Komoka History: At the April 27th meeting on the Community Centre Surplus and Parkland sale, Paul Mylemans was not able to complete his comments due to time limitations. There was a lot of history about Komoka included in his comments so we thought we should share with the community. His notes are below.
April 27, 2022
Members of Council –
I am here to speak to you about the Komoka Community Centre and Komoka Park and to indicate it is not surplus and a very valuable asset in the community and for the people in the community and it must stay that way.
I have with me today four publications that have gathered a lot of local history. These have been priceless in reminding and reminiscing about our community:
· Lobo Township Sketches by Ron Nichols and Ron Davis 1976
· The Heritage of Lobo 1820-1990
· Golden Anniversary Ontario District of Optimist International 1924-1974
· Twenty Years of Community Service 1972 – 1992 Komoka – Kilworth Optimist Club
And the Komoka Community Centre is front and Centre in much of the recalled history.
We have been a resident in Komoka since 1974 and our children have attended Parkview and have grown up knowing and using the Komoka Park and Community Centre. I am an Optimist Life member and have been a member of the Komoka-Kilworth Club since moving here in 1974. I have volunteered in many ways in Komoka-Kilworth and also was employed for over 13 years at Lobo Township and then over 8 years at Middlesex Centre. I am quite familiar with the area going close to 50 years. In all these years I had never seen any mention from the public that any part of the Komoka Park and Komoka Community Centre was surplus.
I want to bring to your attention some of the Komoka Park and the Komoka Community Centre history as I have learned it and experienced it.
In the early 1900s when there was considerable residential settlement in Komoka the County of Middlesex enacted a by-law to designate Komoka as a Police Village. With that, Komoka was still under the governance and taxation of Lobo Township, but it also then had the right to elect Police Village Trustees and to levy a small extra mill rate on all properties in the village to cover the cost of specific localized services. This Police Village status remained for 75 years at which time the Trustees requested their status be revoked.
Sometime in the early 1960s a developer started residential homes on the west side of the Thames River and this became known as Kilworth Heights.
The residents of Komoka and Kilworth became a close community as they shared the same Post Office, schools, local stores, and the Komoka Park.
When we moved to Komoka in 1974 the Komoka Park consisted of a larger baseball field and a small diamond, some playground equipment, and a washroom and concession buildings. I understand that the play equipment at the park came from the Komoka Public School SS #1 that was closed when Parkview School was opened. In 1965 the old school property was bought by Bill Tunks.
The rest of the lands around the Komoka Park was open space with remnants of previous use as gravel extraction and a dump. There was also an area that was still being used as an active household waste dump.
As an initiative by the Komoka Village Trustees to have oversight of the Komoka Park a group of residents were appointed or volunteered as members of the then called Komoka Community Centre Board. These people took on the maintenance of the Park and included the likes of Tom Edmunds, Bill Tunks, and Joe Carroll, often volunteering their time and business resources.
In 1972 after the Optimist Club of Komoka was formed the Club took on the initiative to have a community centre in Komoka. In cooperation with the Village Trustees, the Community Centre Board, and Lobo Township - who are the owners of the land and who would own the community centre, a site was selected at the Komoka Park. The Optimists proudly erected a large sign “Site of the New Community Centre”. The new community centre initiative had the full support from the community residents and other community groups like Women’s Institute, Community Club, Scouts and Guides groups.
A partnership between the parties took on the fundraising for the new community centre. This included Provincial/Wintario grants, Lobo Parkland Fund, solicitation and donations from individuals and businesses across the whole of the township, and many special events organized by the Optimist Club.
After more than 5 years of planning and fundraising the construction plans for a community centre were prepared and Lobo Township called for tenders in the summer of 1977. Unfortunately, when the tenders were opened they were much higher than estimated so a shortfall in fundraising. The design engineer was asked to work with the low bidder to see what changes could be made to allow the project to proceed. After that review and some changes made there was still a $8,000 shortfall.
Over the past days I have been reading the minutes of the Optimist Club meetings of October and November 1977 which had recorded the progress on the tenders and the ways the Optimists could cover the shortfall (this included plans for taking out personal bank loans by Optimist members). As we all now know, that extra fundraising was successful and construction started.
The reduced cost also included that the community assist in installing the weeping bed for the septic system. I remember well the hot July weekend in 1978 when about a dozen volunteers worked with Paul Aarts of Blue Con Construction to put in the weeping bed in the area that is now the soccer field behind the community centre, and which in the current Township staff proposal would be surplus and sold – still with the weeping bed tile in the ground.
It is unfortunate to mention, but there was never an official opening organized by Lobo Township Council to recognize the community’s efforts to make the Komoka Community Centre happen.
Along with the leadership and hard work by the community in constructing the community centre, there were also many other projects at the Komoka Park that were undertaken:
· Tennis courts were contracted by the Optimists and fully funded by the Club and provincial/Wintario grant. It was 40 years later when Middlesex Centre did a full renovation of the courts with a new asphalt base and tennis surface. The current Township staff proposal would make this facility surplus and be sold – just a couple years later.
· The Optimists redid the original pre-1967 baseball infield and dugouts – all by volunteers and contractors paid by the Optimists.
· The original baseball field lights were replaced and paid for by the Optimists.
· There were annual spring park cleanup and repair work bees, and similar fall winterizing.
· There were work bee for replacing the original play equipment and paid for by the Optimists. These have since been removed for the water storage building.
· The Optimists constructed and paid for the Octovillion gazebo.
· The Optimists constructed a 50-foot slide on the former hill separating the park from the adjacent gravel extraction area. This was later removed by the Township.
