A forward-thinking group in Bayfield is tackling a project with a regional implication.
The Bayfield Facility Initiative Team is concerned that the current arena and community centre is going to need renovations, or replacement in the not-too-distant future, and they're not sure about the municipality's commitment to the building.
Bayfield ward councillor Bill Whetstone, a spokesperson for the Initiative Team, says their goal is to assess what the community would like from a community building, and then determine what that would cost.
A private-sector facility is one consideration, but Whetstone says it would have to be self-supporting; available to all members of the community; and have the potential to host conferences and other events.
A proposed facility would be administered by a local board of management from the private sector, and a manager would be hired to look after the day-to-day operation of the centre. It could include an ice pad.
Whetstone acknowledges it's a process that will be monitored by several other municipalities, because many of them are also having problems with the high cost of recreational facilities.
