Grant Approved to Support Keterson Park Improvements

Grant Approved to Support Keterson Park Improvements

West Perth, ON – The Municipality of West Perth has received approval for a grant to support improvements to Keterson Park in Mitchell.   The project involves the construction of a new multi-use pavilion and an accessible path for Keterson Park in Mitchell.  These improvements were identified through the Keterson Park Master Plan which was prepared with input from user groups and adopted by West Perth Council in June of 2019.  The Master Plan identified and prioritized a number of projects for Keterson Park including a new multi-use pavilion and an accessible pathway for the park being the two highest priorities.  The full Keterson Park Master Plan can be accessed here.

With the Keterson Park Master Plan approved, the Municipality looked for grant opportunities to implement the plan.  An application was made to the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP) - Community Culture and Recreation Stream in December of 2019.  The Municipality was made aware of the approval on July 7, 2021. 

The approved Municipality of West Perth project includes:

Multi-Use Pavilion

A new multi-use pavilion will replace the existing pavilion and barns.  The preliminary design is for a 140ft by 80ft pavilion with a covered viewing area and sight lines to the playground as well as all four existing ball diamonds. The proposed pavilion will also include a new kitchen and bar area, new washroom facilities, basketball nets, and storage space, as well as removable walls and drainage capabilities for use during the annual fall fair and other events. It is anticipated that the new pavilion will be used for a variety of drop-in recreational activities, tournaments and miscellaneous special events.

Accessible Pathway

A new multi-use accessible stone dust path will be constructed around the ball diamonds and out to the parking lot.

Concept Drawings of New Multi-Use Pavilion

To view the drawings, view the attached media release. 

Statement from Mayor Walter McKenzie

“The announcement of the grant to support the improvements to Keterson Park is great news for the West Perth Community.  The multi-use pavilion and accessible trail improvements were identified in consultation with the park user groups and the community.  The Municipality is pleased to see these high priority projects move forward for Keterson Park.  We feel that the community will be well served by the improvements and in addition to providing high quality facilities for our community, the project will generate economic benefits for West Perth through the hosting of various sports and cultural events.”  

Financial Information

The total project budget is $1,250,000 with 65% of the funding coming from the Federal and Provincial governments.  20% of the project funding is planned to come from fundraising and sponsorships and the Municipality will provide details how to support the parkin the near future.  A summary of funding is provided below.  

Next Steps

The Municipality has been working with the Agriculture Society on the removal of the small barns on the site.  The process to procure design services for the multi-use pavilion has also been started.  Once the design is completed, the construction will be tendered with the goal of having it completed in 2022. 

Updates and information

For more information on this project and updates, see the project page (www.westperth.com/projects) on the West Perth website.  Keep up to date as information becomes available. Updates will be posted to the Municipal website (www.westperth.com), Facebook page (facebook.com/westperth) and Twitter account (twitter.com/WestPerthON).

Media Contacts:

Walter McKenzie
Municipality of West Perth
Mayor
wmckenzie@westperth.com

 Jeff Brick
Municipality of West Perth
Chief Administrative Officer
jbrick@westperth.com

Attachments

Media Release - Keterson Park Improvements - 08 July 2021