ongoing community participation in implementing the recommended actions, as well as updating the plan’s recommendations, is required to ensure Town resources, both attention and funding, is allocated to the Town residents’ wants and needs. This plan requires close coordination between departments to harness the full potential of well-planned recreation amenities from capital project budgeting to land use planning and community programming.

Table 15 on the following page provides a list of indicators for monitoring the Town’s progress towards achieving its recreation goals. The table provides a list of potential monitoring tools that could provide measurable targets and help Town Staff determine where success has been achieved and where additional attention is needed.

DRAFT 89 Table 15: Indicators for Monitoring

90 DRAFT DRAFT 91 92 DRAFT APPENDICES

A. Town Survey 2012 Results The survey was open throughout the month of September, 2012. Because the recreation planning questions were also relevant to residents of SE Rocky View County, they were invited to participate in this section of the survey. One survey was allowed per household, with the following results: • 1,581 households participated in the survey. Of these, 1,448 households (92%) were Chestermere households. This was a 30.3% response rate for Chestermere, based on 4,775 occupied houses in the June 2012 Chestermere Municipal Census. • 99 responses were received from Rocky View County residents (6.3% of the total)

Quality of Community Life Generally, the results showed that there is a high Quality of Life in Chestermere: 88% of survey participants rated overall Quality of Community Life (QOL) as good/very good (with 33% rating QOL as very good, an increase of 6% from the 2008 Survey). Top 3 things that survey participants felt would increase Community QOL: i) more shopping/restaurants – 66% of households ii) more recreation facilities – 63% of households with a pool/aquatics centre heading the list of desired amenities. iii) a sand beach that all residents can access – 55%

Sense of Community Community Participation 91% of survey participants indicated that their household was involved in community life, at least to some degree, with the highest degree of participation, by far, being attending community events and festivals (81%), followed by donating money to a local cause or community group (53%), attending sporting events (46%), playing on a sports team (43%) and volunteering in the community (42%). Recreation important means to involve people in the community and create a sense of community belonging Satisfaction with Levels of Service Households were asked to rate each of the Town services according to whether they were satisfied with the service, if they felt more of a particular service was needed, or if less of this service was needed. The top responses for each category were: • Satisfied with current level of service: community events and festivals (80% satisfied with current level and 16% wanting more)

DRAFT 93 • Need more of: 55% satisfied with current bike/walking paths and 43% wanting more • parks and open spaces – variety of use: 57% satisfied with what exists and 41% wanting more. Pathways A. Feedback on Existing Pathway system

Connection of pathways received the lowest rating when residents were asked for their feedback on the existing pathway system. 68% rated as good/very good, 24.1% said connection of pathways bad/very bad. Over 200 households provided comments on: where there needs to be more pathways; where there needs to be connection between pathways; safety concerns like needing lighting and traffic crossings; pathways being used dangerously and in ways they were not intended for; usability issues like snow/ice removal; and paths where maintenance is needed. It was also suggested that a map of the pathway system would be useful. B. Pathway Amenities Top 3 responses: i) 55% want a tobogganing hill ii) 42% want an exercise circuit iii) 36% want off leash dog park. 18% don’t want pathway enhancements

Support for Developing Public Recreation Facilities and Amenities • Yes - 76% • No - 4% • It depends - 20%. The most frequent responses were that support would depend on: the cost, whether it would require a tax increase, and what facility/type of facility was being planned.

94 DRAFT Ranking of Facilities that Households Would Use (by those who were not against the development of facilities in Chestermere) Residents were asked to rank order a maximum of seven facilities that members of their household use, or would use, if they were available in Chestermere, with 1 being the facility they would most use. This provided two types of information: i) a rank ordering of the facilities in regard to what % of the households would use them, and ii) a rank ordering of the facilities in regard to how often a facility would be used. The comparisons are shown in the table below. Clearly an aquatics centre is the facility that would be most used by residents and is the forerunner in regard to residents’ ranking with regard to anticipated frequency of use. There is also clear support for an outdoor spray park and a fitness centre. With regard to an indoor ice arena and field house, the percentage is higher of households that would use a field house in comparison to an indoor ice arena (% compared to %), but when ranked according to greatest frequency of use/anticipated use, the arena ranked negligibly hire than a field house.

DRAFT 95 Top 5 Amenities/Activities Desired in Particular Types of Recreation Facilities

Top 10 Priorities for Co-location of Facilities i) aquatics centre - 88% ii) fitness centre - 55% iii) bowling alley - 54% iv) leisure skating area - 38% v) gymnasium – 37% vi) Indoor ice arena – 35% vii) Indoor track – 35% viii) Multi purpose rooms ix) field house x) arts centre (studios) 3% of those in favour of more recreation facilities were against a large, multi-use recreation complex.

96 DRAFT Support for Fundraising Options (by those not against recreation facility development)

B. Open House - Major Recreation Facility Pathway Sub-Project (April 22, 2013)

History: The Major Recreation Facilities Open House was held on April 22, 2013, 1:00 – 9:00 p.m. at the Chestermere Regional Recreation Centre. This event was met with great success, with over 500 residents attending.

