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Outdoor Sports Facility Strategy

Whether you’re a sports enthusiast, a sports field neighbour, or a fan, we want to hear from you. 

We’re creating a plan for how we’ll manage sports fields and your participation will contribute to creating vibrant and accessible spaces for recreation and community fun in the city. Be part of the team that shapes the future of sports fields in Guelph! 

How can I participate right now?

Back in 2024 we engaged over 700 people to talk about community needs for Sportsfields. That feedback gave us some great directions for the strategy.

In 2026, we are looking from what’s possible, to what’s practical. There may be some tough decisions and tradeoffs to consider based on budget and parkland availability.

From June 1 through June 30, we presented a series of options for you to weigh in on. When we combine results from the whole community together, it should reveal what the commonly supported priorities are.

See the engagement summary below to find out what we heard.

Further reading:

Phases

Phases overview
Phase 1: Engaging user groups, partners and community organizations
Engaging user groups, partners and community organizations
Phase 2: Great tournament facilities
Great tournament facilities
Phase 3: Broader conversations with the community
Broader conversations with the community
Phase 4: Outdoor Sport facility use and interest survey
Outdoor Sport facility use and interest survey
Phase 5: Analyze and review
Analyze and review
Phase 6: Sports organization conversations
Sports organization conversations
Phase 7: Options and Trade-offs
Options and Trade-offs
Phase 8: Outdoor Sports Facility Strategy development
Outdoor Sports Facility Strategy development
Phase 9: Outdoor Sport Facility Strategy to Council
Outdoor Sport Facility Strategy to Council

Options and Trade-offs

May 25, 2026 4:00 AM - June 30, 2026 3:59 AM

June is Parks and Recreation month. What better time to talk with the community about outdoor sports facilities with the community!


In this phase, we asked you to think of yourself as a policy planner at the City of Guelph, and weigh in on a series of 30 statements. Have a look at the engagement summary to see what we heard.

  • Options were presented at random. Participants could choose to weigh in on as many or as few options as you like. Every time you weigh in, it helps us to understand community perspectives as we seek to find some common ground when it comes to potential trade-offs that the strategy will try to address.
  • If you want to share more, or if the options presented spark ideas or questions for you, we’d love to hear it. Share your comments with us here.

See the comments

Phase 2 Engagement Summary - OSFS.pdf
(267.2 KB)
Participating is only possible when this phase is active.

Results

76

participants

31

statements

2287

votes

Agree

Unsure

Disagree

Highest consensus

Statements with clear agreement - the majority of those who voted either agree or disagree chose the same position.

It’s ok to travel across town for Tournament-quality or specialized facilities.
92%4%4%(74)
Some specialized, tournament-quality facilities can serve the whole city.
92%4%4%(73)
Investing more in higher-quality facilities is worth higher costs.
75%18%7%(73)
Higher booking fees for higher-quality fields are acceptable as long as there are affordable fields too
82%9%8%(74)
Not all neighbourhoods need the same types of sports fields.
78%11%11%(74)

Close calls

These statements sparked the most disagreement, with votes for agree or disagree closest to a 50/50 split.

Grass fields should be prioritized over turf fields even if it limits use in the early spring and late fall.
38%23%39%(74)
Adding lights to existing fields should be prioritized over building new fields without lights.
33%33%34%(73)
Funding should support a diversity of sports, even if it means less for the most common ones.
40%23%37%(73)
Fields should be designed for specific sports, even if fewer sports can use them.
43%18%39%(74)
Booking fees should stay low, even if it limits how many tournament-quality fields we offer.
39%26%35%(74)

Events

Past events

  • Pop up in the Park

    Event date: May 29th, 2024 at 10:00 PM to May 30th, 2024 at 12:00 AM.

    Location

    Margaret Greene Park

    Read more

  • Pop up in the Park

    Event date: June 1st, 2024 from 4:30 PM to 7:00 PM.

    Location

    David E. Hastings Stadium

    Read more

  • Pop up in the Park

    Event date: June 3rd, 2024 at 10:00 PM to June 4th, 2024 at 12:00 AM.

    Location

    Norm Jary Park

    Read more

  • Pop up in the Park - Multicultural Festival

    Event date: June 7th, 2024 at 9:00 PM to June 9th, 2024 at 10:00 PM.

    Location

    Riverside Park

    Read more

  • Pop up in the Park

    Event date: June 17th, 2024 at 10:00 PM to June 18th, 2024 at 12:00 AM.

    Location

    Eastview Community Park

    Read more

  • Pop up in the Park - Guelph United FC Men and Women games

    Event date: June 23rd, 2024 from 5:30 PM to 10:00 PM.

    Location

    Centennial Bowl

    Read more

  • Pop up in the Park - Hot summer nights

    Event date: August 1st, 2024 from 10:30 PM to 11:45 PM.

    Location

    Orin Reid Park

    Read more