• Each Ward 2 candidate has outlined their positions on the Ballantrae Sports Dome as increasing resident concerns surface through the municipal election.
  • A resident petition calls for outstanding technical reviews before construction and asks whether a smaller facility would better suit the site.
  • Others have called for the project to be relocated or cancelled entirely.
  • Terri Drover shares residents’ concerns about traffic, size, and noise, but cautioned that changes could cost millions and that one councillor cannot promise to change the project.
  • Adam Hassan would not have supported the project in 2022, suggesting one councillor can’t stop it while focusing on reducing its impacts and returning park space to residents.
  • George Karpouzis opposes the dome as proposed and said he would not support it if it returns to Council, calling for comprehensive studies to be completed and made public first.
  • Rocco Priore has not taken a direct position, but supports full release of the agreement and technical studies, an independent review, and pausing further commitments where legally possible.
  • Jared Simpson supports added recreation but shares neighbourhood concerns, saying the project must meet a series of conditions before the business would open.

 

Five Ward 2 candidates have outlined where they stand on the Ballantrae Sports Dome, a major talking point in the area’s municipal election campaign. While all raised concerns about the facility’s size, traffic, and neighbourhood impacts, their responses diverge on how much can still be changed, and what one councillor could realistically do about it.

Statements from Terri Drover and Adam Hassan were submitted directly to Bullet Point News.

Both George Karpouzis and Jared Simpson referred us to the Responsible Recreation for Ballantrae website, which was also the source of Rocco Priore’s positions. The website offers a critical view of the project and describes itself as “Resident-led. Non-partisan. This initiative is not affiliated with or endorsed by any municipal election campaign.”

Their statements address concerns voiced by residents across community and online spaces, which are arriving at a late stage for a public-private partnership project years in the making.

A Dome Already in Motion

The Ballantrae Sports Dome has moved well beyond the proposal stage, a point several candidates referenced. The concept was born out of direction from Stouffville’s 2018 Leisure and Community Services Master Plan. It was then itemized in the document’s 2022 update, which Council approved that September.

The ball was already moving on the facility. In June 2022, Council directed Staff to issue a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the construction and operation of the dome. In December, with just two bids submitted, Council approved the contract award for the project’s first proponent, Ballantrae Sports Group.

In the contract award report Staff submitted to Council, the dual-dome structure proposed a combined 175,000 square feet of floor area, plus a 7,600-square-foot clubhouse. Town Staff explained the project would help the Town compensate for sports facilities lost with the December 2021 sale of Soccer City on Innovator Ave.

The dome broke ground in April 2023, but the proponent was unable to deliver it. After a series of delays, the Town cancelled the original contract, and Mentana Group was announced as the project’s new partner in May 2025.

The issuance of the initial RFP, the update to Stouffville’s primary recreation strategy document, and the approval of the Ballantrae Sports Group contract all came before Council. Each time the project was on the agenda, the public had an opportunity to depute before Council or advocate directly to their councillor in advance of the decision.

The single-source contract award to Mentana Group, however, was advanced through an April 2025 closed meeting of Council, out of public view.

That was permitted under Stouffville’s Procurement By-law, which allows a contract to be awarded without a competitive process when “unforeseen events” require timely action.

In a recent conversation with Bullet Point News, Stouffville Mayor Iain Lovatt said the replacement partnership contract is not substantially different from the original. With just two bids submitted in response to the initial RFP, there also appears to be limited competition in the marketplace.

The new dome, according to a comment from Lovatt on social media, has increased to a 210,000-square-foot facility with a 40,000-square-foot amenity building. That represents a 37 percent increase in floor area over the initial proposal.

Why Ballantrae Park

When potential locations were considered, Ballantrae Park was identified as Town-owned land able to accommodate the facility without the stricter development limits that apply to more-protected Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan (ORMCP) lands.

Bethesda Park, for example, sits within the ORMCP Countryside, where any major development requires extensive studies and adherence to strict regulatory controls. That was something the Town wanted to avoid.

The recently acquired Simeon Park, as another example, is on ORMCP Natural Linkages lands, where new serviced recreational facilities are restricted entirely.

Ballantrae Park, however, sits within the ORMCP’s Settlement Area designation. While still within the ORMCP area, Settlement Area lands allow traditional development, meaning a large sports dome can be built there.

What Some Residents Are Asking For

Through the Responsible Recreation for Ballantrae website, a petition is being circulated questioning whether a privately operated facility roughly 45 metres (148 feet) tall, with approximately 453 parking spaces, belongs beside Ballantrae Public School and established homes.

Organizers say they support appropriate recreation, but argue a substantially smaller, community-focused facility may better serve Ballantrae.

The petition asks the Town to complete outstanding technical, environmental, and safety reviews before full construction and operation, demonstrate that traffic, stormwater, flooding, noise, and lighting impacts can be managed, and show how the project conforms with the Ballantrae-Musselman’s Lake Secondary Plan’s policies on rural character and village scale.

Demands from other residents have gone further, including calls for the project to be cancelled or relocated.

The Town has posted a September 2026 Technical Mitigation Plan outlining some planned measures, including an opaque light-blocking liner, lighting dimmed by 50 percent by 11 p.m., interior acoustic panels, and a 2.5-metre berm planted with evergreens along the residential boundary. The document does not address stormwater, wastewater, or traffic.

Candidate Response: Terri Drover

Had she been on Council in 2022, Drover said, she may have suggested a different location, though she noted she would have been only one vote and may not have been able to change the project’s direction.

Changes to current decisions and plans have been reported to potentially cost millions, she explained. Such a decision could raise taxes at a time when the Town is already financially challenged by funding shortfalls.

