Assessing Community Assets for Arts & Recreation: A Critical Overview
This evolving document serves to help document our community facilities and spaces: new impeccably remediated physical assets that, despite their readiness, remain greatly underutilized.
Arts and Recreation Programming: A Preliminary SWOT Analysis
Melgund Township’s Arts and Recreation Programming has built a strong foundation, boasting a diverse range of physical assets, including a beautiful new Pavilion, versatile event tents, and modern catering facilities. This infrastructure stands ready to become a hub for community life and connection, providing the perfect backdrop for a variety of gatherings. We have a wonderful opportunity to bring these spaces to life and create programming that resonates with our neighbors.
By working together, we can unlock the full potential of these valuable resources. There is an opportunity to revitalize our community’s arts and recreation scene by listening to residents and developing engaging activities. By collaborating with local groups and artists, we can build a schedule of events that reflects the diverse interests of our community and strengthens the bonds between us.
Looking ahead, we can secure a vibrant future for our programs by embracing new ideas. We can seek funding through national initiatives and grants, and form new partnerships to meet the evolving needs of our community. By focusing on collaboration, we can ensure our programs continue to grow and inspire trust, creating a lasting legacy of connection and shared experiences for everyone.
Online and Social Infrastructure
The Township Website
Melgund Township’s digital presence, while functional, has been a starting point. We recognize the need to evolve our online tools to better serve our community and to match the vibrant energy of our in-person activities. To foster stronger connections and more effective communication, we are embracing new technologies that will bring our digital infrastructure into the 21st century.
We’re excited to announce a major leap forward in our connectivity. In July 2025, Melgund Township successfully upgraded its data connections to use Starlink. This significant improvement is a game-changer, providing reliable high-speed internet that will transform how we manage programs, share information, and engage with our community members. This new connectivity opens up a world of possibilities, from streaming events to making it easier for everyone to get involved from home.
With this powerful new foundation in place, we can now focus on building a digital space that truly reflects our community. We have an opportunity to create a modern, user-friendly website that will serve as a central hub for all our programs and events. This new chapter in our digital journey is all about making information more accessible, participation easier, and our community more connected than ever before.
Art Borups Corners and The Arts Incubator Program: Digital Transformation and Capacity Building for Northern Arts and Recreation
The Arts Incubator, launched in 2022 with foundational support from the Canada Council for the Arts Digital Greenhouse, is spearheading digital transformation in Northern arts and recreation through its initiatives at Art Borups Corners. These efforts, alongside a continuous platform modernization and skill-building programs, directly address the “digital disconnect” in northern communities by fostering digital arts and literacy, creative entrepreneurship, and organizational resilience. Their work aligns strongly with the Framework for Recreation in Canada, improving recreation capacity, addressing workforce shortages, and promoting youth leadership and inclusive participation through technology, ultimately serving as a blueprint for sustainable arts and recreation development in underserved regions.
Physical Infrastructure for Arts and Community Recreation
Recreation Hall – Upper Level
The upper level of our Recreation Hall is a fantastic space, filled with potential and equipped with great amenities like recreational tables and a professional kitchen. We see it as a blank canvas, ready to be transformed into a dynamic hub for our community. While it has served us well for meetings and a few annual events, we recognize that this space has so much more to offer.
We have a wonderful opportunity to bring new life and purpose to this area. By working together, we can make the upper level a place that truly reflects our community’s spirit and creativity. Imagine it filled with art from local residents, hosting new programs, and buzzing with activity throughout the year. Our goal is to infuse this space with the energy of our community, turning it into a place everyone feels proud to gather in.
This is a chance to unlock the full promise of our Recreation Hall. We are eager to hear your ideas for how we can activate this space and turn it into a vibrant, well-used community asset. By collaborating on new ideas and initiatives, we can ensure the upper level becomes a cherished and essential part of our community life, fulfilling its potential for everyone to enjoy.
Recreation Hall – Lower Level
The lower level of the Recreation Hall, having been beautifully restored after the June 2022 flood, is now a pristine and versatile space ready for a new chapter. This clean slate presents us with a wonderful opportunity to build something truly special for our community. While the space is currently awaiting a defined purpose, its potential is immense.
We have a clear path forward to transform this area into a vibrant hub for arts, culture, and recreation. Our first step is to focus on laying the groundwork, which includes acquiring essential furniture and equipment to make the space functional. By creating a comfortable and well-equipped environment, we can invite residents to help shape its future, from developing new programs to deciding how the space will be used.
