Construction Work Underway
On New Soccer Field For
Pretty River Academy
Town of Collingwood Will Act As Booking Agent
For Pretty River Academy Soccer Field
The funding announcement triggered much debate in the community. Collingwood resident Lorne Kenney headed a group that was quite vocal in its opposition to the private school receiving federal and provincial funding for this project. The group went so far as to start an online petition seeking signatures of people who were against the funding to Pretty River Academy.
Kenney appeared on CBC Radio's Ontario Morning last fall. "This is something that has just touched the third rail of the public's consciousness here in Collingwood and I suspect that it will resonate throughout the province and perhaps across the country, the notion that public resources would go to a private school, to build for 156 relatively privileged children a soccer field when we have plenty of them in the town" Kenney said in response to host Wei Chen's question as to why the online petition was created. "We would like to see the government of Canada and the government on Ontario withdraw the grants and redistribute them to facilities that would be in the public domain that all citizens could enjoy" Kenney said.
Collingwood Mayor Chris Carrier also appered on the radio program. Carrier said that he wasn't sure why the Pretty River Academy's soccer field application was approved for funding. "It's difficult with the number of applications that went through to get all of the feedback on the various grants, but I'm sure the Pretty River Academy could shed some light on that, but I'm going to suggest that because they are a not-for-profit group, and propose a community facility where the community will have access to the facility I'm told through a reciprocal use agreement, as we know through the summertime when the kids are not in school that's when a lot of soccer is played, and in the evenings, so I'm confident that the strength of the relationship between the town of Collingwood and the Pretty River Academy, that we'll have such an agreement in place" Carrier added.
In response to Chen's question as to whether citizens of Collingwood will be able to use the new soccer field without having to pay a fee, Carrier said that user fees are already a part of life not only in Collingwood but in most communities. "We have what we call general taxation user fees in the town of Collingwood. Whether you play minor hockey, minor baseball or soccer, there are user fees attached to it. My understanding is that the rental fee will incorprate that the user fee schedule will be met, and we'll certainly be talking about the way that the fee will be charged."
The school and town of Collingwood have announced that they will work together to ensure all residents will have use of the new facility. In December 2009, Council approved an agreement with Pretty River Academy to allow the town to be the booking agent for the field after school hours.
Construction is now underway on a new soccer field at the Pretty River Academy, on highway 26 west in Collingwood.
