Owen Sound: A Four-Year City Business Plan

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The Public Scorecard

Chapter 52Recreation: The Public Recreation Scorecard

8,213 words · Mike Seiler · Owen Sound, Ontario

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Recreation should not be measured only by:

Those numbers matter.

But they miss a more important question:

Is it becoming easier for an ordinary person to participate in healthy community life?

A resident should not need to:

before they can try something.

The recreation philosophy in this plan is:

Explore. Try. Learn. Borrow. Rent. Join. Own.

People should be able to enter recreation at the earliest and least expensive stage that makes sense.

That applies to:

The central principle is:

Measure participation, access, reliability and barriers, not simply how many programs government operates.

The best recreation system may sometimes mean:

The City does not need to own every recreational experience.

It should help make Owen Sound a place where people can:

find it, try it, reach it and participate.

52.1Purpose

The Recreation Scorecard should answer:

Are more residents participating?

Can beginners find a way to start?

Are cost barriers being reduced where practical?

Can residents borrow or rent before buying?

Are facilities available when scheduled?

Are cancellations increasing or decreasing?

Are trails and outdoor spaces usable?

Are adaptive and accessible options available?

Are recreation assets maintained?

Are community clubs and private providers being strengthened rather than displaced?

Are children, youth, families, adults and seniors all finding appropriate opportunities?

Does recreation operate through all four seasons?

Are public subsidies visible?

Are programs being used enough to justify their cost?

Are unpopular programs modified or stopped?

Are residents able to enjoy public space without joining a formal program at all?

That is recreation accountability.

52.2Recreation Is Broader Than Organized Sport

The Scorecard should include:

Do not define recreation only through:

52.3Recreation Is Not Necessarily City Programming

A resident using:

is still participating in recreation.

Municipal recreation success can include:

making it easier for other capable providers to succeed.

52.4Partnership Before Program

Before creating a new City program:

Ask whether:

already provides it.

52.5Do Not Duplicate Healthy Private Markets

If local businesses already provide:

the City should not automatically create a subsidized competitor.

52.6Public Role Where Gaps Exist

Municipal involvement may still be justified where there is a significant:

gap.

Prove the gap.

52.7Recreation Scorecard Headline Measures

A first-page Recreation Scorecard could include:

  1. Total program participation.
  2. Unique participants where privacy-safe and measurable.
  3. Beginner-program participation.
  4. Equipment borrowing or rental access.
  5. Program waitlists.
  6. Program cancellation rate.
  7. Facility availability.
  8. Facility unplanned closures.
  9. Facility utilization.
  10. Outdoor recreation participation.
  11. Trail condition and closures.
  12. River-access use where measurable.
  13. Adaptive recreation participation.
  14. Accessibility barriers.
  15. Youth participation.
  16. Senior participation.
  17. Low-cost or no-cost opportunities.
  18. Community-partner programs.
  19. Private-provider referrals.
  20. Recreation subsidy.
  21. Cost recovery where appropriate.
  22. Winter recreation.
  23. Public-space unstructured use.
  24. Resident satisfaction.
  25. Major unmet recreation gaps.

52.8Participation Count

Track participation in City-operated programs.

52.9Registration Is Not Attendance

Someone registering and never attending should not automatically count as full participation.

Where practical:

Distinguish:

Registered

from

Participated

52.10Attendance

For multi-session programs:

Possible measures:

Do not collect more personal data than necessary.

52.11Unique Participants

Where systems can measure this without creating unnecessary profiles:

Track unique residents participating across City programs.

52.12Privacy Alternative

If unique-person measurement requires excessive data collection:

Do not do it.

Program participation can be enough.

52.13Repeat Participation

Returning participants can indicate:

Do not make loyalty the only goal.

Recreation should also attract newcomers.

52.14New Participant Measure

For selected programs:

Track:

first-time participants

where voluntary and operationally easy.

52.15Beginner Access

A major Scorecard category should ask:

How easy is it for someone who has never done this before to start?

52.16Beginner Program

A beginner program should:

52.17Beginner Participation

Track:

52.18Beginner Conversion

Where useful:

Measure whether participants later move into:

Do not build unnecessary long-term profiles.

52.19Explore Stage

Residents should be able to learn:

52.20Try Stage

Offer:

where practical.

52.21Learn Stage

Connect to:

52.22Borrow Stage

Equipment access can reduce barriers.

52.23Rent Stage

Where businesses already rent equipment:

Connect residents rather than competing.

52.24Join Stage

Connect people with:

52.25Own Stage

The City does not need to encourage equipment ownership.

It simply recognizes that some participants may eventually choose it.

52.26The Ladder Is Optional

Residents can enter or stop at any stage.

No one should be pressured to:

52.27Beginner Access Scorecard

Possible measures:

Activities with clearly identified beginner entry point

Drop-in opportunities

Equipment-required activities with borrow/rent options

Accessible beginner programs

Waitlists

52.28Activity Directory

Maintain a public directory of:

recreation opportunities under neutral inclusion rules.

52.29Directory Is Not Endorsement

Listing a provider does not mean:

52.30No Paid Basic Ranking

Basic public recreation information should not favour providers that pay for placement.

52.31Provider Corrections

Allow organizations to update:

52.32Stale Listings

Remove or flag inactive programs.

52.33Low-Cost Recreation

Track number and participation in:

activities.

52.34Free Does Not Mean Costless

If taxpayers fund the program:

Show the public cost.

52.35Low Cost Is Relative

Avoid declaring:

affordable

without context.

Use:

52.36Recreation Assistance

Where fee assistance exists:

Make it easy to find.

52.37Assistance Dignity

Do not make residents repeatedly prove hardship through intrusive procedures if a simpler lawful method can work.

52.38Privacy

Assistance information should be protected.

52.39Assistance Participation

Track:

in aggregate.

52.40Assistance Does Not Define the Resident

Do not create public categories of:

52.41Recreation Fees

Track:

where relevant.

