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Township of Severn partnered with Lakehead University to complete a feasibility study in 2024 for a property located in Port Severn that was donated to the municipality by Mr. Reginald Bush. This study and the work completed by the project intern was funded in part by the Mitacs Business Strategy Internship program.
Mr. Bush, the owner of the property, passed away, and in his will he expressed his wish for the property to be donated to the Township of Severn. This act of generosity on the part of Mr. Bush reflects his commitment to the community and his vision for the property as a resource for the enjoyment and benefit of the residents of Severn.
This project included research and stakeholder consultation to help evaluate the potential for the bequeathed waterfront property to be redeveloped as a space for arts, culture, recreation, park, or heritage programming to serve residents and visitors to the Port Severn area.
Public comments and responses have been included in the final report, and play an important part in helping Severn determine the future use of the bequeathed property.
Next steps
On June 11, 2024 the Culture and Recreation Advisory Committee reviewed and discussed the final report. Members then recommended to Council that staff move forward to secure a consultant in 2025 to conduct a detailed technical feasibility study with the focus on the most preferred option identified by the community through the public engagement process, which is the development of the property for passive space/parkland.
The future study will focus on assessing the costs and requirements associated with creating passive space/parkland and will exclude the other options presented to the community such as an art studio or gallery space, gymnasium or workout space, or live music or events venue. This direction for the property was guided by community feedback, which identified various concerns with many of the suggested uses, including parking limitations, building accessibility issues, and potential neighbourhood disruptions.
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Contact us
Craig Belfry
Director of Recreation, Parks, and Facilities
Phone: 705-325-2315 x248
Email Craig
Tracy Roxborough
Communications Officer
Phone: 705-325-2315 x249
Email Tracy