The Municipality of Kincardine has established a new lease agreement for the Connaught Park Pavilion, one that will see the local gymnastics club take over as the primary tenant.
The 10-year lease between the Municipality and the Kincardine Klassics Gymnastics Club (KKGC), replaces the previous arrangement in which the building was leased to the Kincardine Agricultural Society (KAS), which then subleased the space to the gymnastics club.
The gymnastics club will pay rent unlike in the previous lease, with approximately $235,500 coming to the Municipality over the next decade.
Rent will start at $15,000 in 2026, increase to $20,000 in 2027 and go up five per cent annually after that. The club will also be responsible for interior capital improvements, while the Municipality will remain in charge of exterior repairs and maintanence.
The agreement came after months of discussion between the three parties, with KKGC saying the difficulties of not having the space year round were no longer managable as the club continued to grow.
The Ag Society said it was left out of the discussions, potentially losing access to a viable location to hold the annual Fall Fair.
However, the agreement will continue to accomodate the fair in the short term. In 2026, KKGC will temporarily relocate most of its equipment and pause operations for two weeks to support the Fall Fair.
From 2027 to 2029, if the Fair remains at Connaught Park, KKGC will also provide storage space for one week at no charge.
The Municipality has also entered into a separate transition agreement with KAS that includes a $10,000 donation to help purchase a trailer for storage, $3,000 annually for tent rentals and a $6,000 credit worth of municipal space rentals and event equipment per year.
"Overall, the agreement implements recommendations from the Municipality's Parks and Recreation Strategic Plan by establishing a direct lease with the primary user of the facility, creating a new municipal revenue stream, maintaining support for the Fall Fair, and providing greater clarity around long-term use and maintenance of the Connaught Park Pavilion," read an email from interim CAO Kim Wingrove.
Throughout the process, Mayor Ken Craig recused himself from discussions due to a conflict of interest with KAS.
