Mildmay Water Tower Park swings to stay with approved repairs MILDMAY – Children will continue swinging at Mildmay Water Tower Park after South Bruce council approved about $7,025 in repairs instead of replacing or removing the aging equipment. Council voted Sept. 22 to replace the swing hardware and install new engineered wood chip ground cover, choosing the lowest-cost option presented by staff. The work will be funded through municipal park reserves while the municipality continues evaluating the park’s future use after removing the rest of the playground equipment. The municipality previously removed all of the playground equipment at the park except for the two swing set structures as part of its ongoing review of recreation facilities. Staff presented council with three options: replace the swing hardware for $7,024.70 plus HST, replace both swing structures entirely for $27,848.19 plus HST, or remove the remaining swings and consider future use of the site during the 2027 budget process. The approved work includes new galvanized swing chains, quick links, four regular swing seats, two toddler seats and one accessible swing seat, along with new engineered wood chips extending six feet from the bases of the swing sets. Manager of Recreation and Facilities Sam Tiedemann said funding is available through existing reserves. “The Mildmay Park Reserves has just over $43,000 and the parkland levy reserve has approximately $80,000,” he said. Councillor Mike Nieslan said he wanted to see the swings repaired before another season passed. “I say we support option one and moving forward – you’ll see kids swinging in the winter time as well, so I say we get it done. No sense reprising it next year.” Council also discussed where the money for the project would come from. “The parkland levy comes from planning applications for severances, where there’s a requirement for cash in lieu of parkland,” explained Chief Administrative Officer Leanne Martin. “Instead of a subdivision setting aside a piece of land for a park, the municipality can choose to receive money instead, but those funds have to go back into municipal parks. Sixty per cent of that money must be allocated to parks. In the past, we’ve done that through the Recreation Master Plan, so this project would fall under that plan as part of those improvements.” Mayor Mark Goetz said the municipality should put those reserve funds toward projects like the Water Tower Park swings. “As a municipality, there are parks. The fact that service clubs look after them is great, but we can’t tell them that they have to spend X amount of dollars on this park. We’re collecting this money from developers, and it’s sitting there,” he said. Council approved the motion directing staff to proceed with the hardware replacement and ground cover installation, with the project funded through the Parkland Levy Reserve and/or the Mildmay Park Reserve.

Emily BowenOctober 8, 2026 @ 7:29 amMildmay Town Crier, News