The Couchiching Golf and Country Club wants the city to ante up $12,000 so local residents can once again enjoy slipping and sliding down the Peter Street facility’s popular toboggan hill.
Ed Novosky, president of the club’s board of directors, has penned a letter to city council asking the municipality to consider, during upcoming budget deliberations, providing a $12,000 annual contribution to the club for use of its ‘iconic’ toboggan hill.
“Generations of Orillia residents have enjoyed the winter activities, and indeed many who have relocated elsewhere have come back year after year for an annual outing,” wrote Novosky.
“Although the club has made this facility available at no charge over the years, continued financial pressures ensuring the club’s viability increase annually and have reached the point where financial support from the City of OriIlia is being requested,” he said.
Novosky said the shareholders of the club view the toboggan hill as a city park for four to six months of the year.
He also points out the city’s parks and recreation brochure states the city has three toboggan hills – one of which is at the Couchiching Golf Club.
As a result, the board is asking “the City of Orillia provide the Couchiching Golf and Country Club with an annual payment of $12,000 per annum for as long as the toboggan hill remains available for use by the citizens of Orillia.”