52.42Fee Increase

If fees rise:

Explain:

52.43Fee Reduction

If subsidized:

Show the tax-supported amount where material.

52.44Cost Recovery

Some services may use:

Cost Recovery % = User Fee Revenue ÷ Relevant Program Cost × 100

Only where this is meaningful.

52.45No Universal Cost-Recovery Target

Different recreational services can have different public purposes.

A playground cannot be judged like:

52.46Public Benefit

A low-cost program may justify subsidy because it supports:

Council decides transparently.

52.47Full Cost

Where useful:

Include:

52.48Do Not Weaponize Overhead

Use consistent allocation.

52.49Program Cost per Participant

Possible:

Program Cost per Participant = Net Relevant Program Cost ÷ Participating Residents

Use within comparable programs.

52.50Cost per Participant Can Mislead

Adaptive programs or specialized youth programs may legitimately cost more.

Cost is one factor.

52.51Program Capacity

Track:

52.52Waitlist

A large recurring waitlist may indicate:

52.53Waitlist Is Not Automatic Expansion Order

Expansion still requires:

52.54Empty Program

Repeatedly underfilled programs require review.

52.55Low Participation Does Not Automatically Mean Stop

Some programs serve:

populations.

Use public purpose.

52.56Program Review

Possible outcomes:

Expand

Maintain

Modify

Partner

Seasonal

Stop

52.57Program Cancellation

Track City-cancelled sessions.

52.58Cancellation Rate

Possible:

Program Cancellation Rate = City-Cancelled Scheduled Sessions ÷ Total Scheduled Sessions × 100

Define exclusions.

52.59Weather Cancellation

Track separately where material.

52.60Staffing Cancellation

Track separately.

52.61Facility Failure Cancellation

Track separately.

This can reveal infrastructure problems.

52.62Low Registration Cancellation

Track separately.

52.63Participant Cancellation

Do not count individual participant no-shows as:

52.64Refund

Where the City cancels:

Apply refund policy consistently.

52.65No Mayoral Refund

Same governance standard.

52.66Facility Availability

Residents should be able to use booked facilities as expected.

52.67Scheduled Availability

Track hours scheduled to be open.

52.68Unplanned Closure

Track hours lost because of:

52.69Facility Uptime

Possible:

Facility Availability Rate = Scheduled Public Operating Hours Available ÷ Scheduled Public Operating Hours × 100

Use for major facilities where meaningful.

52.70Planned Maintenance

Exclude clearly from unplanned closure.

Still communicate it.

52.71Facility Closure Notice

Residents should know:

52.72No False Reopening Time

If uncertain:

Say so.

52.73Facility Condition

Cross-reference Section 47.

Recreation should summarize user impact.

Infrastructure owns technical condition.

52.74Recreation Does Not Re-Rate Buildings

Do not create a second competing facility-condition system.

52.75Facility Utilization

Track appropriate utilization.

52.76Utilization Definition

Possible:

Booked Use Hours ÷ Available Bookable Hours

But this may not capture:

Use multiple measures.

52.77High Utilization

Can indicate strong value.

It can also create:

52.78Low Utilization

May indicate:

Investigate before closing.

52.79Peak Versus Off-Peak

A facility may be full:

and empty:

Track patterns.

52.80Scheduling

Better scheduling may increase utilization without new capital.

52.81Use Before Building

Before constructing new recreation facilities:

Ask:

Can existing capacity be used better?

52.82Partnership Capacity

Also ask whether:

space can serve the need under fair agreements.

52.83Shared Facilities

Track partnership use.

52.84Shared Facility Cost

Compare with:

52.85Shared Facility Reliability

A partner facility must still:

52.86Arena Use

Track:

52.87Ice Use

Do not measure only:

Ask whether:

access remains balanced according to adopted policy.

52.88Ice Allocation

Use transparent allocation rules.

52.89No Political Ice Time

Supporters do not get preferred rink access.

52.90Pool Use

Where aquatic facilities are operated or supported:

Track:

52.91Lifeguard Capacity

Staff shortages can limit programs.

Track aggregate vacancy impact where relevant.

52.92Safety Overrides Capacity

Do not open a pool without required safety staffing simply to improve uptime.

52.93Gymnasium and Indoor Space

Track use where City-controlled.

52.94Multi-Use

Flexible spaces may provide better value than single-purpose rooms.

Measure actual use.

52.95Specialized Facility

A specialized facility can still be justified if:

is strong.

No universal design rule.

52.96Parks

Parks provide recreation without registration.

52.97Park Use

Periodic observation may help understand:

52.98No Surveillance for Park Counting

Do not track identifiable individuals merely to count park users.

52.99Manual Observation

Often sufficient.

52.100Public Space Use

Track unstructured activities such as:

52.101Unprogrammed Recreation

This is important.

A good City does not require an organized program for every healthy activity.

52.102Playground Use

Do not obsessively count every visit.

Condition and accessibility may be more useful.

52.103Playground Condition

Cross-reference Infrastructure.

52.104Playground Closure

Keep status current.

52.105Inclusive Play

Track meaningful accessibility improvements.

52.106Accessibility Is Not One Piece of Equipment

An accessible swing in an inaccessible park is not full accessibility.

Consider:

52.107Fields

Track sports-field availability and major closures.

52.108Field Condition

Use appropriate turf and operational standards.

52.109Weather Closure

Protect fields from damage.

A temporary closure can preserve long-term availability.

52.110User Frustration

Explain closures clearly.

52.111Courts

Track:

where useful.

52.112Pickleball, Tennis and Similar Demand

Use actual local use patterns.

Do not let current trends automatically consume every public space.

52.113Multi-Sport Balance

Consider:

52.114Outdoor Fitness

If equipment exists:

Track:

52.115Equipment Installation Is Not Participation

Do not count outdoor fitness stations as:

without use.

52.116Trails

Trails are central to the Owen Sound Outside model.

