Champlain Township has a new master plan to guide future planning for the community’s parks and recreation needs.

Parks and Recreation Director Sydney Collard presented council with the final version of the plan drafted by the consultant firm, Cultural Spaces: People and Places. She promised to present council at a future session with an action plan “that’s very detailed” based on some of the priorities listed in the new master plan.

Councillor Sarah Bigelow expressed interest in seeing the direction that Collard’s department will now take, using the master plan as a guide. She admitted that some of the information in the new master plan proved “shocking” to her, especially the demographic profile of which groups of residents seem to benefit most from the township’s existing recreation assets and which groups, like seniors, need more attention from the township during future planning decisions for recreation development in the municipality.

Mayor Normand Riopel asked about the possibility of the township getting senior-level funding aid now for some of the project priorities listed in the new master plan. Director Collard that most provincial and federal grant programs now are focused on projects that have proven local support.

“They want to make sure public support is there,” she said, adding that the new master plan will aid the municipality with its grant applications.

“We have this (confirmed) information now, and we’re going to use it every chance we get,” she said.