Power to Be, which offers nature-based programs for youth and families in need, is about to breathe new life into the Prospect Lake Golf Course.
The not-for-profit firm, which has been immersing in nature disadvantaged members of the community through a diverse suite of programs over the past 18 years, has entered into a partnership with the Steele family to establish a new home base and program hub at the site of the former nine-hole course.
“We have always wanted to introduce youth and families to local green space and provide access for them, and we outgrew our capacity to do that,” said Power to Be executive director Tim Cormode. “But now, having a site and being able to bring people here means we can run more programs at any given time and provide more experiences for our participants.”
The site, with waterfront access to Prospect Lake, allows the company to keep and maintain all of its equipment in one place, saving money and time. It is also big enough to allow them to expand programming to include camping, rock climbing and environment education programs, run watersports programs such as kayaking and paddle boarding on site, and offer multiple programs at the same time.
“It also adds to our reputation and relevance,” said Cormode. “I think it’s a meaningful home our donors and volunteers will get behind.”
Power to Be, which has a staff of 30 and a volunteer body of 300, runs on an annual budget of about $2.8 million. It is funded by the private sector to offer completely subsidized programs for about 1,200 youth, families and young adults with physical or acquired disabilities, mental health issues and financial barriers to outdoor recreation.
Cormode said the partnership with the Steele family establishes a long-term affordable lease, one that he believes is more than worth the cost, given the impact it will have on participants.
For the Steeles, who operated the golf course for 41 years before closing it for good last fall, the partnership is as much a philanthropic endeavour as it is a business decision and the protection of a legacy.
“This is a fantastic deal ... we were really searching for the right stewards for the land for the future,” said Shawn Steele, general manager of Steelecrest. “We wanted to make sure to keep the land natural, to use it for recreation and have the community be able to come out and enjoy the property.
“Power to Be fit perfectly because of its nature-based activities, educational component and Tim and I are aligned in terms of a vision of the future. We are really excited we can pass on the property to new stewards who will respect and love the property as we have.”
In the deal, Power to Be will have control of the entire 88-acre space (the golf course comprised 35 acres). There is also a clubhouse, maintenance building, 45 acres of undeveloped forest and eight acres of protected land, some of which is in the agricultural land reserve.
“There are a lot of untapped resources for them to use,” said Steele, adding they will still be involved in maintenance. “We are offsetting what a traditional market rate would be through donations and contribution of services to make it financially prudent.”
Steele, who was on hand with his father, Cedric, for the announcement Wednesday, said the family had initially considered looking for another operator or other potential users, but the decision was made to find a partner that would have a long-term vision for the site.
Steele said after the recession in 2009, like other golf courses around the region, they saw a steady drop in business, including the evaporation of corporate tournaments.
“That was a big portion of our revenue,” Steele said. When it was considering options for the site in 2014, the family made a decision to maintain the site as is instead of pursuing any kind of development.
He said handing over the keys is a little bittersweet, since he has been working at the course since he was old enough to push a lawnmower and had managed it for the past 16 years. “But I’m excited there will be new people out exploring the property,” he said.
