There is an online petition at Change.org against a Town proposal to sell Don Maynard Park. The petition letter contains two fallacies but there is no obvious mechanism to post a response that everyone will see when they read the petition. This is what I’d post there if I could.
Many petitioners believe the Town is dishonoring Don Maynard by removing his name from the park. Council respects his contribution and legacy. We will not retire his name. We will name another nearby park in his honor.
Others decry the loss of parkland. There is a net gain, not a loss.
Following the acceptance of the 2013 Master Recreation Plan, Council committed to promoting health and wellness in our community through a stronger focus on recreation. Three new parks are under development: one at Mill Run and two others a few blocks south of Don Maynard Park. In addition, Council wants to upgrade Gemmill Park to include accessible trails, a splash pad, rejuvenated children’s play structure, new washrooms and a skateboard park. People will have more recreation options than available now.
Any funds raised by selling the current Don Maynard Park must, by provincial law, be used for other parks. That is, we will reinvest in other Almonte parks. The quantity of parks will not diminish, and the range of facilities will increase. Council is also actively pursuing federal and provincial grants to augment our financial resources to achieve our ambitious recreation goals.
The Town will hold a public meeting on the proposed recreation improvements including a discussion of Don Maynard Park on August 9 and 7 PM.
Shaun McLaughlin, Mayor, Mississippi Mills
