We attended a meeting on Wednesday May 7th 2025 with the CAO Andrew McNeely and other ice user groups were invited to attend for an update on the NDCC Twin Pad.
CAO McNeelly started the meeting by stating "we have to make decisions for what our community looks like in 10yrs, not what we look like now as there are 8000 new homes already approved for Ayr in the next 10yrs"
2025 Original Approved Plan in 2024 by Township Counsel
-- Debt Financing = 6.8 million
-- Community Fundraising = 2.5 million
-- Federal Grant = $11,485,631
-- Development Charges = $185,000
– Reallocation of ACC Reserves = $632
TOTAL = $20,971,263
This original plan with 6.8 million debt financing raises the average tax payers annual taxes by $82. The 2025 build would have had concrete cantilevered seating like Cambridge Sports Park, upper lobby, 6 full changerooms, 2 ref rooms, one small gym and one multi purpose room, 5 offices spaces, plus new washrooms upstairs.
When the Federal Grant Award was reduced from $11.5 million to only $5 million, the Township Counsel requested the building design to be restructured to compensate for the loss of funding. Counsel also wants less debt financing established for the taxpayer due to the current financial climate.
Things to note, that were not discussed but of major importance:
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Township of North Dumfries has $0 debt
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Township of North Dumfries had a $1.2 million surplus last year alone
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Potential for a larger share of the Federal Grant allotment if others do not accept
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Land Sale to the City of Cambridge = $3.2 million
Township has proposed 3 new scenarios of the building design rework, each of these scenarios include the sale of the ACC. If the ACC is sold, the Township acknowledges the need for a similar facility and has already priced out this build at approximately $8 million dollars.
If the ACC is not sold ($1 million raised from sale) and the planned ACC renovation of $3.5 million is put on hold as funds are redirected to the Twin Pad, it could still function as a multi use recreation facility until the $3.5million is available for renovation in the future.
Scenario 1 - $32 Tax Increase
–- No upstairs access or reno, 4.5 changeroom, 2 ref rooms & bleacher seats only
--- 2.7 mil debt with the decommission and sale of ACC
Scenario 2 - $39 Tax Increase (this is the preferred plan, but with NO sale of the ACC)
–-- upstairs lobby reno with 2 new multi purpose rooms, bleacher seats down below, new washrooms down below, 4.5 change rooms, 2 ref rooms
--- 3.2 mil debt, sale of ACC
Scenario 3 - $53 Tax Increase
–-- upstairs lobby reno with 2 new multi purpose rooms, bleacher seats down below, new washrooms down below, 6 change rooms, 2 ref rooms
--- 4.3 mil debt, sale of ACC
None of the community groups at the meeting want to sell the ACC. Keeping the ACC does not give us more ice in town, which is unfortunate with our growing population and membership size. The rink is not able to be made larger and the renovation to keep it a rink is very costly. However, keeping the ACC as a multi use facility gives our Township a full size gymnasium that we lack by not having a high school.
In short we like the new design of Scenario 2 build but do not want to sell the ACC.
If Twin Pad gets turned down at the May 26th Counsel Meeting and the shovel is not in the ground on the new Twin Pad by September we are living on borrowed time with the ice plant at the ACC. If there is a catastrophic failure, we will lose the ACC in a moment's notice and our ice allocation will be cut as there is no back up plan by the township to replace this ice.
The change in $1 million from the above scenario changes the taxes from $39 to $55.
This is if the Township doesn’t use more development funds money, get a larger grant or use the sale of the land to the City of Cambridge money which are all viable options that our Township Counsellors are refusing to look at.
After the meeting two representatives from the Centre for the Community Group (www.ccgnd.ca) who originally raised the money for the build and twin of the NDCC spoke about some of the politics as the mention of the sale of the ACC removes both councilors who represent the Town of Ayr from being eligible to vote as they own adjacent property to the ACC. Ayr is the highest tax base and population base in our township, the sale of the ACC needs to be removed from the conversation.
The other two councilors who represent Roseville and the Eastern portion of the Township (Clyde) will vote this down the construction of the twin pad completely - even though it was previously approved by the entire township counsel, so we need our Ayr counsellors to be able to vote.
ACTION ITEMS by MEMBERS:
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Attend in erson at the rally on May 26th @ 530pm outside the Dumfries Room at the NDCC in support of the Twin Pad.
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Do you live in Ward 3 (Roseville) or Ward 4 (eastern portion of the Township)?
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If yes, please email your Councillor (+ copy the Township Clerk & the Mayor) expressing your support for the Twin Pad project +/- that you are in support of a scenario that keeps the ACC for a future recreation space and community activities. Insist that you think it is feasible/realistic for this project to require some debt financing.
Alida Wilms (Ward 3): [email protected]
Scott Tilley (Ward 4): [email protected]
Township Clerk: [email protected]
Mayor: [email protected]
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Please include the importance of the Ayr Rockets and with the idea that if we didn't move forward with the project, what your daughter or future girls hockey players in the Township would be missing out on.
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Do you live in Ayr (Ward 1 or 2)?
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Please email your Councillor (+ copy the Township Clerk & the Mayor) advocating that they bring forward a motion for an alternative proposal or idea to move forward with the Twin Pad project. Insist that you think the ACC should not be sold at this time and that it should be saved for future recreation space and community activities. Insist that the ACC should be a separate vote. Insist that you think it is feasible/realistic for this project to require some debt financing.
Rod Rolleman (Ward 1): [email protected]
Derrick Ostner (Ward 2): [email protected]
Township Clerk: [email protected]
Mayor: [email protected]
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Please include the importance of the Ayr Rockets and with the idea that if we didn't move forward with the project, what your daughter or future girls hockey players in the Township would be missing out on.
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If you DO NOT live in North Dumfries Township
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Consider writing a letter of support to move forward with the Twin Pad + keep the ACC for future recreation space, please send it to [email protected] and I will include it with my correspondence. You can sign your name + Ayr Rockets participant/member.
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Please include the importance of the Ayr Rockets and with the idea that if we didn't move forward with the project, what your daughter or future girls hockey players in the Township would be missing out on.
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Consider speaking at the Township Council meeting to share your support.
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Members of the public have opportunities to speak at meetings of Council
1. At each meeting, the Chair of the meeting will provide members of the public in attendance an opportunity to identify themselves as a Speaker and the agenda item they wish to address.
2. Complete the Request to Speak Form (on Township website) prior to the commencement of the meeting and submit it to the Clerk's Office.
Let’s come together as a Rockets Community and show them that we need this for our organization!!