52.117Trail Inventory

Maintain:

52.118Trail Status

Possible:

Open

Partially Open

Closed

Seasonal

Under Repair

52.119Update Quickly

A closed trail should not remain listed as:

52.120Trail Condition

Use professional or operational standards.

52.121Trail Use

Periodic counts can show:

52.122Manual Counters

Use where adequate.

52.123Automated Counters

Use only if:

52.124No Phone Tracking by Default

Do not buy individual location data to count trail use where simpler methods work.

52.125Trail Counters Are Not Unique Residents

One person walking daily can create many counts.

Label:

52.126Trail Maintenance

Track:

52.127Trail Accessibility

Clearly describe:

where useful.

52.128Do Not Label Inaccessible Trail as Accessible

Use accurate descriptions.

52.129Difficulty

Provide enough information for people to make informed choices.

52.130Safety

Trail closures or warnings should reflect:

Avoid excessive warning.

52.131Trail Connectivity

Track missing links.

Count only when:

exists.

52.133Private Land

Do not imply a route exists across private property.

52.134River Recreation

The river can become part of the recreation network where safe and appropriate.

52.135River Access Points

Track public:

points where they legally exist.

52.136Access Condition

Track:

52.137Paddling

Measure participation through:

data where available.

Do not attempt to count every independent paddler.

52.138Private Rental Provider

If local businesses rent:

the City can connect residents to them.

52.139Municipal Rental Only Where Gap Exists

Same principle.

52.140River Safety

Provide proportionate information about:

52.141No Guarantee of Natural Conditions

The City cannot guarantee:

52.142Harbour and Open Water

Different areas may have:

considerations.

Keep jurisdiction clear.

52.143Fishing

Where public fishing access exists:

Include accurate public information.

The City does not control all:

52.144No Wrong Door

Help residents find the appropriate rules.

52.145Winter Recreation

Owen Sound Outside should be four-season.

52.146Winter Activities

Possible:

52.147Do Not Create Programs Because Snow Exists

Measure actual demand.

52.148Outdoor Rink

If operated:

Track:

52.149Warm Winter

Weather can reduce rink availability.

That is not automatically poor management.

52.150Ice Quality

Use appropriate operational standards.

52.151No Unsafe Opening

Do not open natural or outdoor ice merely to improve operating-day counts.

52.152Winter Trail

Show whether trails are:

52.153Snowshoe or Ski Trails

Where present:

Describe grooming accurately.

52.154Winter Equipment

Borrowing or rental may lower the cost of trying activities.

52.155Winter Equipment Demand

Track:

52.156Equipment Library

An equipment library should be measured carefully.

52.157Equipment Library Purpose

Allow residents to try activities before:

52.158Equipment Categories

Potential:

depending on demand and safety.

52.159Safety-Critical Equipment

Do not casually lend equipment requiring:

without proper procedures.

52.160Helmets

For example:

Safety equipment may have:

issues.

Use professional guidance.

52.161Equipment Owner

Could be:

Use best governance.

52.162Library Partnership

If an existing library system can manage borrowing effectively:

Consider it.

52.163Private Rental First

If a healthy rental market exists:

Do not undermine it unnecessarily.

52.164Equipment Checkout

Track:

52.165Waitlist

Repeated shortages can justify:

52.166Low Use

Unused equipment should be:

rather than warehoused indefinitely.

52.167Damage

Track:

52.168Deposit

If a deposit is used:

Ensure it does not create unreasonable access barriers.

52.169Loss

Some loss is possible.

Track it.

Do not use one missing item to end a useful program automatically.

52.170Cost per Checkout

Possible:

Net Equipment Program Cost ÷ Total Checkouts

Use as one measure.

52.171Durable Equipment

Lifecycle matters.

52.172Donation

Donated equipment still requires:

52.173Storage

Storage is real cost.

52.174Seasonal Storage

Especially for:

equipment.

52.175Inventory

Do not create a giant equipment inventory before demand is proven.

52.176Pilot First

Start small.

52.177Expand Through Demand

Use actual checkout patterns.

52.178Accessibility

Adaptive recreation must be more than a paragraph.

52.179Adaptive Program Inventory

Track programs offering meaningful accommodations.

52.180Accessible Facility

A program cannot be called accessible simply because:

Check:

52.181Adaptive Equipment

Where specialized equipment is available:

Track:

52.182Partner Expertise

Use organizations with adaptive-recreation expertise where possible.

52.183No Token Program

One annual event does not make the entire recreation system accessible.

52.184Accessibility Barrier Register

Track significant recreation barriers.

Possible:

Facility

Program

Communication

Equipment

Transportation

52.185Barrier Status

Fixed

Scheduled

Partner Needed

Major Capital

Outside City Control

52.186Participation With Accommodation

Track aggregate participation where useful.

Do not collect unnecessary disability information.

52.187Self-Identification

Where accommodation information is necessary:

Use respectful and limited collection.

52.188Privacy

Do not make disability data part of a broad resident profile.

52.189Recreation Information Accessibility

Program descriptions should clearly state:

52.190Transportation Barrier

Some residents cannot reach recreation.

52.191Transit

Cross-reference transit and senior mobility.

52.192Program Timing

Evening programs may be inaccessible to people without:

Consider scheduling.

52.193No Universal Transportation Service

The City does not need a new recreation shuttle for every program.

Identify actual gaps.

52.194Community Carpool

Use caution around:

Do not casually operate informal volunteer transport without standards.

52.195Seniors

Senior recreation should include:

options.

52.196Do Not Assume Seniors Want Only Low-Intensity Activities

Offer range.

52.197Senior Participation

Track broad participation.

52.198Senior Access

Assess:

52.199Intergenerational Recreation

Some programs can bring:

together.

Measure actual participation.

52.200Youth

Youth recreation should balance:

opportunities.

52.201Youth Program Participation

Track.