· The Optimist constructed a 1-kilometer trail around the park which included 11 professionally designed fitness stations. This was part of the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics “getting-communities active” campaign. This track was partially removed a number of years ago for the construction of the Komoka water storage facility.
Ironically part of this replacement asphalt walkway, that was installed and donated by Middlesex Paving and Maintenance Company fairly recently, will be a casualty if Middlesex Centre’s staff recommendation to sell the property is approved.
· The 4-bay storage shed was constructed and paid for by the Optimists along with Wintario grant. This was shared at 2 bays by the Township, 1.1/2 bays by the Optimists, and ½ bay by the then Komoka Community Club. This is a convenient and accessible place to store equipment and supplies used at the park and the community centre, especially for the various events hosted by the Optimist Club. This will disappear if the facility is sold.
· The Optimists purchased and donated a small Ford deck mower with wagon for the park and that was stored in the shed.
· The Optimists undertook the development of the large baseball diamond. This included lights and dugouts. This project required an engineering and environmental study and monitoring on the possible methane or other gases coming from the lands’ use as a dump and landfill site. Quite a sizeable undertaking and investment by the Optimists.
The community also continued to make improvements and additions at the community centre:
· The full sound system was purchased by the Optimists.
· The basketball backboards were installed and funded by the Optimists.
· Installing the lighted front sign as a shared cost between Lobo and the Optimists.
· Erecting the large flag pole and replacing the flags whenever needed. The initial flags were large and the pole took a lot of volunteers to lower and raise again. Have a look today at the flag.
· Renovation by the Optimists to the small office room to make it suitable for the OPP Community Policing Office – make it more difficult for someone to break in.
· Replacing the accordion style sliding doors from main hall and from the small office to the meeting room, with solid brick to reduce the noise conflict between users of the different rooms.
· Purchased 100 new chairs, and 10 round tables and 8 board-style chairs for the meeting room.
· Installed pot lights in meeting room
There was a time that Lobo Township required a group wanting to make additions to the community centre and park to then also make an additional cash contribution of 10% of that addition’s value. This contribution was placed in the facility’s reserve fund to assist with the future cost of repairs regarding the addition. Again, unfortunately that had only applied to Komoka Park and Community Centre and not Poplar Hill Park and Community Centre. From all the parks and recreation facilities at the time of amalgamation, only the Komoka Park and Community Centre had a reserve fund from their previous years’ operations.
Community Centre uses:
There are too many to remember and recall… but some are still legendry.
· Wintario Global televised event was held at the community centre in 1985. The community came out to participate or to show off their proud community centre, which was funded in part by Wintario. Wintario is now gone, and so would be the community centre if the staff recommendation is approved by Council.
· Used for political rallies and fundraisers
· Polling locations for elections – one of the largest in the electoral district. Voters would need to travel further if the community centre is no longer available.
· Canada Day celebrations. I think most on Council will know of its importance to the community and with the community centre site, our ability to alternate and share with our neighbour communities over the past 40 years. Let’s make sure this can continue for another 40 years.
· The community centre is designated as the site for evacuating residents from the Komoka Seniors Apartments in the event there is a fire or other disaster that affects their staying at their apartments.
Optimist Events:
· Children’s Christmas – don’t allow this to be lost in our community. An estimated 12,000 children in our Komoka-Kilworth community have had a chance to visit and sit on Santa’s knee, and return with the greatest smile you can image on their face, and a small gift to add to the excitement.
· Halloween treats, and haunted house
· All-candidates meetings
· Walt Disney Movie afternoons for children
· Children’s summer recreation program
· Youth winter sports
· Youth dances
· Fashion show
· Optimist sponsored Citizen of the Year
· Computer show
· Junior stamp club
· Public CPR training sessions
Optimist meetings:
· Club general and business meetings - once a month for 9 months per year
· Club committee meetings for projects
· Club Dinner meetings – once a month for 8 months per year
· Special presentations – i.e. Citizen of the Year, as needed
· Social meetings with other Optimist Clubs – i.e. zone and interclub, as scheduled
· Hosting meetings for organizing special events – i.e. Canada Day, as needed
Optimist sponsored:
· Parkview graduation
· Seniors monthly card parties
· Badminton
Optimist Fundraising:
Again, too many to remember but just a few -
· Regular and Turkey bingos
· Summerfest
· Monte Carlo / Silver Dollar events
· Dances: New Year’s, Halloween, Spring, Fall, Valentine’s, or whatever special occasion
· Trivia Night
The Komoka Community Centre is not surplus!
It was completed in 1978 which makes it about 44 years in age. The Delaware Community Centre was constructed several years earlier, so it is older. How can Komoka be declared surplus?
The Coldstream Community Centre was constructed in 1988 along with the Coldstream Municipal Offices so that is 34 years ago – not over 40 years… just setting the facts straight.
The Komoka Community Centre and Adjacent Park Land is not surplus!
I have not seen any study or report that would suggest the community centre and adjacent lands are surplus.
I have reviewed the Strategic Plan 2021-2026 and the Community Services Master Plan Update July 22, 2021and there is no indication that the community centre and adjacent lands are surplus.
There is suggestion to use the Wellness Centre in place of the Community Centre!
Yes, the Wellness Centre is a modern arena facility that accommodates skating and hockey, and does that well. However, it is not suitable as a direct replacement for the community centre: the auditorium is smaller, does not have the amenities such as kitchen and refreshment bar, the flooring restricts much of the usage that occurs at the community centre; the access is much more difficult, parking can be difficult at times.