Cornwall waives rental fees for regional senior games in mid-August

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It’s not as rare an event in these parts as a total solar eclipse, but it’s been a while since the Ontario Senior Games District 8 regional competition was held in Cornwall.

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The city council, with the Aug. 15 games to be played primarily at the Benson Center but also at other locations, including Long Sault and the Morrisburg area, voted to waive all rental and service fees and offer the services and spaces needed on a in nature.

“This is a really great event, it’s a major coup for the city of Cornwall to get this,” said Coun. Elaine MacDonald, sponsor of the resolution, seconded by counsel. Syd Gardiner.

MacDonald called it an opportunity to showcase the city and said tourism dollars will be spent in the city because the event will be hosted by the city as part of District 8, which includes SDG, Akwesasne and Prescott-Russell.

In fact, MacDonald noted, it’s been 11 years since Cornwall hosted, in the summer of 2013.

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MacDonald said the city will absorb the estimated $2,500 in expenses, at most. She said games convener Dan Youmelle appeared before the council during a community consultation session during winter budget deliberations that he was hoping to get a grant under the city’s municipal policy, but that, well, the ball he got away.

Several councilors said the $2,500 break for games organizers was indeed a small amount of money, but they had reservations about potentially going down a slippery slope by making the concession in this case.

“Going forward, we need to look a little harder at this (type of situation),” Coun. Todd Bennett said. “We all missed this during the budget presentations (five months ago). . . I think in the future organizations like this should be directed to the Tourism Development Fund (application process). There are other (ways).”

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cone Dean Hollingsworth wanted confirmation of the estimated total and more information on what it entails; General Manager of Planning, Development and Recreation Jamie Fawthrop told her the $2,500 is an accurate figure provided by city recreation staff members and the financial break is for rental costs and not staff time.

Hollingsworth said, “$2,500 is nominal, it’s not a lot, so I’ll second the motion, but I don’t know how much we want to get into that kind of thing and every time someone comes up (looking for a financial break). ) we give things.”

There will be 11 events, many of them at the Benson Center fieldhouse, as well as Upper Canada Village, the Long Sault Arena and the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 297 in Cornwall. Activities include bocce ball, pickle ball, bridge, carpet bowling, fortune telling, euchre, shuffleboard and golf.

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