52.202Youth Waitlists

Track.

52.203Youth Affordability

Track assistance use.

52.204Youth Voice

Ask:

What would you actually use?

Do not pre-select every activity.

52.205Youth Poll Is Not Program Approval

Interest should still be tested against:

52.206Teen Recreation

Teenagers may not fit children's programming or adult recreation.

Track gaps.

52.207Informal Teen Space

A safe public place may matter as much as a formal program.

52.208No Surveillance-Heavy Youth Space

Safety does not require recording every young person's behaviour.

52.209Children

Track age-appropriate:

52.210Family Participation

Family recreation can reduce barriers by allowing:

to participate together.

52.211Family Fee

Where family pricing exists:

Measure uptake.

52.212Family Pricing Is Subsidy Policy

Show the public logic.

52.213Adults

Do not focus recreation entirely on:

Adults need community recreation too.

52.214Newcomers

Recreation can help people connect socially.

Provide clear beginner information.

Do not profile residents by immigration status unnecessarily.

52.215Cultural Recreation

Community organizations may offer:

activities.

Use equal partnership rules.

52.216Faith Organizations

Faith communities may have:

They can participate under neutral partnership standards.

52.217Equal Access

Publicly supported recreation should not require:

52.218Private Clubs

Private clubs may set their own lawful membership structures.

City partnerships require public-purpose review.

52.219Club Partnership

Measure:

52.220Grant to Club

If City funds a club:

Show:

52.221Procurement Versus Grant

Use the correct mechanism.

52.222Volunteer Coaches

Many recreation systems depend on volunteers.

52.223Volunteer Count

Useful context.

Do not value every volunteer hour at an arbitrary cash amount without methodology.

52.224Volunteer Recruitment

Track shortages where they limit programs.

52.225Screening

Where volunteer roles involve:

appropriate screening and safeguarding apply.

52.226Training

Support necessary:

training.

52.227Volunteer Burnout

Do not expand programs beyond volunteer capacity.

52.228Paid Work

Where consistent staffing is required:

Use paid staff.

Do not rely on volunteers to replace permanent municipal positions simply to cut cost.

52.229Community Clubs

Healthy clubs can reduce City operating burden while increasing participation.

52.230Club Health

The City does not need to audit private club finances broadly.

But where public subsidy exists:

Require appropriate accountability.

52.231Facility Allocation

Community groups should understand:

rules.

52.232No Favourite Club

Political connection should not determine facility access.

52.233Tournament Access

Special events can create economic and community activity.

52.234Tournament Count

Activity measure.

52.235Tournament Attendance

Use credible estimates.

52.236Economic Impact

Do not invent multipliers.

52.237Local Business Feedback

Can supplement.

52.238Facility Displacement

Large events can displace local users.

Measure important effects.

52.239Balance

Tournament tourism should not make ordinary local recreation impossible.

52.240Scheduling Transparency

Publish allocation principles.

52.241Resident Versus Non-Resident Fees

If different:

Explain public rationale.

52.242No Unfair Barrier

Differences should be:

52.243Recreation and Health

Recreation contributes to wellbeing.

Do not claim medical outcomes the City has not measured.

52.244No "Program Prevented X Hospital Visits" Claim

Unless rigorous evidence exists.

52.245Health Partnership

Public health partners may have broader population evidence.

Use carefully.

52.246Recreation and Belonging

Participation can strengthen social connection.

Resident surveys may ask:

Did the activity help you feel more connected to the community?

52.247Belonging Survey

Optional.

Not every program needs it.

52.248No Psychological Profiling

Do not build permanent emotional profiles.

52.249Recreation and Safety

Some activities require:

52.250Risk Is Not Reason to Avoid Recreation

Use proportionate safety.

52.251Waivers

Where legally appropriate:

Use understandable waiver language.

52.252Waiver Is Not Safety Program

Actual:

matter.

52.253Incident Reporting

Track material recreation-related safety incidents.

52.254Incident Rate

Where useful:

Normalize by participation.

52.255No Public Participant Identification

Protect privacy.

52.256Near Miss

Staff may report internal near misses for prevention.

Do not create public panic from every minor incident.

52.257Water Recreation Safety

Appropriate:

52.258Equipment Safety

Borrowed equipment should have:

criteria where needed.

52.259Adventure Activity

Higher-risk activity should have suitable:

52.260City Boundary of Expertise

The City should not operate specialized high-risk recreation it cannot competently manage merely to broaden the activity list.

52.261Private Provider

A qualified private provider may be better.

52.262Liability Is Part of Complete Cost

Include:

52.263Recreation Technology

Booking systems should be:

52.264Account Requirement

Do not require a complex universal account simply to:

52.265Registration

Identity may be necessary for:

Collect only what is needed.

52.266Family Profiles

Avoid collecting unrelated information.

52.267Child Information

Protect carefully.

Program registration should not automatically become:

for unrelated services.

52.269Campaign Firewall

Never use recreation registration lists for:

52.270Online Failure

Maintain alternative registration support.

52.271Phone and In-Person

Reasonable options should remain.

52.272Registration Opening

If high-demand programs fill quickly:

Review whether opening processes are fair.

52.273Digital Speed Advantage

A system that fills in two minutes may disadvantage residents without:

52.274Lottery

For extremely scarce programs:

A lottery may sometimes be fairer than:

Use only when appropriate.

52.275Waitlist Automation

Can help.

Still provide human support.

52.276No Paid Priority Access by Default

Do not create premium access to ordinary public programs unless Council deliberately adopts a fee structure with a legitimate rationale.

52.277Registration Failure

Track major:

52.278Refund Processing

Track timely refunds.

52.279Booking Platform Vendor

Require:

52.280Digital Sovereignty

Cross-reference Section 32.

52.281AI Recreation Assistant

Could help residents discover:

52.282AI Accuracy

It must not tell someone:

when it is closed.

Use current official data.

