We own and operate more than 650 places where you can enjoy recreation activities. We’re committed to building a community where all residents can join safe and affordable recreation programs.

Our new leisure facilities master plan reflects what residents told us they want to see in Kitchener.

On this page:

  1. Read the plan
  2. Master plan scope
  3. Key findings
  4. Recommendations
  5. Consultation findings

Read the plan

The full master plan document is available on Laserfiche.


Master plan scope

The master plan included a review of:

  • arenas and outdoor rinks
  • ball diamonds
  • community centres
  • pools (indoor and outdoor)
  • sport fields

The plan did not include a full review of:

  • golf courses
  • parks and open spaces
  • trails
  • outdoor courts

Staff also developed a new parks and open spaces plan. We shared the information you gave us about parks and trails with that team.


Key findings

Through the research for the new master plan, we learned:

  • leisure services and facilities were highly valued by the community
  • maintaining and investing in existing facilities is a top priority
  • residents prefer multiuse facilities that offer several programs in one place
  • program offerings and availability play a critical role in residents’ ability to participate
  • non-traditional funding sources are necessary to keep existing facilities and build new ones
  • partnerships with school boards and private organizations are becoming increasingly important

Recommendations

Recommendations from the master plan are in five main categories:

  • existing leisure facilities commitments
  • investing in and keeping existing infrastructure
  • future leisure facilities and initiatives
  • funding models
  • partnerships

Consultation findings

Through our public consultation, we learned:

  • 60% of residents reported that we should invest in existing infrastructure compared to 40% who said we should build new recreational facilities
  • our recreation facilities “meet expectations” in all facility categories
  • the top three reasons we should invest in recreation are:
    • high community demand
    • existing facility needs maintenance, repair or improvement
    • the cost of participating will be more affordable. 
  • residents said that trails, neighbourhood parks and playgrounds, indoor pools, arenas, and sport fields are the top five recreation priorities we should invest in over the next 10 to 15 years
  • parks and trails are the most used amenities followed by indoor and outdoor pools, community centres and sport fields