A plan to partner with the Grafton Legion to upgrade the aging Memorial Arena took a step forward at the July 9 council meeting.
Councillor Mike Ainsworth gave a notice of motion to direct staff to hire a consultant to do a feasibility study of the arena. The study would look at replacing the ice pad, the pad boards, renovations, and an addition to incorporate the Grafton Legion’s needs. The report for the regular council meeting will be due on Oct. 8.
This follows a presentation by Allen Mann, a Legion representative, at the regular council meeting on June 13, based on a letter to council.
The letter gave the council a brief history of the Grafton Legion Branch 580, named after Lt. Col. John W. Foote, a World War II soldier and winner of the Victoria Cross who lived in Cobourg.
The Legion is located at 10204 County Road 2 in a converted one-room schoolhouse built in 1876. The letter said the building is old and tired.
“It’s not just a case of paint and wallpaper. It’s about the bones of the building,” it said. “The time has come to move on.”
The Memorial Arena is about 75 years old. The council has debated its future many times, including conducting a survey in January.
The letter stated that the Legion is interested in creating a new, modern facility.
It is interested in creating a multi-purpose community centre in Grafton. It would serve as a recreational facility and be big enough to act as an emergency shelter for the community. It wants to work with the municipality to build something sufficient to serve the Legion and the community at large.
The letter stated that the cenotaph is also located near the arena, where there is an obvious synergy.
The notice of motion will go before the council’s next meeting on July 23.