Overview: 421 residents signed in at the front table, with the vast majority of them providing e-mail addresses so that they can receive updates on the project as it becomes available. 30 people also signed up to volunteer on a major recreation facilities committee. Surveys were made available for visitors to complete to let us know a bit more detail about what amenities they desire and how often they would use them. This included questions about potential amenities at a recreation centre as well as questions about outdoor amenities and pathways. Over 230 people provided responses.

Survey Highlights: • When asked how often they would use certain amenities, the five amenities residents said they would use the most were: 1. Aquatics Centre 2. Fitness Centre 3. Outdoor Sports Fields 4. Gymnasium 5. Indoor Running Track • 74% of respondents indicated that they saw benefit to incorporating come health services within a large recreation facility (comments from residents included babysitting, physiotherapy, sports doctor, massage, food and beverage shops as desired services)

DRAFT 97 • Respondents indicated a demand for meeting room space from a wide variety of user groups. The majority of these groups would meet weekly (54.1%) or monthly (37.8%) and most would require space for 11-20 people (56.8%), with some (24.3%) desiring meeting space for 30+ people • 90.7% of respondents indicated that they would consider purchasing an annual pass to the facility if it was affordable to them • Respondents fell into the following age groups:

• General comments centered around a few themes: 1. Respondents are eager to get more amenities as quickly as possible 2. Respondents would like an estimate on how much a major recreation facility would cost, and how it will be paid for 3. There are questions as to how the Town is collaborating with the CRCA when looking at increasing recreation amenities in the town • Open house attendees were asked to state their priorities when looking at improving pathways in Chestermere. The top five pathway project priority areas were: 1. Improving access along and across Highway 1A (45% of participants) 2. Creating a Connector Pathway at the north end of the lake (John Peake Park to the Cove Park) (14%) 3. Paving the Pathway at the south end of the lake (13%) 4. Improving the Pathway System in the South eastern part of Town (7%) 5. Paving the connection from Oakmere Way to the Town Centre Commercial area (5%)

98 DRAFT • Open house attendees were also asked to identify locations where they would like to see outdoor amenities. The 5 amenities with the most suggestions include:

DRAFT 99 C. Surrounding Area’s Recreation Facilities Section 7.5 in the main text. Surrounding Area’s Recreation Facilities for Median Benchmark Setting Setting Median Benchmark for Facilities Recreation Area’s Surrounding map A surrounding Chestermere. The following table lists the recreation facilities found, and planned for, showing the locations of these facilities is found in

100 DRAFT Surrounding Area’s Recreation Facilities (cont...) (cont...) Facilities Recreation Area’s Surrounding

DRAFT 101 Surrounding Area’s Recreation Facilities (cont...) (cont...) Facilities Recreation Area’s Surrounding

102 DRAFT Surrounding Area’s Recreation Facilities (cont...) (cont...) Facilities Recreation Area’s Surrounding

DRAFT 103 D. Pathway Projects’ Costs And Additional Considerations Pathway Projects’ Costs And Additional Considerations Additional And Costs Projects’ Pathway engineers, Staff, Town The following calculations are based on approximations and informal conversations with (2012). Each project requires Transportation Alberta consultants, as well unit price averages reported by Additional survey and engineering further assessment from an engineer to determine feasibility and true costs. cost will apply. Note: Calculated based on $105 per lineal meter for material and installation of 2.5m paved pathways. Gravel pathways are estimated to cost $75 per lineal meter for 2.5m pathways.

104 DRAFT Pathway Projects’ Costs And Additional Considerations (cont...) (cont...) Considerations Additional And Costs Projects’ Pathway

DRAFT 105 Pathway Projects’ Costs And Additional Considerations (cont...) (cont...) Considerations Additional And Costs Projects’ Pathway

106 DRAFT Pathway Projects’ Costs And Additional Considerations (cont...) (cont...) Considerations Additional And Costs Projects’ Pathway

DRAFT 107 E. Road and Path Width Standards/ Requirements

The Town of Chestermere follows the City of Calgary Design Guidelines for Subdivision Servicing (January 2012) for road and pathway specifications (p. 95). The diagram below shows the design standards for the road classification for residential streets. A driving lane requires 2.5 meters and parking space requires 2.0 meters.

The standard widths for local and regional pathways are 2.5 meters however, where possible is it recommended that widths be increased to 3 - 4 meters. A standard bike lane should be 1.5 - 2 meters wide for residential streets and 2.5 - 3.5 on larger collector roads.

108 DRAFT F. Federal Support for Provincial-Territorial-Municipal Infrastructure on a Cash Basis chap3-3-eng.html) Federal Support for Provincial-Territorial-Municipal Infrastructure Provincial-Territorial-Municipal Support for Federal Infrastructure on a Cash Basis (Millions of Dollars) Federal Support for Provincial-Territorial-Municipal The New Building Plan (http://www.budget.gc.ca/2013/doc/plan/ Source: Federal Budget 2013. Chapter 3.3:

DRAFT 109 G. Population and Outdoor Amenities Comparison Population and Outdoor Amenities Comparison Amenities and Outdoor Population whether they be privately operated, All recreation facilities in a community were included the inventory, as indicated in publicly available information. operated by a non-profit organization, or the municipality, This chart does not take into account size or condition of the facility. should be prepared to increase recreation facilities match the of Town It shows that the population.

