Town Staff Recommend That Collingwood and the Town of the Blue Mountains Collaborate on MURF

---

Collingwood's director of recreation is proposing a partnership between the Town of Collingwood and the Town of the Blue Mountains for a joint multi-use recreation facility. Both municipalities have allocated funding for feasibility assessments for such a facility, and Collingwood's director of parks, recreation, and culture suggests that their geographical and cultural proximity, as well as the overlap in services they provide to each other's constituents, make a collaborative approach appropriate. The proposal will be discussed during Collingwood's committee of the whole meeting, where council members will consider a recommendation to combine resources and issue a request for proposals for a joint feasibility study.

The proposed feasibility study aims to assess whether a single facility could adequately address the recreation needs of both communities. The study would involve public engagement, consultations with local and provincial sports organizations, third-party recreation providers, and community space users. It's emphasized that a long-term perspective of 50 years is advisable for the study due to the significant investment required. The Town of the Blue Mountains allocated funding for the feasibility assessment as part of their 2021 Leisure Activities Plan, while Collingwood did so through their 2019 Parks, Recreation and Culture Master Plan.