By Jim Young
Opinion.
I attended Wednesday’s City Recreation Department public consultation on the future of Tyandaga Golf Club. Along with some 55 mostly local residents, we heard city proposals for a reconfiguration of that parcel of land as a golf course, as green space or some combination of both. The city proposals seemed to favour shortening the course to nine holes and adding some unspecified greener, more wilderness-like parkland. The audience was quick to point this perceived bias out. The presenters denied bias but had no real answers when asked the reason for city-wide public consultations if they did not plan to change anything.
Throughout the meeting attendees complained, I think rightly, that the questions, the input sought, and the city’s online survey all leaned towards the nine-hole option that staff seemed to be pushing. When forced to a show of hands, keeping the course as an 18-hole course, and in fact restoring its original size and hole lengths, won the unanimous approval of the crowd.
Asked how the other public sessions had responded, staff admitted, as councillors have been forced to concede, the overwhelming public wish is to keep the course as is and spend any money earmarked for change on improvements to the course, particularly drainage and access paths to encourage even greater use than present and extend the playing season.
Current usage is at record highs, returning an annual surplus in excess of $100,000 to a reserve fund for ongoing maintenance. This left the audience asking: “Why change something that is working and obviously very popular?”
Staff will present proposals to the Environment, Infrastructure and Community Services Committee on December 7 this year, and to council on December 12.
Some skepticism was expressed that the report will reflect the overwhelming desire across the city to leave Tyandaga Golf Course as is.
Jim has been in Canada — and Burlington — for 41 years, all of that in Ward 1, with 28 years in Tyandaga, and 13 in Aldershot. He is a retired manufacturing engineer and production economist. Jim has been married for 52 years, has two adult kids and three adult grandkids. He currently does volunteer work with BfAST, on the steering committee; with Partnering Aldershot, as chair; with the Canadian Hard of Hearing Association, Compassion Society Halton, and Burlington Accessibility Advisory. Jim has previously served on the Burlington Seniors Advisory, Burlington Inclusivity
Advisory, and ITAC, was a founding member of Engaged Citizens of Burlington, and authored the BSAC position paper “Improving Transit for Seniors Improves Transit for Everybody.” Jim frequently delegated at council/committees on transit, seniors and citizen engagement issues.