The key to activating this space lies in our collective effort. We can work together to secure the resources we need, from attracting volunteers to exploring grant opportunities. By combining our renewed digital capabilities with a shared vision, we can turn this beautifully restored lower level into a thriving center for community well-being, active living, and shared experiences. This space is a testament to our resilience, and together, we can ensure it becomes a testament to our future.
Administration Office (Lower Level)
Our community administration office has been fully restored and presents a clean slate, ready to be transformed into a functional and welcoming space. While the office has served its basic purpose, we see a tremendous opportunity to modernize our operations and create a more effective administrative hub for our community.
We are committed to equipping this space with the tools and technology needed to support our programs and engage with residents more effectively. The recent upgrade to Starlink provides the perfect foundation for us to build a more robust digital infrastructure, including a dedicated network and new computers. This will allow us to move beyond reliance on personal devices and create a professional environment that can manage programs, communicate with the public, and support our volunteers.
This is a time for growth and positive change. We are focusing on strategic planning to guide our efforts and are eager to involve community members in shaping the future of our administrative services. By investing in our technology and organizational development, we can ensure our office becomes a vibrant, efficient center that truly serves the needs of our community and demonstrates our commitment to a strong and connected future.
The Old Games Building
The “Old Games Room” is a cherished part of our community’s history, holding many fond memories. While it has recently been used for storage, we see it as an important physical asset with great potential for a new purpose. This space is a blank canvas, ready to be reimagined and revitalized for the benefit of our community.
We have a wonderful opportunity to bring this room back to life. By working together, we can clear out the old items and transform the space into something new and exciting. We can brainstorm ideas for its future, whether it’s a dedicated area for new community programs, a creative workshop, or a new recreational space.
This is a chance to move beyond the past and create something fresh and valuable. We are committed to making the most of all our community’s spaces. By focusing on collaboration and creative solutions, we can ensure the Old Games Room becomes a vibrant and purposeful part of our community once again, serving as a hub for new memories and shared experiences.
The CookShack
The Cookshack is a fantastic asset for our community, offering a professional and well-equipped space for food preparation. With its stainless steel tables, deep fryer, large grill, and refrigerator, it’s a truly valuable tool that allows us to offer high-quality food options at our major events, like Canada Day and Family Day.
While it is primarily used for these larger gatherings, its contribution is significant. The Cookshack allows us to create a more vibrant and enjoyable atmosphere for our residents and guests. By having these professional facilities on hand, we can elevate the event experience, turning a simple gathering into a memorable community celebration with delicious food.
We recognize the immense potential of the Cookshack and are excited to explore new ways to utilize this wonderful resource. It is a key part of our ability to host welcoming, well-supported events, and we are committed to making it a central part of our community’s celebrations for years to come.
The Pavilion
We are thrilled to announce the completion of our brand-new Pavilion, a wonderful addition to our community’s recreational and cultural landscape. Finished in time for our July 1st events, this beautiful new structure is a testament to our community’s commitment to creating new spaces for everyone to enjoy.
The Pavilion significantly expands our outdoor potential, offering a versatile space perfect for a wide array of activities. Whether it’s a casual picnic, a community meeting, or a creative arts event, this new asset provides a perfect setting. Its design is both functional and inviting, promising to be a popular gathering spot for residents.
Adding to its functionality, the Pavilion is directly connected to our Cookshack. This seamless integration will make hosting outdoor events and serving delicious food easier than ever. We are excited about the many possibilities this new space brings and look forward to seeing it become a central part of our community life for years to come.
Outdoor Event Space
Our Outdoor Event Space, complete with its large, easy-to-deploy event tents and performance area, is a wonderful resource for our community’s outdoor activities. This space is a significant asset that allows us to host vibrant summer programming and cultural events with ease, providing a fantastic setting for people to gather and enjoy themselves.
We see a great opportunity to make even better use of this space throughout the warmer months. While the tents and stage have proven their worth during our seasonal highlights, we are eager to explore ways to expand their use and make them a more consistent part of our community life. By developing a more comprehensive schedule of events and activities, we can transform this area into a regular hub of engagement.
Moving forward, we are focusing on proactive planning to unlock the full potential of this valuable asset. We are committed to building a stronger foundation of support that will allow us to host a wider variety of programs and bring more people together. Our goal is to make the Outdoor Event Space a central and indispensable part of our community, ensuring its positive impact is felt far beyond our seasonal events.
