Just as good weather for spending time outdoors arrived, Hawkesbury Town Council was discussing the latest draft of the town’s new Parks and Recreation Master Plan.
John Hack of Sierra Planning and Management delivered an update on the plan to council on Monday, May 11.
The process of developing the new plan began in July 2025. The most recent public information session was on May 5. Hack said about 25 people attended that session.
“We got some good feedback on the various elements of the plan that need to be addressed,” he said.
Continued support for pétanque facilities, the cultural centre, and indoor pool were all significant issues raised.
The scope of the plan includes recreational programs and events, cultural facilities and programs, parks, trails, and open space, indoor and outdoor facilities for sports.
“Celebrate what you have because Hawkesbury is quite unique having the scale of facilities it does,” Hack remarked.
He added that 654 people have already participated in the consultation process for the plan, which is based on six principles. Those are; Community wellbeing and inclusion, cultural identity and pride, maintenance and sustainability, signature assets and destination parks, connectivity and active living, and collaboration and partnerships.
The recommendations in the latest version of the plan include that council establish a capital reserve fund for the Robert Hartley Sports Complex, an aquatics-focused capital investment strategy for the complex and support a strategy for the pool to expand programming and strengthen operation efficiency.
For cultural facilities, including the location of Centre culturel Le Chenail, the public library, and the Club de l’age d’or, the recommendations include assessing the feasibility of establishing a youth space, continuing to address lifecycle maintenance requirements, and initiating a longer-term review of alternative locations for a future senior’s centre.
The current plan recommends the town investigate the possibility of developing a youth baseball diamond at Cyr-de-Lasalle Park, develop a replacement skatepark, consider the feasibility of an artificial turf field that could have a future dome roof, and consider covering one of the outdoor ice rinks.
To ensure there is adequate parkland in the future, the report recommends the adoption of a service plan of a minimum of two hectares of parkland per 1,000 new residents.
“That helps staff looking at planning applications for example, to be able to determine whether they should take lands which are dedicated versus cash-in-lieu,” Hack said.
The plan For events and programs, consult with community on an ongoing basis related to changing preferences, identify new programs, and fill gaps in existing services.
For festivals, events, and similar activities, the draft plan recommends the town partner with organizations and other agencies to promote such things to attract visitors and encourage economic development.
Confederation Park on Le Chenail Island was discussed during the presentation. Hack said challenges there include separating pedestrian and vehicle traffic, and future possibilities for recreation on Hamilton Island.
The idea of a pedestrian bridge between the island and Cyr-de-Lasalle Park is in the plan.
Challenges exist for building such a bridge due to the cost. However, Hack said the idea of a pedestrian bridge between the island and mainland is not naïve.
Mayor Robert Lefebvre said he had also previously suggested there be a pedestrian bridge from the Cyr-de-Lasalle Park area to Confederation Park.
Councillor Jeanne Charlebois wants to be sure all users of Hawkesbury’s recreation facilities are contributing to keeping them operating. She would like to see partnerships with neighbouring municipalities for cost of maintenance and facility upgrades.
“We should be having agreements with those municipalities,” Charlebois said. She suggested the other municipalities should contribute an among based on a percentage of their residents who are using Hawkesbury’s facilities.
Charlebois continued by mentioning that some people have often requested a beach be established in Hawkesbury, but it difficult to find a place where the current is not too strong on the Ottawa River. She then suggested another way of attracting visitors to Confederation Park.
“I’ve always wanted to see a farmer’s market there on Friday afternoons.”
Charlebois opposes moving the current Club de l’age d’or facility from near the sports complex because it is a good, busy location, with a lot of parking.
Hack described a proposed beach at Confederation Park as “faux beach” area of sand by the riverbank, but not for swimming.
“It’s a big sandbox.”
Lefebvre said the concept is known as an urban beach.
Council will further discuss and receive the current draft of the Parks and Recreation Master Plan at a future meeting. The public will again be able to submit comments following that meeting.