Based on her inquiries, Drover said the Planning Department has met statutory requirements for community consultation. “That being said, I understand and share our Ward 2 residents’ concerns about the traffic, size and noise of the proposed facility in this location and a perceived lack of communication,” she added. “Residents need answers.”

If elected, Drover committed to creating an open dialogue, getting answers to residents’ questions, and representing their concerns in any further planning discussions and approvals.

Any change to the project would also require support from the broader Stouffville community, she said, telling us, “I cannot make promises I may not be able to keep.”

Candidate Response: Adam Hassan

Hassan said he would not have supported the project had he been on Council in 2022, arguing a facility of this size is not appropriate for Ward 2’s rural surroundings. He cited concerns about traffic, lighting, noise, and the facility’s proximity to homes and Ballantrae Public School.

Acknowledging the dome’s potential benefits, he listed planned amenities like pickleball, a year-round walking track, a workout area, basketball, volleyball, and an indoor sports field that could serve families, students, and seniors. Those benefits, he said, must be balanced against protecting neighbouring residents and respecting Ward 2’s rural character.

His understanding is that approvals, funding, and location are now finalized, with construction scheduled to begin in the coming months. Hassan also explained that one newly elected councillor cannot stop the project, telling us that “anyone making that commitment should explain clearly how they intend to achieve it.”

Hassan has already met with Mentana Group to raise concerns about lighting, visual impact, traffic, parking, noise, and proximity to the school and homes. If elected, he would identify “every remaining opportunity” to reduce the facility’s impact, press for answers on what can still be changed, including its size and design, and work with residents, Town Staff, and the operator on improvements.

He also called for Ballantrae Park’s usable community space to be returned to residents and students, noting the greenspace, baseball diamond, soccer field, and walking areas have been boarded off since 2023.

As someone who attended Ballantrae Public School and grew up enjoying the park, he said, “this is personal to me.”

Candidate Response: George Karpouzis

Karpouzis does not support the dome as currently proposed. While he believes facilities like it are necessary in Stouffville, he said a building of its size would not fit Ballantrae’s village-like setting.

He cited stormwater, private wastewater, and traffic concerns, along with lighting and noise, and said the issues raised have not been properly addressed. The Town owes residents thorough studies in each area, Karpouzis said, and “comprehensive studies must be performed and made public before any shovel is put into the ground.”

None of those studies have been brought forward, according to Karpouzis. He said he cannot fully support proceeding until all are concluded and deemed responsible, in the context of both the community and the environment.

Regarding the location, he wants Council to have “completely exhausted all other avenues” before Ballantrae is considered. He also said he has received no information from the Town on fees or schedules, noting a private company will run the facility, and that there may be no direct and immediate benefit to local residents.

Despite the approvals completed to date, Karpouzis said that should the issue come before Council again, he “will not be supporting it on how and where it’s currently constituted and proposed.”

Candidate Response: Rocco Priore

Priore declined to take a position for or against the dome until he has heard more from the people who live beside it. Views among residents he met at the door are split, he said, and many told him they learned of the project after key decisions were made.

Acknowledging the Town has held public hearings, Priore said residents have not had enough information, pointing to the community organizing that has occurred in an effort to get answers. He supports “full public release” of the agreement and all technical studies, as well as an independent review of site impacts paid for by the project, not taxpayers.

He has not seen independent studies on stormwater, wastewater, groundwater, or traffic, and would require them before any further approvals, adding that noise and lighting need “written limits with enforcement, not promises.”

A site beside a public school and family homes “needs a higher bar than anywhere else,” he added.

Priore also cautioned that cancelling the project outright could expose the Town to serious costs and legal risk, which residents deserve to understand before anyone promises to do so. Where legally possible, he would support pausing further commitments until outstanding questions are answered publicly, but said a pause would need broad resident support to carry at Council.

If elected, Priore pledged to request the full project file in his first week, hold an open meeting in Ballantrae within 60 days, and report back to residents after every Council decision affecting the project.

“You should never have to find out about a decision in your own neighbourhood after the fact,” Priore said.

Candidate Response: Jared Simpson

Simpson said he supports expanding year-round recreation in Stouffville while sharing concerns about the facility’s scale, infrastructure demands, and traffic and neighbourhood impacts.

Citing conversations with Town Staff and the Mayor, however, he said significant approvals and legally binding agreements are already in place.

He has also met with Mentana Group and detailed the planned facilities. His understanding is that community programming and preferred rates for local sports organizations are embedded in the agreements, though access arrangements, hours, and fees have yet to be communicated.

During an Aug. 26 meeting, Simpson said, Town Staff told him Ballantrae was the only available municipal site suitable for the facility. Reconsidering the location would carry significant contractual implications, he said, and if reversing course is not the best option, the priority should be integrating the facility responsibly, particularly for its closest neighbours.

Simpson’s understanding is that a stormwater management plan has been submitted to the Town, a traffic study is being finalized, and the design includes an opaque dome liner, directed lighting, and acoustic treatments. He would seek confirmation that wastewater servicing can handle peak events, and that school and facility traffic are safely separated.

Revisiting contractual commitments can carry significant legal, financial, and practical consequences, he further cautioned, adding that candidates should explain what authority Council actually has and “the difference between an objective and an achievable course of action.”

If elected, Simpson said he would work with Town Staff, residents, and the developer on outstanding concerns, hold a public meeting, and provide regular updates.

His listed commitments also state that unless concerns are addressed and resolved, “the business wouldn’t proceed to open.”

 

Cover rendering by ZAS Architects + Interiors, posted to the Town’s project website.