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Orangeville Optimist Club seeks funding for storage of Christmas in the Park displays

July 31, 2025   ·   0 Comments

By JAMES MATTHEWS

Local Optimists will have to wait until next year’s budget process to find out about a financial shot in the arm to cover new storage space.

Michael Chezy of the Optimist Club of Orangeville asked council during its July 14 meeting for upwards of $50,000. It is so the club could expand a shed used to store materials and displays necessary for the club to host the annual Christmas in the Park at KayCee Gardens.

The club uses a town-owned facility located adjacent to the nearby seniors’ centre parking lot.

“Given the popularity of this annual event and the commitment to continue with its success, we have had to seek off-site storage at various locations in and around Orangeville in the past year,” Chezy said.

The storage facility at the seniors’ centre and whatever else can be found at other locations are, quite simply, on borrowed time, he said.

“Transporting these large display pieces increases the risk for potential damage, not to mention the annual maintenance required,” he said.

The club’s current shed has a footprint of 1,200 square feet. There’s hope to add another 450 square feet to the east side of the shed, which is owned by the municipality.

“Facilitating the centralization of all our displays in one location is critical,” he said.

The existing shed was built in December 2015. Chezy said there was pressure at the time to devise a plan to make alternate arrangements for storage accommodation due to other town projects.

“We were in dire need to salvage (Christmas in the Park) from failure due to a lack of operational space,” he said.

The Optimist Club is a group of doers and a friend of youth, Chezy said.

The club hosts the annual Bike Rodeo each May to teach safe riding to young people at various elementary schools in town.

A Junior Golf Tournament is held for early-aged teenagers in June as an opportunity to potentially help participants compete at other class-level leagues within the greater Optimist organization.

The Central Ontario Leadership Seminar is an annual program in which the club participates to support students seeking higher education through mentorship.

The club also supports Scout troops, essay contests, and numerous funding programs.

Councillor Joe Andrews said the club’s request will support current and future demands on the club.

Mayor Lisa Post said the problem council faces is the 2025 municipal capital and operating budget has long been inked.

“So our community grants have already been allocated and spent by our local community groups,” she said. “And our capital plan has already been completed for 2025 as well.”

She said she’s aware of the contributions to the community made by the club. But a limited purse stymies the desire to contribute.

“It does create a little bit of a problem for us to go off the budget cycle to find that much money to contribute to a community organization,” Post said.

She suggested the group work with staff to devise a comprehensive plan that could be incorporated as part of next year’s capital program that will be discussed during budgeting in November.

“How much of a pressure point does that have?” said Andrews.

“If we have to wait until spring, so be it,” Chezy said. “It’s not the end of the world. We’ll manage. We’re resilient and we’re optimistic.”

Coun. Andy Macintosh asked if an expanded shed would mean less parking space at the seniors’ centre.

“There will be no impediments to the parking whatsoever,” Chezy said.

Heather Savage, the town’s community services general manager, suggested using sea cans might be a temporary alternative.

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