Norfolk County has saluted 84 years of community commitment by renaming the sports park in Delhi after the Delhi Kinsmen Club.

“From a service club point of view, we’re very proud of what we’ve been able to do down there,” president Brent Stefan said after Norfolk council approved the change Tuesday. “Many, many functions that we’ve held were devoted to that park. Having that park named after us is very rewarding.”

The Delhi Sports Park includes the Delhi Community Arena, the adjoining baseball diamond and the Kinsmen’s outdoor aquatics complex. The change to the Delhi Kinsmen Community Sports Complex will be recognized with a new electronic sign on Western Avenue near the intersection of King Street.

The new sign will be similar to the county’s electronic signage on James Street near the intersection of Argyle Avenue in Delhi. Community groups will use the new sign to advertise sporting events and happenings elsewhere in the community.

Norfolk’s 2015 capital budget called for $30,000 in funding for the new sign. Plans were for the county to provide 50 percent of the funding. The Kinsmen have committed $10,000 while the Delhi Minor Hockey Association, the Delhi Travellers Jr. C hockey club, and other community groups provided the rest.

A request-for-proposal in September revealed the cost of the project would be in the range of $36,000.At Tuesday’s meeting of Norfolk council, the county agreed to provide $8,100 in addition to the its initial $15,000 commitment.

“The new sign will improve the aesthetics of the property and provide information for upcoming events in the community and at the Delhi Community Centre,” Mark Bouw, superintendent of parks and recreation operations in east Norfolk, said in a report to council.

In a presentation to council, Stefan itemized the Kinsmen’s contribution to the sports complex over the years, starting in 1949 with the club’s purchase of the land between Highway 3 and the arena for the construction of a baseball diamond.

Contributions over the years include the purchase of two ice-cleaning machines, the installation of the first artificial ice at the arena in 1952, 10 years of planning and fundraising for the swimming pool, thousands of dollars in fundraising for arena repairs and upgrades, and the installation of a splash pad and wading pool in 2001.

The Kinsmen also designed and built the 300-square-foot pavilion behind the arena in 1967. That facility was dubbed Centennial Park and will remain so independent of the name change to the rest of the sports complex.

“I think the Kinsmen are more than deserving of the name change and that the community will support this,” Simcoe Coun. Peter Black told council.

 

Source:simcoereformer.ca

 

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