52.283Personalization

Do not create deep lifestyle profiles unnecessarily.

Residents can voluntarily search:

No identity needed.

52.285Recreation Calendar

Integrate with Community Calendar.

52.286City and Community Events

Distinguish:

52.287No Platform Monopoly

Community organizations should not have to adopt one proprietary platform to appear in public listings.

52.288Participation Geography

Where useful:

Review whether different areas of Owen Sound have reasonable access to:

52.289No Household Tracking

Use:

52.290Walkable Access

A neighbourhood may benefit from:

52.291Distance Metric

If used:

State methodology.

Do not assume a straight-line radius equals real accessibility.

52.292Barrier

A highway, steep grade or missing sidewalk may make a nearby park difficult to reach.

52.293Transportation Equity

Combine geography with:

52.294Neighbourhood Facilities

Do not assume every neighbourhood needs identical recreation infrastructure.

52.295Network Approach

Different neighbourhoods can connect to complementary facilities.

52.296Specialization

One excellent specialized facility may serve the city better than several weak copies.

52.297Local Access Still Matters

Basic:

should remain broadly distributed.

52.298Recreation Capital

Every major recreation capital project follows Section 47.

52.299No Special Capital Rules

Arena, pool or sports complex requires:

52.300Attendance Forecast

Before building:

Use realistic demand.

52.301No Consultant Optimism Bias

Test:

demand.

52.302Existing Facility Capacity

Assess first.

52.303Regional Capacity

Assess:

52.304Regional Facility

A shared regional facility may make more sense than several municipal ones.

52.305Cost Sharing

Define before construction.

52.306Operating Tail

Publish.

52.307Replacement Reserve

Plan from day one.

52.308Grant

A capital grant does not eliminate:

cost.

52.309Naming Rights

Can provide revenue.

Do not treat as permanent funding without contract.

52.310Sponsorship

Use neutral standards.

52.311No Political Sponsor Preference

Obvious.

52.312Commercial Advertising

Protect appropriate public-space standards.

52.313Child-Oriented Spaces

Use additional care with:

52.314Recreation Facility Business Case

Should answer:

What gap?

Who uses it?

Existing alternatives?

Capital cost?

Annual cost?

Expected utilization?

Accessibility?

Regional partners?

Replacement?

Exit or reuse?

52.315Reuse

Design new facilities with flexible future use where practical.

52.316Single-Purpose Risk

Highly specialized facilities can become difficult to repurpose.

Consider that before building.

52.317Outdoor Infrastructure

Trails and parks also create:

cost.

52.318Low-Cost Does Not Mean No Maintenance

A trail still needs:

52.319Volunteer Trail Work

Can help.

52.320Professional Boundary

Volunteers should not replace qualified work for:

tasks.

52.321Stewardship Agreements

Where community organizations help maintain:

define responsibilities.

52.322No Unclear Liability

Formalize enough to protect:

52.323Community Gardens

Where included in recreation/community life:

Track:

52.324Garden Plot Is Not Food-Security Program Automatically

It can contribute.

Do not overclaim.

52.325Gardening Education

AgriHome or community programs may support.

Keep platform independence.

52.326Gardening Partner

Use:

52.327Outdoor Skills

Programs might include:

where capable providers exist.

52.328Do Not Municipalize Every Skill

Connect people to experts.

52.329Local Businesses

Outdoor businesses can benefit from:

52.330Neutral Referral

The City should not send all residents to one favoured business.

Use neutral directories.

52.331Provider Qualification

For safety-sensitive referrals:

Publish appropriate neutral criteria.

52.332Recreation Tourism

Outdoor assets may attract visitors.

52.333Visitor Use

Measure where practical.

Do not make visitor use the only reason to maintain local recreation.

52.334Residents First Does Not Mean Visitors Excluded

Public infrastructure can serve both.

52.335Tourism Attribution

Do not claim every visitor came for:

without evidence.

52.336Recreation and Economic Development

Cross-reference business and enthusiast economy.

52.337Avoid Double Counting

One paddling event should not become:

three times in the final composite count.

52.338Resident Satisfaction

Periodic recreation survey.

52.339Possible Questions

Can you find activities appropriate to your ability?

Are fees understandable?

Can you access public recreation without joining a club?

Are facilities available?

What prevents you from participating?

What activity would you like to try?

52.340Barrier Categories

Possible:

Cost

Equipment

Transportation

Scheduling

Accessibility

Information

Skill / confidence

No local option

52.341Do Not Assume Barrier

Ask.

52.342Confidence Barrier

Some residents may avoid activities because they:

Beginner programming can help.

52.343Social Barrier

Walking into an established club can feel intimidating.

Intro sessions can help.

52.344No Forced Socialization

Some residents prefer:

Support that too.

52.345Outdoor Self-Service

Good:

can enable independent activity.

52.346Non-Digital Information

Provide:

where useful.

52.347Map Accuracy

Trail and facility maps require dates.

52.348Real-Time Closure

Where possible:

Keep closure information current.

52.349Offline Map

Useful for:

52.350No Mandatory App

A trail does not require an app.

52.351Resident Data

Recreation should be among the least intrusive municipal services.

52.352Booking Data

Keep only as long as operationally and legally needed.

52.353Attendance Data

Aggregate for reporting.

52.354Child Data

Additional safeguards.

52.355Health Data

Collect only when necessary for safe participation or accommodation.

52.356No Fitness Score

The City should never assign residents:

scores.

52.357No Social Score Through Participation

Joining recreation does not make someone:

52.358No Reward for Political Engagement

Keep unrelated systems separate.

52.359Public Scorecard Table

A headline table could use:

MeasureBaselineCurrentTarget / DirectionTrendStatusOwner

Possible rows:

52.360Participation Table

Activity TypeSpaces / CapacityRegistrationsParticipationWaitlist

Use only appropriate categories.

