Sport Facilities Allocation Policy Update

The Municipality of Chatham-Kent operates a large number of sport facilities - including arenas, ball diamonds, fields, and courts. They serve as home to community clubs, minor associations, recreational leagues, and private teams. They are also public assets and costly to construct, maintain and operate. It is important we implement appropriate procedures to ensure these assets are optimally used to the benefit of the community and made available in a fair and transparent manner.

We look to achieve this by updating our current policy and historical practices regarding how we decide which user groups get which times on the ice, field, and diamonds the Municipality operates. Whether it be for specific times, days, or facilities, conflicting requests will inevitably occur between user groups. Allocation policies use a framework of standards and principles to determine how these conflicts will be managed.

Why now?

The Municipality has long relied on an Ice Allocation Policy to distribute arena time for hockey, ringette, and figure skating groups. This policy was last updated in 2018 and requires review. Chatham-Kent does not have a formal framework for the allocation of grounds facilities (fields, courts, and diamonds) consistently applied across the Municipality. Time distribution at these facilities has long been based upon historical usage alone. This has sometimes made it difficult for current groups to secure additional time to accommodate their growth, or for new groups or emerging sports to secure any time at all.

We would like to hear from you, our residents and sport groups, to ensure our updated allocation policy captures the priorities, standards, and principles that will best promote optimal use of these facilities to the benefit of its current users, prospective users, and the broader community.