Wawa Municipal Council's considering a request from residents of the Upper Mission to "reinstate" the Upper Mission Park.
A group of residents from the Michipicoten River Village attended last night's Corporate Planning Committee meeting, with Becca Smit outlining their request for the return of playground equipment, at minimum, but also putting forward a proposal tor further revitalize the spot, adding not just accessible play equipment, but also an outdoor seating area with pavilion, a mix of raised and accessible community garden beds, a volleyball court, and a gravel area that could have picnic tables in the summer or potentially be turned into an outdoor skating rink in the winter.
This comes after municipal staff proposed adding Upper Mission Park to this year's capital budget - putting it as "subject to funding" this year, seeking a $50,000 grant, and if unsuccessful, take that much from reserves next year - something which was questioned by some Councillors, with Councillor Cathy Cannon - herself a Mission resident - questioning the need for it, given the new park at the marina - councillors also raised questions about the cost, whether the municipality could afford to put money toward such a cause and whether that amount would be enough, anyway.
In her presentation, Smit emphasized that it would be an investment in tourism and park user safety - noting some concerns about the location of the marina park - but it would also be maintaining existing levels of service for the municipality, suggesting that - were the funding available for restoring a park, it would have gone to the Upper Mission rather than the marina, which was upgraded due to private funding exclusively for that purpose - this led to continued back-and-forth between Cannon and Smit, with Cannon seeking data to back up the case for the Upper Mission Park and questioning whether the residents had attempted fundraising, with Smit responding that this is about the Municipality fulfilling its duty to residents, maintaining one of its parks and existing levels of service.
Acting Mayor Jim Hoffmann cut off the discussion, assuring that Council would consider the request and seek a staff report on the proposed project, then make a determination at a future date.
Public input is currently being accepted on the proposed 2025 operating - and capital - budget until February 12th, expected to be brought to Council for a vote the following Tuesday, February 18th.