52.361Facility Table

FacilityScheduled HoursUnplanned ClosureUtilizationMajor Issue

52.362Outdoor Table

Asset / ActivityStatusParticipation MeasureAccessibilityMajor Barrier

52.363Equipment Table

Equipment CategoryInventoryCheckoutsWaitlistAnnual CostStatus

52.364Accessibility Table

Barrier TypeBaselineFixedRemainingNext Action

52.365Partnership Table

PartnerActivityCity ContributionParticipationStatus

52.366Financial Table

Program / FacilityUser RevenueCity SupportParticipationCost / Participant Where Useful

52.367Traffic Lights

Green

Meeting adopted standard or strong use.

Amber

Material access, utilization or reliability issue.

Red

Significant corrective action required.

Grey

Data unavailable or inappropriate to measure.

52.368No Green Because It Is Full

A fully booked program with a huge waitlist may actually be:

52.369No Red Because It Is Small

A small adaptive program can be successful.

52.370Context Matters

The status rules should reflect:

52.371Anti-Gaming Rule One

Do not count registrations as attendance when people did not participate.

52.372Anti-Gaming Rule Two

Do not add attendance across repeated sessions and call the total:

52.373Anti-Gaming Rule Three

Do not count equipment purchased as recreation participation.

52.374Anti-Gaming Rule Four

Do not count a trail installation as trail use.

52.375Anti-Gaming Rule Five

Do not count a new program as successful simply because it launched.

52.376Anti-Gaming Rule Six

Do not call low fees:

without showing public subsidy.

52.377Anti-Gaming Rule Seven

Do not call a facility highly utilized if unavailable hours were removed from the denominator after failure.

52.378Anti-Gaming Rule Eight

Do not classify planned maintenance closure as:

52.379Anti-Gaming Rule Nine

Do not classify an inaccessible facility as accessible because one feature was upgraded.

52.380Anti-Gaming Rule Ten

Do not count a partner's participants as City participants again in the final total.

52.381Anti-Gaming Rule Eleven

Do not count tourism-event attendees as regular recreation participants.

52.382Anti-Gaming Rule Twelve

Do not count free program attendance without showing taxpayer cost where material.

52.383Anti-Gaming Rule Thirteen

Do not use a warm winter's outdoor-rink closures as proof of operational failure without weather context.

52.384Anti-Gaming Rule Fourteen

Do not use one busy weekend to represent annual park use.

52.385Anti-Gaming Rule Fifteen

Do not buy intrusive location data merely to produce impressive participation statistics.

52.386Anti-Gaming Rule Sixteen

Do not count volunteer hours as a financial saving automatically.

52.387Anti-Gaming Rule Seventeen

Do not count a public-private referral as a City-operated program.

52.388Anti-Gaming Rule Eighteen

Do not call an equipment library successful if most equipment sits unused.

52.389Anti-Gaming Rule Nineteen

Do not call a full waitlist proof a program should expand without checking complete cost and capacity.

52.390Anti-Gaming Rule Twenty

Do not change age categories or program definitions before the election to improve participation comparisons.

52.391Baseline

Year One should establish:

52.392Unknown Baseline

Use:

Not previously measured

where needed.

52.393No Historic Guessing

Do not invent participation numbers from:

52.394Year One Objective

Map the recreation ecosystem and establish beginner access.

52.395Year Two Objective

Scale successful:

programs.

52.396Year Three Objective

Close significant accessibility and access gaps and institutionalize strong partnerships.

52.397Year Four Objective

Publish a full recreation audit and leave sustainable programs rather than temporary political initiatives.

52.398Four-Year Core Measures

Strong candidates:

52.399Do Not Predetermine Numerical Success

The Scorecard establishes:

Future data determines the result.

52.400Four-Year Recreation Audit

At term end publish:

Participation

Beginner access

Equipment access

Facility availability

Facility utilization

Waitlists

Cancellations

Outdoor recreation

Trails

River recreation

Winter recreation

Adaptive recreation

Accessibility

Youth

Seniors

Low-cost opportunities

Community partnerships

Private-provider partnerships

Public subsidy

Major capital

Programs expanded

Programs modified

Programs stopped

Remaining gaps

52.401Name the Biggest Recreation Improvement

Use evidence.

52.402Name the Biggest Recreation Failure

Use evidence.

52.403Name the Most Successful Beginner Program

Show:

52.404Name a Beginner Program That Did Not Work

Stop or modify.

52.405Name the Most Used Equipment Category

52.406Name Equipment That Was Barely Used

Do not keep it for appearances.

52.407Name the Biggest Facility Reliability Problem

52.408Name the Biggest Outdoor Recreation Improvement

52.409Name the Largest Remaining Trail Gap

52.410Name the Most Important Accessibility Improvement

52.411Name the Largest Remaining Accessibility Barrier

52.412Name the Strongest Community Partnership

52.413Name a City Program Better Handed to a Partner

If evidence supports it.

52.414Name a Gap the Private Market Successfully Filled

That can be municipal success too.

52.415Name the Largest Recreation Capital Liability

The next Council needs to know.

52.416Participation Test

Ask:

Are more residents meaningfully participating?

52.417Beginner Test

Ask:

Can a person with no experience find a clear first step?

52.418Equipment Test

Ask:

Can residents try expensive-equipment activities before buying?

52.419Cost Test

Ask:

Are fees and subsidies understandable?

52.420Facility Test

Ask:

Are facilities actually open when residents expect them to be?

52.421Utilization Test

Ask:

Are existing facilities being used intelligently before new ones are proposed?

52.422Outdoor Test

Ask:

Can residents find and use trails, parks, river access and other outdoor opportunities easily?

52.423Winter Test

Ask:

Does recreation continue through winter?

52.424Accessibility Test

Ask:

Can more people participate independently or with reasonable accommodation?

52.425Youth Test

Ask:

Do young people have meaningful structured and unstructured recreation options?

52.426Senior Test

Ask:

Do older residents have recreation options reflecting different abilities and interests?

