A privately funded community tennis club on private land in Collingwood, featuring 6 outdoor courts with seasonal dome coverage for year-round play. Focused on providing affordable, accessible tennis through a community-oriented membership model.
Deputation to Collingwood Town Council requesting that staff review and report back on options for establishing a development charge exemption for seasonal or temporary recreational structures, such as air-supported domes.
The Issue: Under Collingwood's current Development Charges By-law, any enclosed air-supported structure is treated as a permanent building, regardless of whether it operates seasonally (6-8 months per year) and is fully removed annually. This creates a significant financial barrier to privately funded seasonal indoor tennis facilities.
Regional Precedent: Comparable municipalities including Meaford, Owen Sound, The Blue Mountains, and Clearview have established exemptions in their DC by-laws for seasonal or temporary structures, recognizing their non-permanent nature.
The Request: Council is being asked to direct staff to review how the Town's Development Charges By-law could recognize seasonal structures used less than eight months per year, and report back with options, including financial, legal, and policy implications.
🎥 Watch the recorded deputation (link takes you directly to the ~10 minute deputation segment)
📍 View proposed facility location (255 Osler Bluff Road) on Google Maps
Our deputation to Town Council generates coverage in local media, with Collingwood Today publishing an article about the project and our request for a development charge exemption for seasonal dome structures.
📰 Read the full article on Collingwood Today
Collingwood Town Council voted in favour of directing staff to review options for establishing a development charge exemption for seasonal or temporary recreational structures, and to report back to Council before the end of December.
Supporting Documentation:
📄 Open Letter to the Mayor from GBRI (Oct 29, 2025)
📄 Letter of Support from Collingwood Tennis Club (Oct 30, 2025)
🎉 Great news! Collingwood Town Council voted unanimously to direct staff to proceed with preparing an amending by-law to establish a DC exemption for qualifying temporary or seasonal structures, including seasonal air-supported domes.
What happens next: The municipality must now follow 7 procedural steps before this becomes law. The process must pass at each stage:
1. Draft Amending By-Law
2. Legal Review
3. Public Meeting
4. By-Law Passage
5. Notice of Passage
6. Appeal Period
7. DC Pamphlet Update
Timeline: We do not have a confirmed timeline yet for when the DC by-law will be formally amended, but our best estimate is approximately 3 - 6 months (but hopefully sooner!). Once the public meeting (Step 3) is announced, we'll update this timeline accordingly.
📰 Read the Collingwood Today coverage
📄 View the Dec 15 staff report
The Collingwood Community Club Project represents a privately funded approach to addressing the "indoor tennis desert" in South Georgian Bay. The project is being developed on private land at 255 Osler Bluff Road in Collingwood.
Project Model: Private investment and ownership, with a focus on creating an affordable, community-oriented tennis club accessible to residents of all ages and abilities. The landowner is personally committed to maintaining reasonable pricing and inclusive programming, including youth development, school partnerships, and community outreach.
Facility Details: 6 outdoor tennis courts with a seasonal air-supported dome structure providing indoor coverage during colder months (typically 6-8 months per year). The dome is fully removable and leaves no permanent footprint when taken down each spring.
Site Information: The property is already zoned REC-1 for recreational use and specifically permitted for tennis facilities. The land is currently undeveloped, so this project would activate an unused parcel of land for community benefit.
Current Challenge: Development charges for a dome under Collingwood's current by-law would make the project financially unviable. The project is seeking a Town of Collingwood policy update to align with regional best practices that recognize the temporary, seasonal nature of dome structures.
Target Timeline: If development charge policy issues can be resolved by early 2026, the goal is to have the facility operational by Fall/Winter 2026.
This project is part of GBRI's dual-pathway approach. We are also simultaneously working with the Town of The Blue Mountains on a public facility project to maximize the chances that South Georgian Bay residents will have access to year-round indoor tennis in the near future.
An air-supported enclosure held up entirely by internal air pressure – much like a large tent. Designed to operate seasonally (typically 6-8 months per year) and completely removed each spring.
Once the dome is taken down, the land immediately reverts to its original use (outdoor tennis courts). No permanent services or foundations required. Used by tennis facilities across Ontario.
A cost-effective way to extend community access to recreation without permanent construction. Enables year-round play while maintaining flexibility for seasonal use.
Many Ontario municipalities recognize these structures as temporary in their development charge by-laws, treating them differently from permanent buildings.