Report To: From: Council Andrew Siltala, Economic Development and Strategic Initiatives Date: August 28, 2017 Report No: Subject: Canadian Open Recommendation: THAT Milton Council direct staff to include the subject area identified in Appendix A to Report in a preferred growth scenario for consideration through the Regional Official Plan Review (ROPR) process, subject to Golf Canada, and ClubLink Corporation ULC confirming by June 2018 an agreement-in-principle whereby a redesigned RattleSnake Point Golf Club will become the permanent home for the Canadian Open within the next 5 years; AND THAT Report be distributed to all municipalities in Halton Region as well as ClubLink Corporation ULC and Golf Canada, demonstrating Milton s commitment. REPORT Background The Canadian Open, conducted by Golf Canada, is the premiere professional men s annual golf tournament in Canada and the third oldest continuously running tournament on the PGA TOUR. For the past 113 years, the world class event has produced some of the finest moments in golf history. It is witnessed annually by 100,000 plus spectators and a worldwide television audience of over 830 million viewers, in 226 countries around the world, in 34 different languages. Currently, the Canadian Open rotates to several golf courses across the country. Golf Canada s vision is to secure a permanent home for its championship at a venue which could be complimented by multi-use sport and recreation. The venue is also a
Page 2 of 4 potential headquarters for Golf Canada s head office and its 56 plus full time employees. A permanent home for the Canadian Open permits Golf Canada to establish a foundation in which to build and shape an ideal venue, grow participation and provide a footprint within the community. From an economic development perspective, it is appropriate that all efforts be made to maintain the home of the Canadian Open and Golf Canada within Halton Region. Preliminary discussions between ClubLink Corporation ULC, Golf Canada, Halton Region and representatives have led to the conclusion that a redesigned RattleSnake Point Golf Club would successfully accommodate the Canadian Open s needs for a permanent home as well as future plans. From discussions with various stakeholders, it has been concluded that now is the opportune time to accommodate the required land use changes through the current Halton Region Official Plan Review process. This project would successfully further several of the goals identified in the s Strategic Plan Destiny Milton 3. Discussion From an overall planning perspective, any proposal through Golf Canada and ClubLink Corporation ULC to relocate the Canadian Open and Golf Canada to Milton involves expanding the Urban Area Milton to include not only the RattleSnake Point Golf Club lands but also the lands extending to Britannia Road to the north (Appendix A). Urban boundary expansions are subject to provincial policies which are outlined below as well as the timeframes for the Regional Official Plan Review process currently underway. The Provincial Policy Statement 2014 and the Growth Plan 2017 will be the applicable key Provincial Policy documents. Any Urban Boundary expansion must also be considered within the context of the Regional Official Plan Review (currently underway) and as part of the Regional Municipal Comprehensive Review (MCR) (currently underway). The Regional MCR and resulting Official Plan Review are scheduled for consideration by Regional Council in 2020. The Regional MCR will need to consider the Growth Plan 2017 in its entirety and more specifically policies 2.2.7 Designated Greenfield Areas and 2.2.8 Settlement Area Boundary Expansions. In accordance with the Growth Plan 2017 any new urban lands that may be added, if justified through the Regional MCR, would see
Page 3 of 4 development post 2031 and would need to be planned to accommodate 80 people and jobs per hectare Region wide, golf courses are not excluded from this density requirement. The inclusion of any lands into the Urban Area in proximity to the Region s Waste Management Site would also need to be carefully assessed to ensure no land use impacts result now or in the future. Once the Regional Official Plan update is complete the would be required to bring the Town s Official Plan into conformity with the Regional Plan. Proceeding with the above-mentioned planning steps will enable Milton to present a competitive option to Golf Canada to realize the benefits to both Milton and Halton Region that would come with attracting this type of partnership. The Canadian Open attracts over 100,000 spectators each year providing an estimated $20 to $25 million boost to the local economy. The Canadian Open is a world class event and brings with it significant national and international exposure. In addition, a strong presence of Golf Canada in the community would be an asset as there are synergies that can be explored between Golf Canada and our postsecondary partners in the Milton Education Village in the fields of study related to high-performance sport. Another high profile, world class event and an associated national sport organization would be a strong addition to Milton, not unlike, the presence that has developed at the Mattamy National Cycling Centre. The Centre is now home to Cycling Canada and provides the venue to focus on technical leadership and sport science support in a quality daily training environment. Further, Cycling Canada has been selected by the International Cycling Union (UCI) to host a leg of the TISSOT UCI Track World Cup in each of the next three years, bringing international exposure and 300 of the top track cyclists in the world to Milton. Securing a permanent home for the Canadian Open and Golf Canada would be Milton s second combination of a world class sporting event alongside a national sport organization. There is no question this proposed pairing would move us farther along in our continued efforts to build a high performance sport cluster in the community. Other similar opportunities, in addition to golf and cycling, have been identified and are being explored as the Town receives inquiries from sports related events and organizations.
Page 4 of 4 Financial Impact At this time there are no direct financial impacts arising from this report, however, studies have shown an estimated $20 to $25 million boost to the local economy. Respectfully submitted, Andrew Siltala Director, Economic Development and Strategic Initiatives For questions, please contact: Andrew Siltala X 2103 Attachments Appendix A: Subject Area CAO Approval William Mann, MCIP, RPP, OALA, CSLA, MCIF, RPF Chief Administrative Officer
± Report : Appendix A - Canadian Open REGIONAL R O AD 25 THOMPSON ROAD BRITANNIA ROAD LOWER BASE LINE Subject Lands - 428.20 ha (1058.10 ac) Copyright 2017: Copyright 2015: First Base Solutions Inc. Map provided courtesy of the for informational purposes only. This map has been produced from a variety of sources. The does not make any representations concerning the accuracy, likely results or reliability of the use of the materials. The Town hereby disclaims all representations and warranties. THIS IS NOT A LEGAL SURVEY 0 100 200 400 600 Meters 800