By Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Tyler Waugh
Public consultation on a recreation master plan for the Town of Bay Bulls has almost wrapped up and council is expecting to receive an initial report in the fall.
Matthew Mills, a partner at Mills & Wright Landscape Architecture who is leading the consultation process, said he was happy with public response partway through an open house held July 16 at the Bay Bulls Regional Lifestyle Centre.
“We’ve had a really good uptake from the community, we’ve seen a lot of interest,” Mills said. “We have been engaging in a few different ways with the online survey and today’s open house. We also spent a few hours at Foodland the other day for more of a spontaneous pop up and we had 63 people take the time to give us their thoughts.”
Mills said that, as of July 16, there had been 160 responses to the 15 to 20-minute online survey, which closes at the end of July. He was also pleased with the level of interest at the open house with a variety of verbal and written feedback.
“You get people who come in to offer their thoughts and they also get a chance to see what’s on other people’s minds and that creates some constructive conversation as well,” Mills said.
Paul Carew came to the open house straight from his boat and spent half an hour or so offering his two cents on what’s available, and what he feels can be improved with the community’s recreation.
“There are some good ideas there,” Carew said, pointing to some of the boards where sticky notes were placed providing feedback.
Carew said he’s seen a lot of residential development in Bay Bulls since he moved back five years ago, and he understands the community is growing and changing.
Recent and future growth, particularly in the number of young families, is one of the catalysts for making recreation a key priority for council, said the Town’s chief administrative office Ashley Wakeham. The decision to move ahead with a master plan was also influenced by feedback received through surveys conducted over the last two years that indicated strong support for more recreation opportunities.
“Council felt it was important to establish a clear vision and strategic plan for recreation rather than pursuing projects on a piecemeal basis,” said Wakeham, adding recreation is a major focus because of the wide-ranging benefits it provides to the community like support for economic and residential development.
“Community recreation extends far beyond physical activity and organized sports,” said Wakeham. “It plays an important role in bringing people together, strengthening social connections, fostering community pride, and providing meaningful local programs and activities for residents of all ages. Investing in recreation is ultimately an investment in the overall health, vibrancy, and quality of life of our community.”
Some $65,000 was allocated in the 2026 budget for the study, but between a $5,250 grant administered by CBDC Celtic, and the price of the final contract from Mills & Wright, the Town’s actual cost was $12,500 below budget.
“We are set and on track for a mid-September completion, with an absolute hard deadline of early October,” Wakeham said. “This timeline is intended to provide council and staff with sufficient time to review the completed plan, consider its recommendations, and incorporate any priority objectives into the 2027 municipal budget and planning process.”
