Rideau Lakes has the largest share in arena cost-sharing among local municipalities
LAURIE WEIR
SMITHS FALLS – Rideau Lakes wants usage data before renewing recreation agreements with their neighbours.
In Smiths Falls, their current five-year arena cost-sharing agreement splits the net operating deficit of the Smiths Falls Memorial Community Centre among six municipalities: Smiths Falls, Rideau Lakes, Montague, Drummond/North Elmsley, Elizabethtown-Kitley and Merrickville-Wolford. Each is assigned a share of the previous year’s audited operating deficit, with caps to prevent sudden spikes.
Smiths Falls pays the largest portion at 41.82 per cent, followed by Rideau Lakes at 26.73 per cent. Montague contributes 12.87 per cent, while Drummond/North Elmsley pays 8.36 per cent and Elizabethtown-Kitley pays 5.64 per cent. Merrickville-Wolford covers 4.58 per cent.
Rideau Lakes also maintains separate arena cost-sharing agreements with the Township of Athens and the Village of Westport.
The Athens agreement, in place until the end of 2026, includes access to the community centre, athletic fields, parks, and department-run programs. Rideau Lakes paid $3,053 in 2023, with future contributions tied to annual increases in the national Consumer Price Index.
The Westport agreement, first signed in 2020, covers access to the Westport Community Centre only. Payments were set at $30,352 in 2020, increasing incrementally each year until 2022 ($33,464), with annual CPI adjustments from 2023 onward.
Both agreements are part of the broader arena cost-sharing arrangements, prohibiting surcharges for Rideau Lakes users and allowing early renegotiation or termination with six months’ notice.
At a recent Rideau Lakes council meeting, Coun. Sue Dunfield requested data on how many township residents are using the Smiths Falls facility. She also asked for similar information from Westport and Athens, as Rideau Lakes maintains recreation agreements with all three municipalities. Coun. Jeff Banks said they’ve been paying about $150,000 a year and he wants to see how many people from Rideau Lakes use the Smiths Falls facility. This is about a one per cent increase on property taxes.
Smiths Falls staff acknowledged the request but noted the town does not currently track user data by postal code or residence. “As our current arena cost-sharing agreement is based on a weighted-assessment model, we have not specifically tracked user information,” said Stephanie Clark, Director of Community Services for the Town of Smiths Falls.
She said a per-user billing system would create significant administrative hurdles. “Beyond the physical upgrades to the facility, there are added staffing requirements to capture information on unregistered drop-ins and spectators, front-desk residency checks that may infringe on privacy, and extra paperwork for volunteers to audit rosters,” Clark said.
The town’s focus is on “fairness and predictability” in future agreements, she added. Smiths Falls will enter a designated review window this month (August), as outlined in the current arena cost-sharing agreement. At this time, no formal request has been made by Rideau Lakes or other partners to change the existing model.
While the current agreement covers the existing Memorial Community Centre, Smiths Falls is also studying the potential development of a new youth arena, which could shift future arena cost-sharing expectations around shared facility use and funding. A feasibility study on that project was endorsed by Smiths Falls council this week where partnerships with neighbouring municipalities will be the key to success.
“We’re not looking to gatekeep,” Clark said. “Users are welcome today, and that’s our intent going forward.”
