City Begins Consultation Phase of New Parks and Recreation Master Plan

The consultation phase of the new Parks and Recreation Master Plan is now underway.

The City is developing a Parks and Recreation Master Plan to establish recreational priorities for the community. The Master Plan will be a guiding document for the City to manage the direction of parks and recreation through 2032 and ensure the community has recreational opportunities through sound planning and balanced decision-making for the future.

Several opportunities are available for the public to provide feedback into the development of the Master Plan. Input from the community is essential to better understand the needs, trends, and perspectives of future priorities in parks and recreation.

“Resident and stakeholder engagement will be integral to the Master Plan process,” states Josh Nelson, Manager of Tourism and Recreation. “Feedback from the community will help us to evaluate existing operations and guide the long-term development of these services so that they reflect our community’s vision.”

Consultation kicks off with two surveys and a mapping tool. Households in Kenora will receive a postcard by mail with instructions to complete the household survey using a unique code provided on the postcard. There is also a separate youth survey available and parents or guardians are encouraged to help children complete this survey so their opinions are captured.

The mapping tool, ‘Mark Your Space’, allows users to drop a virtual pin on a park or recreation facility and provide comments about the space and why it is important to you and your community. The mapping tool is open for input until November 12, 2021.

Surveys and the mapping tool can be found on our Parks and Recreation Master Plan page on Kenora.ca or Kenora.ca/prmp.

“Our parks and recreation facilities are the heart of our community – bringing people together, creating lasting memories and building a strong community,” says Kyle Attanasio, the City’s CAO. “We are looking forward to engaging with residents of all ages to create a truly made in Kenora plan that will serve the needs of our community today and for many years to come.”

The Parks and Recreation Master Plan will promote active living, healthy environments and increased physical activity among all age groups and segments of our community. The new Master Plan is scheduled to be completed early in 2022.

For more information on the surveys and this project, please contact Josh Nelson, Tourism and Recreation Manager.