ClubLink announces plans to redevelop Kanata Golf and Country Club

OTTAWA — ClubLink, the owner and operator of the Kanata Golf and Country Club near Ottawa, has announced steps towards redeveloping the golf course lands, possibly into a new residential community.

ClubLink has partnered with Minto Communities and Richcraft Homes to assist with community engagement and redevelopment plans for the property, said a Dec. 14 release.

The statement said that beginning in early 2019, ClubLink, Minto and Richcraft will undertake a community engagement process that will inform a land-use plan for the property. The process will be carried out in close collaboration with City of Ottawa officials, said the release, to “ensure the plan is supportive of the city’s priorities of livability and smart growth.”

ClubLink has launched a new website, kanatapossibilities.ca, on which it states, “Across Canada, participation levels have declined and people are playing less golf, while operating costs continue to rise. Kanata Golf has felt the pressure of these trends.”

The site said options for redevelopment could include “much-needed new housing for families and more functional, high-quality public green spaces, available year-round.”

“Golf courses are struggling across the country, and particularly in saturated markets like Ottawa,” said Robert Visentin, ClubLink’s senior vice-president of investments, in the statement. “Ottawa is a vibrant, growing city and we believe there is an opportunity to better utilize this 70 hectares of land to meet the interests of the community.”

“This is a special opportunity to have such a significant piece of property inside the city’s urban boundary that can be designed to reflect the community’s needs — such as much-needed new housing for families, and high quality public green spaces,” noted Brent Strachan, Ottawa division president, Minto Communities. “We look forward to contributing to a project that we as a company and the broader community can be proud of.”

Steve Grandmont, COO of Richcraft Homes added, “As a long-time builder in Kanata, we know this community well and appreciate that residents will want their values reflected in this plan. We’re going to work hard to get it right.”