110 DRAFT H. Literature Review ARPA, Foundations for Action www.vision2015.arpaonline.ca. Accessed August 9, 2013 Burns, Robert C; Covelli, Elizabeth & Graefe, Alan R (ed. 2008) Recreation Visitor Research: Studies of Diversity. Albany, Ca: U.S Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Research Station. Calgary Sport Council and the City of Calgary (2008) Team Spirit: Advancing Amateur Sport for all Calgarians< a 10 Year Strategic Plan for Sport Facility Development and Enhancement CDC Consulting Services Inc. (2009), Town of Chestermere Recreation Facility Development Plan. Note: this document was not accepted as the Recreation Facility Development Plan for the Town of Chestermere. Chestermere (Dec. 2011) Design Guidelines Chestermere (July 2009), Municipal Development Plan Chestermere-Conrich Recreation District 2007-2011 Recreation Master Plan Chestermere-Conrich Community Survey 2010 Chestermermere Regional Community Association Operational Strategy Chestermere Regional Community Recreation Needs Assessment and Facility Development Strategy, Paul Conrad & Assoc, 2012. Prepared by Paul Conrad & Assoc on behalf of the Chestermere Regional Community Association City of Calgary, 10 Year Sport Facility Development Plan, (2008) City of Calgary (2010). Recreation Amenities Gap Analysis I and II. Frittenburg, John, Prepared for the 2011 National Recreation Summit (Canada). Community Recreation and Parks Infrastructure: A Pan-Canadian Perspective and Policy Considerations Our Infrastructure Challenge. Gobster, Paul H (2002) Managing Urban Parks for a Racially and Ethnically Diverse Clientele, Leisure Sciences: An Interdisciplinary Journal, 24:2, 143-159 Health Canada (2011). Canadian Health Measures Survey: Physical Activity of Youth and Adults. http://www.statcan.gc.ca/daily-quotidien/110119/dq110119b-eng.htm. Accessed Aug 23, 2013 Hilderman Thomas Frank Cram Landscape Architecture, Innovative Playgrounds Research Project Report, Prepared for the Government of Manitoba Departent of intergovernmental Affiars (2001). Literaturewww.naturalplaygrounds.iinfo/PDF/innovative_playground_research_report.pdf accessed Aug 6, 2013 K. Knights & Assciates Ltd. And HarGroup Management Consultants on behalf of City of Calgary Recreation Municipal Government Act, RSA 2000, c M-26

DRAFT 111 MMM Group. Town of Sylvan Lake, Recreation, Parks, and Culture, Recreation, Parks and Open Space Master Plan (2010) O2 Planning and Design (2010). For ARPA. The Role of Recreation, Parks, and Open Space in Regional Planning: A Working Guidelines Report Ontario Ministry of Culture and Recreation, Sports and Fitness Division Guidelines for Developing Public Recreation Facility Standards (1976) Payne, Laura L; Mowen, Andrew J. & Orsega- Smith, Elizabeth (2002) An Examination of Park Preferences and Behaviors Among Urban Residents: The Role of Residential Location, Race, and Age, Leisure Sciences: An Interdisciplinary Journal, 24:2, 181-19 RC Strategies (2010). Prepared for ARPA Healthy by Nature: Up Close and Personal - Investing in community Parks, Open Space and Nature Education Randall Conrad and Associates Ltd. North Bow Community Facility Board: Recreation Facility Needs Assessment and Feasibility Study, 2006 Rocky View County, Parks, Recreation & Community Services. Proposed Regional Recreation Strategy Model (2011) Rocky View County, Parks, Recreation & Community Services, Parks & Open Space Master plan Rocky View County, Parks, Recreation & Community Services, Community Amenities Study Rocky View County, Parks, Recreation & Community Services, Community Needs Assessment Survey Results Rocky View East 2007-2011 Recreation Master Plan/2010 Community Needs Assessment Stantec Consulting Ltd. (2013). Trends and Implications in Leisure Services in Canada. Prepared for the Sturgeon Regional CAO Partnership Committee. http://www.sturgeoncounty. ab.ca/Portals/4/rpt_RRMP%20RFD%20Trends%20Report_Public%20Package_Attachment. pdf Accessed Aug 2, 2013 Statistics Canada. 2012. Chestermere, Alberta (Code 4806017) and Calgary, Alberta (Code 4806016) (table). Census Profile. 2011 Census. Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 98-316-XWE. Ottawa. Released October 24, 2012. http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2011/ dp-pd/prof/index.cfm?Lang=E (accessed August 6, 2013). Recreation Summits: Operating Models for Rec Centres. Considerations re pros and cons of P2s and P3s.

112 DRAFT I. Stakeholder Consultations

DRAFT 113