"$56"-*5 4r/&84 CITY HAS NO PLANS IN TURNING PARC SIMON INTO RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT ANIL JHALLI anil.jhalli@eap.on.ca
media channels stated. “On June 12 (2025), we announced Parc Simon’s revitalization project, the central element will be a lively festival-style square designed to bring the community together throughout the year. 8IJMFTPNFBHJOHJOGSBTUSVDUVSFJTCFJOH removed, revenue from the sale of surplus land and development royalties will go directly to fund new recreational, cultural and community facilities.” The project The City posted its original message, detailing the plans for the project. A new sports hub The City said part of the plan sees the tennis courts and ball courts moving to a proposed new sports area near the Clarence- Rockland Arena including an indoor sports dome, with a regulation soccer and indoor soccer field, as well as two outdoor soccer fields and two ball fields all set up on a 15-acre site. The sports hub project was first identified in the 2016 Leisure Master Plan and in order to minimize disruption, the tennis and ball courts at Simon Park will not be removed until the new facilities open. Arena will be demolished The project will see the demolition of the Jean Marc Lalonde Arena. Zanth said that he visited the former former mayor for the Town of Rockland prior to the 1998 amalgamation, and Member of Provincial Parliament for Glengarry-Prescott-Russell about the future of the arena that bears his name.
city back in 2018, the cost of renovating the arena to suit the needs of the community is more than $4.5 million. This figure does not allow for inflation and the increased construction costs since 2018. In September 2021, a third-party review of the city’s core services presented to council found the arena was only used at 20 per cent of its capacity from 2017 to 2019 and suggested permanent closure of the arena. The report further suggested that other facilities, such as the YMCA, the CIH Clarence-Rockland arena, and the Cla- rence-Creek arena could more than handle increased usage. “It’s kind of bittersweet, because the arena has been a part of our community for so long, and we know the importance it has played to hockey,” said Zanth. “I went to see Mr. Lalonde personally, and it was the blessing we needed. So we can move forward with our plan and vision for that area.” Several stages The revitalisation of Simon Park and the development of the new sports hub will be taken in phases with the help of Council directives, additional public consultations and future budget approvals. Funding from the sale of Simon Park surplus land, along with development costs generated by the planned new developments, will help fund these essential improvements to parks, recreation and cultur and for the benefit of the entire community.
The City of Clarence-Rockland has clarified reports regarding the highly anticipated Parc Simon revamp project. Former mayor of Clarence-Rockland, Jean- Marc Lalonde, raised concerns about the future of the site, hoping that it would remain public and sent a letter to City of Clarence- Rockland officials stating his opposition to a proposal to amend the official plan and zoning By-law to transform Parc Simon and the site of the former Jean-Marc Lalonde Arena into a medium-density residential zone that could accommodate at least 65 housing units. He said that this land serves as essential parking for Parc Simon and community acti- vities, that it is an ideal location for a future community hall that could be used for public events or emergencies, and that the land was originally funded for recreational uses. The former mayor and member of pro- vincial parliament is asking the Clarence- Rockland City Council to reject the amend- ment in order to preserve this space for public use. However, the City has released a sta- tement offering some clarification on the subject. “The City of Clarence-Rockland has no plans to turn Simon Park into a residen- tial area,” a statement to the City’s social
City of Clarence-Rockland Town Hall. (City of Clarence-Rockland)
Jean-Marc Lalonde Arena shut its doors in January 2021, initially for a period of six months due to limited usage. As pandemic lockdowns closed access to public spaces, the arena only reopened a few times to allow local health units to carry out vaccination programs given the public health emergency. Built in 1973, the arena was in disrepair for some time with subsequent administra- tions neglecting to make important updates UPUIFCVJMEJOH/PXUIFBSFOBSPPGOFFET replacing and rust is present on its steel frame. There are also concerns surrounding asbestos, lead paint and the presence of rats. According to reports carried out by the
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