More public outdoor pools, tennis and pickleball options wanted in Brampton: survey

Residents at a recent town hall meeting overwhelmingly put their support behind bringing more outdoor pools to Brampton, along with more public access to pickleball, hockey and other sports.

The City of Brampton held a telephone town hall meeting on Wednesday with over 4,800 households tuned in to ask questions and respond to a poll about what kinds of services should be provided by Brampton Recreation.

Some 22 per cent of attendees said their top priorities for new sports investments are pickleball, paddleball, and tennis, followed by soccer at 19 per cent, basketball at 14 per cent.

Cricket came in at 10 per cent, followed by golf and hockey at 9 per cent, and baseball at 8 per cent. Volleyball and lacrosse received 5 per cent and 4 per cent of the votes, respectively.

Over 70 per cent said they would like the city to add more outdoor pools in Brampton for public use, while 73 per cent said they support the expansion of outdoor rinks in Brampton for free public hockey and skating in the winter.

Nearly all of the attendees said they support free recreation programs for seniors with 94 per cent in favour, while 85 per cent said they want to see the city use “underutilized school fields to help bring more recreational opportunities.”

The City offers the active assist program for families facing financing challenges with up to $275 for each eligible member of the family, and 38 per cent said the program should only be offered to children and youth, while 39 per cent said it should extend to all members of the family.

The City of Brampton held two other telephone town hall meetings in April, with one focused on community safety and the other on health care concerns.

Over 7,800 people called in to the telephone town hall on public safety, and a survey shows www.insauga.com/city-wide-security-cameras-drones-and-more-police-officers-wanted-in-brampton-poll/.

More than 6,600 households tuned in to the health care meeting on April 30, and a survey found nearly all of those attendees feel an urgent need to finish construction on Brampton’s second hospital.