In 1974, Stittsville and Richmond were re-absorbed into Goulbourn Township (having been separate villages – Richmond since 1850 and Stittsville since 1960) and each local government was replaced by the Goulbourn Township Council. Council meetings took place for 25 years in the former municipal office that was demolished in 2024 at Stanley’s Corners.
The City of Ottawa-Carleton amalgamation occurred in 2001 at which time Goulbourn Township, including Stittsville, became part of the new City of Ottawa. At this point, the Goulbourn Township Council was replaced by a single City Councillor for the Kanata West Stittsville Ward.
From 1992 until 1996, Paul Bradley had been Mayor of Goulbourn Township. Near the end of his term, word was that amalgamation was forthcoming with the City of Ottawa. This was due to the election of the Mike Harris Ontario Progressive Conservative government and the Premier’s determination to cut municipal transfers by reducing the number of municipal governments in the province.
With that in the minds of Councillors, would Goulbourn Township lose its $7.2 million reserve? At that time, Stittsville Councillor Allan Ryan dropped into Mayor Bradley’s office to discuss the need for a multi-purpose recreation centre in Stittsville.
With that suggestion, Mayor Bradley asked Councillor Ryan to draft a discussion paper on construction of a recreation centre that could be put forward at Council. The 20-page discussion paper was written outlining the why, rationale and vision for the project. The Mayor was provided the proposal for his information and consideration prior to the Council meeting.
Phase I of the project proposed two ice pads, Phase II would see a swimming pool and other elements added to the facility.
After reading the document, the Mayor called a ‘special’ Saturday Council meeting for 1:00pm in the township building. He requested Councillor Ryan to present his discussion paper to his fellow Council members and respond to their questions.
Shortly thereafter a full Council meeting took place with members voting on the proposed recreation centre project. It was at this meeting in 1996 that the project received full approval from the Goulbourn Council prior to Mayor Bradley stepping down. This initiative set the stage for the complex to evolve into what would later be called the Goulbourn Recreation Complex or GRC as we knew it.
The approval of the recreation centre to be constructed in Stittsville was disconcerting to those living in the rural areas of the Township – Munster, Richmond – for example. They wanted to know why Stittsville was getting everything and the Township should look after the services that already existed.
At the next Council meeting after the project received approval, Richmond Councillor Bob Miller asked what portion of capital funds were going to Stittsville versus other areas of the Township from the Township budget. Council was advised by the then CAO, Bob Townend, that approximately 68% of tax monies for the Township came from Stittsville ratepayers, with only about 32% being spent in Stittsville – the balance going to the other Goulbourn communities.
A site had to be found and the land purchased. At the time, Carl Ashton owned the land where the GRC is located. He had purchased 200 acres for $23,000 in 1963 purchasing the property from a World War I vet named James Harvey Finlay, who served in the 68th Canadian Field Battery Artillery Unit in Russia, 1918. Finlay had purchased the property in 1952 from 2 sisters, last name Tennant, who are buried in the United Church cemetery on Main Street and Fernbank Road. Finlay purchased it from the estate of Emma Tennant. The cost of the land acquisition by the Goulbourn Council from Carl Ashton was part of the overall recreation complex project budget.
The bidding process began and the contractor chosen for the original complex was M.P. Lundy Construction formerly located on Carp Road. The recreation complex was built in three phases, with the first phase costing approximately $9.1 million that included a pool and one ice pad.
With Mayor Bradley’s retirement in 1997, an election was called for a new Mayor and Council. Councillor Janet Stavinga for Ward 1- Stittsville and Councillor Allan Ryan for Ward 2- Stittsville were both candidates for the Mayor’s position. Both had been Councillors from 1994 until 1997.
The recreation centre became the main election issue with Stavinga telling the rural residents that were against the project that it was too expensive and would not be built. Ryan, at the opposite end, explained the positive activity that the centre would bring to the area and that the township could afford the complex due to the existing reserve fund.
The Township didn’t want to lose the $7.2 million reserve built by local tax dollars to the new City should the amalgamation take place.
When the ballots were counted, Janet Stavinga won the election by a narrow margin. However; when residents were told that the recreation centre was going to be built, many rural residents wrote letters to the editor (John Curry) of the Stittsville News, expressing their anger and dismay that the project was going ahead. These were all published in the Stittsville News.
In 2000, construction began on the Goulbourn Recreation Complex on Shea Road and in 2001 the facility, with a pool and one ice pad, officially opened with a price tag of $9.1 million.
When the complex first opened in 2001, it was home to the Richmond Royals of the Central Canada Hockey League (Tier 2) while the Richmond Arena was being refurbished.
Through much research and looking at old documents, this editor discovered all of the above information during this timeframe found in historical issues of the Stittsville News as John Curry attended every Council meeting regularly, including that initial special Saturday meeting regarding the recreation complex and the full Council meeting. He also reported diligently on our local elections and the issues that were addressed. Should you wish to read more, Stittsville News copies can be found at Goulbourn Museum or on microfiche at the Ottawa Public Library, Stittsville Branch. You can find Goulbourn Council minutes on the Ottawa Archives website.
Come out to celebrate the 25 years of enjoyment that the recreation centre has provided to the community on November 25th from 6:00 to 8:00pm. Councillor Glen Gower and the CARDELREC team will have free regularly scheduled activities throughout the day; a Membership giveaway; and, refreshments and cake at the evening event.
Some background: The former Township of Goulbourn existed when the Goulbourn Recreation Complex was constructed. The Complex opened in 2001, with construction beginning in 2000. The contractor for the original complex was M.P. Lundy Construction on Carp Road. The complex was built in three phases, with the first phase costing approximately $9.1 million that included a pool and 1 ice pad.
The subsequent phases 2 and 3 were completed later by the amalgamated City of Ottawa in 2008 and 2010. These phases included adding a second ice surface, the Erica Wiebe gymnasium, program and meeting rooms, along with a food court. The complex was designed with amenities like twin-pad arenas, a 25m pool, a leisure pool, a fitness centre, and community rooms.
The 2008 phase was constructed by McDonald Brothers Construction with a 22,000 sq.ft. addition of a double gymnasium with male and female washrooms, change rooms and shower rooms. Also constructed were a multi-purpose hall, two floors of fitness areas, as well as offices, meeting rooms and storage areas at a cost of $5 million with a LEED Silver Certified designation.
Over the years, the facility has attracted more sports teams, along with new opportunities, such as ringette, figure skating, sledge hockey, swimming, community groups and meetings and an increased number of hockey leagues.
The Goulbourn Recreation Complex has proven to be a sound investment for the people of Stittsville and all those in the former Township of Goulbourn thanks to the foresight of Council members in 1996.
When the recreation complex came under new sponsorship, we were there and this article shares the excitment on re-naming the Goulbourn Recreation Complex to the CARDELREC Recreation Complex – Goulbourn: https://stittsvillecentral.ca/goodbye-grc-hello-cardelrec-recreation-complex-goulbourn/