Minto Council is looking at getting plans together to overhaul and add to the Harriston Arena Park.
Interim CAO Chris Harrow says the plans to expand the park include the old trailer park that has been abandoned for years. Those grounds are already attached to the existing park and could be redeveloped for trails or a multi-use pad of some kind. In terms of how it could look, Harrow says they're in the early stages of deciding that.
"As for what's gonna go there, we honestly have no idea. We're just putting together a committee of some user groups in town, and some service clubs, to sit down and put all our ideas together, and have a professional draw up plans for it so that everybody can see what it would look like and then everyone can agree on what they want it to eventually look like," explained Harrow.
Harrow adds that funds to pay for a design of the park to be done up have been included in this year's budget.
"We have some money included in the budget for some planning for the Community Services department, so it's part of that budget, and the Kinsmen have stepped forward to help us put some views down, and they have some money they're willing to donate once we get that all planned out, so they're a big part of the project," Harrow stated.
The plans don't just involve expanding into the old trailer park, as Harrow notes it involves redevelopment and work done on the entire Harriston Arena Park.
"We're looking at the entire park, like all the grounds around it, including the ball diamond, behind the arena, every part of that park we're going to make it into one big area that's going to be part of the drawing. So that's why we're, not pausing, but we're just resetting and looking at the whole grounds," said Harrow.
Harrow says there will obviously be some public open houses and consultations done, but that won't be for a while yet.
"Late spring or summer we're guessing, we're not sure, it depends on how long it takes to get the plans drawn up. We haven't confirmed anything yet, but we will probably have a public meeting to show the drawings and get people out to create a buzz. But working with the service clubs, we're going to have a pretty good opinion of the public," concluded Harrow.
The Harriston Kinsmen and the local Ag Society are involved with the planning of the Harriston Arena Park expansion and redevelopment.