52.427Partnership Test

Ask:

Did the City strengthen capable community and private providers instead of unnecessarily competing with them?

52.428Privacy Test

Ask:

Did recreation remain available without turning participation into a resident-tracking system?

52.429Capital Test

Ask:

Did recreation capital decisions reflect real use and complete lifecycle cost?

52.430Institution Test

Ask:

Would successful recreation programs continue if the Mayor changed tomorrow?

52.431What Success Looks Like

Recreation success does not mean:

Success means:

52.432What Failure Looks Like

Failure includes:

52.433The Recreation Scorecard Commitment

Owen Sound should commit to:

Measure recreation through access, participation, reliability and barriers rather than program count alone.

Recognize organized sport, outdoor recreation, informal activity and unstructured public-space use.

Use Partnership Before Program when clubs, businesses, schools or nonprofits already provide capable service.

Do not create subsidized municipal competition against healthy private providers without a clear public-interest gap.

Create clear beginner entry points.

Use the Explore, Try, Learn, Borrow, Rent, Join, Own ladder as a guide rather than a compulsory sequence.

Make recreation opportunities easy to discover without requiring an account.

Maintain neutral public listings for City, community and private recreation providers.

Do not sell basic municipal ranking.

Keep directories current.

Track registration and actual participation separately where meaningful.

Do not count repeated program attendance as unique residents.

Track first-time participation only where it can be measured without unnecessary profiling.

Track beginner-program capacity, participation and waitlists.

Use drop-in and introductory opportunities where practical.

Publish actual program fees.

Show public subsidy where a program is described as free or low cost.

Maintain accessible fee-assistance information.

Protect the privacy of residents using financial assistance.

Use cost-recovery measures only where they fit the public purpose.

Do not impose one cost-recovery target on every recreational service.

Use cost-per-participant figures carefully and only with context.

Track recurring program waitlists as potential evidence of unmet demand.

Do not expand programs automatically because they have waitlists.

Review persistently underused programs.

Do not stop small programs solely because they serve fewer people if the public purpose remains strong.

Give programs clear Expand, Maintain, Modify, Partner or Stop decisions.

Track City-caused cancellations.

Separate weather, staffing, facility and low-registration cancellations.

Apply refund policy consistently.

Measure major recreation-facility availability.

Track unplanned closures.

Communicate facility closures and alternatives quickly.

Cross-reference technical facility condition with the Infrastructure Scorecard rather than creating conflicting condition ratings.

Measure facility utilization before proposing new recreation buildings.

Review peak and off-peak use rather than one annual utilization percentage alone.

Use existing municipal, school, community and private capacity before constructing new space where practical.

Use transparent facility-allocation rules.

Never allocate prime recreation space according to political connection.

Keep life-safety staffing requirements ahead of uptime targets.

Treat parks and public spaces as recreation infrastructure even when no registration occurs.

Measure ordinary unprogrammed recreation as part of community life.

Do not deploy intrusive surveillance merely to count park users.

Assess park and playground accessibility through the whole route, not one piece of equipment.

Track sports-field and court availability according to real use.

Do not convert every public space to the activity that happens to be most fashionable in one year.

Maintain a balanced recreation network.

Treat trails as a major recreation asset.

Publish accurate trail ownership, status, difficulty and accessibility information.

Keep closures current.

Do not present private land as public trail access.

Use privacy-preserving trail counters where counting creates real value.

Never call trail counter passages unique residents unless the methodology supports it.

Track trail hazards and maintenance.

Connect downtown, river, harbour and trail recreation where legal public access exists.

Maintain accurate public river-access information.

Support paddling and water recreation without pretending the City controls natural conditions.

Use capable private rental providers before creating municipal rental operations.

Help residents find the correct fishing and navigation rules rather than pretending all regulation is municipal.

Treat Owen Sound recreation as a four-season system.

Measure winter recreation against actual weather.

Never open unsafe ice simply to improve operating-day statistics.

Publish whether winter trails are maintained, groomed or unmaintained.

Test equipment borrowing or rental as a way to reduce beginner costs.

Pilot equipment libraries before building large inventories.

Use proper inspection procedures for safety-sensitive equipment.

Track equipment checkout, waitlist, loss, damage and maintenance.

Do not keep unused equipment indefinitely for political appearance.

Treat donated equipment as an asset with storage and maintenance costs.

Use private rental providers first where they already serve the market well.

Make adaptive recreation a measurable part of the system.

Track recreation accessibility barriers.

Do not describe a program as accessible simply because staff are willing to help.

Assess facility, route, washroom, equipment and communication barriers together.

Use adaptive-recreation partners with specialized expertise.

Do not treat one annual adaptive event as proof the whole recreation system is accessible.

Collect only the accommodation information needed to provide safe service.

Never build long-term disability profiles for recreation analytics.

Consider transportation and scheduling when evaluating recreation access.

Do not create a recreation transportation system unless a real gap and sustainable model exist.

Offer seniors a broad range of recreation rather than assuming older residents want only low-intensity programming.

Track senior participation and practical access barriers.

Support intergenerational opportunities where residents use them.

Measure youth participation, waitlists and affordability.

Ask young people what activities they would use before creating programs for them.

Do not turn youth surveys into automatic spending commitments.

Provide both structured and unstructured options for teenagers.

Do not make youth spaces surveillance-heavy by default.

Support family recreation where it reduces participation barriers.

Remember that adults also need accessible community recreation.

Use recreation as a welcoming entry point for newcomers without unnecessarily collecting immigration information.

Treat cultural and faith organizations under neutral partnership standards.

Ensure publicly funded recreation remains available without religious or political conditions.

Make public support to clubs transparent.

Use proper grant, contract or partnership mechanisms.

Recognize the importance of volunteer coaches while avoiding dependence beyond sustainable volunteer capacity.

Apply appropriate safeguarding for roles involving children or vulnerable participants.

Do not replace necessary paid work with volunteers simply to manufacture savings.

Keep facility allocation neutral among community clubs.

Measure tournament and event activity without pretending attendance automatically equals economic impact.

Consider displacement of regular users when hosting large events.

Keep local recreational access balanced with visitor and tournament use.

Use realistic participation and public-benefit measures rather than unsupported health claims.

Do not claim recreation programs prevented medical outcomes unless credible evidence exists.

Measure belonging only through voluntary, proportionate surveys.

Never create psychological or fitness scores for residents.

Use proportionate safety rules without making healthy recreation unnecessarily difficult.

Treat waivers as legal tools, not substitutes for actual safety.

Track material recreation safety incidents in aggregate.

Do not expose participant identity.

Use specialized private or partner operators for high-risk activities the City cannot competently operate itself.

Include liability, training and insurance in the complete cost of recreation.

Make recreation booking systems accessible and privacy-respecting.

Do not require a universal municipal account merely to browse programs.

Collect only the participant and emergency information required for the activity.

Never convert program registration into unrelated marketing or political consent.

Maintain a strict campaign firewall around recreation data.

Provide phone or in-person registration support where reasonably needed.

Review whether fastest-click registration is fair for extremely scarce programs.

Consider fair alternatives such as lotteries where appropriate.

Track registration-platform failures.

Require booking vendors to support data export, privacy, accessibility and exit.

Use AI recreation discovery only with accurate official program and closure data.

Do not require personal profiles merely to recommend recreation opportunities.

Integrate recreation information with the Community Calendar without creating platform lock-in.

Review geographic access using public infrastructure and aggregate data rather than household tracking.

Recognize that straight-line distance alone does not prove accessible park access.

Do not require every neighbourhood to contain identical recreation assets.

Maintain broadly distributed basic recreation while using specialized facilities strategically.

Apply full Infrastructure Scorecard standards to major recreation capital.

Require a real business case before new arenas, pools, sports complexes or other major facilities.

Measure existing and regional capacity first.

Use low, expected and high demand scenarios for major capital.

Publish the complete operating tail of new facilities.

Plan replacement funding from the beginning.

Never build a recreation facility merely because a capital grant is available.

Evaluate flexible future reuse in facility design.

Treat trails, parks and outdoor assets as infrastructure with maintenance obligations.

Use volunteers appropriately without substituting them for qualified structural or hazardous work.

Define responsibilities in community stewardship agreements.

Measure community gardens and similar activities where they are part of recreation and community life.

Do not overclaim their food-security impact.

Use community and AgriHome educational partners where useful while preserving platform independence.

Connect residents to qualified local outdoor and recreation businesses under neutral referral rules.

Serve residents and visitors without turning the recreation system entirely into tourism infrastructure.

Do not claim tourism causation without evidence.

Cross-reference business and enthusiast-economy outcomes without double counting.

Ask residents what prevents participation.

Recognize cost, equipment, transportation, scheduling, accessibility, information and confidence as different barriers.

Support independent recreation as well as organized social recreation.

Provide useful printed and offline recreation information.

Do not require an app to use a trail or park.

Keep recreation data collection proportionate.

Protect child and health information.

Never assign residents fitness, health, civic-worth or social-credit scores based on recreation.

Publish participation, facility, outdoor, equipment, accessibility, partnership and financial Scorecard tables.

Use Green, Amber, Red and Grey with published definitions and public-purpose context.

Do not mark a full program Green if residents face an unsustainable waitlist.

Do not mark a small but important adaptive program Red merely because participation is low.

Never count registrations as participation when the person did not attend.

Never count repeated attendance as unique residents.

Never count purchased equipment as recreation participation.

Never count construction of a trail as proof the trail is being used.

Never call a program successful solely because it launched.

Never hide public subsidy behind the word free.

Never manipulate facility availability by changing denominator definitions after outages.

Never classify one accessibility improvement as complete system accessibility.

Never double-count partner participants in the City-wide total.

Never count tournament visitors as ordinary recreation participants.

Never buy intrusive location data merely to improve recreation analytics.

Never call volunteer activity automatic municipal financial savings.

Never preserve unused programs or equipment simply because they were campaign commitments.

Use Year One to map the recreation ecosystem and establish the baseline.

Use Year Two to scale proven beginner, outdoor, equipment and partnership models.

Use Year Three to address significant access and accessibility gaps.

Use Year Four to publish the full Recreation Audit and place every major program in a sustainable long-term category.

Name the biggest recreation improvement.

Name the biggest recreation failure.

Name the beginner program that worked best and one that did not.

Name the most useful and least useful equipment investments.

Name the largest facility-reliability problem.

Name the biggest outdoor recreation improvement.

Name the largest remaining trail gap.

Name the strongest accessibility improvement and biggest remaining barrier.

Name the strongest community partnership.

Name programs better delivered by partners where the evidence supports it.

Name private-market gaps that entrepreneurs successfully filled.

Name the largest recreation capital obligation being handed to the next Council.

Judge the final record by whether more people could find, try and sustain healthy recreation without unnecessary cost, barriers, government duplication or data collection.

A strong Recreation Scorecard should make it possible for a resident to ask:

What can I do?

Where can I do it?

Can I try it before I buy equipment?

Is there a beginner option?

Is there an accessible option?

Can my child participate?

Can my parent participate?

Can I do something without joining a club?

Can I do something in winter?

Can I use the trail without an app?

Can I borrow equipment?

Is there already a local business providing what I need?

What does the City subsidize?

Are the facilities actually open?

What is full?

What is underused?

What should be expanded?

What should stop?

That is a better recreation system than one measured mainly by:

how many programs the municipality owns.

The goal is not to make residents dependent upon municipal recreation.

The goal is to make healthy community life easier to enter.

Explore it. Try it. Learn it. Borrow it. Rent it. Join it. Own it if you want. Keep the barriers low, the information clear, the facilities reliable and the community capable.

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