After more than two years of planning, construction will begin in January on a new outdoor amphitheatre and trail head beside Lakehurst Hall west of Buckhorn.
The Municipality of Trent Lakes project is being funded by a $185,400 capital grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation.
According to a post of the municipality’s Facebook page, the new outdoor amphitheatre “will allow all ages and abilities to be enriched through art programming.”
“Art programming provides diverse perspectives and experiences which can foster understanding and inspire positive social change,” the Facebook post reads. “We look forward to all being able to enjoy this new space.”
Located in a grassy low-lying area south of the parking lot beside Lakehurst Hall known as the “lower bowl,” the outdoor amphitheatre will include seating for 150 people on three tiers constructed out of armour stone (blocks of quarry stone like limestone or granite), along with an accessible ramp.
The project will also include an armour stone wall separating the event space from the parking lot, a limestone gravel path that connects the existing forest trail behind Lakehurst Hall to Lakehurst Circle Road, and an evergreen hedge along the property along with other greenery.
The outdoor amphitheatre will be for day use only, as there will be no lighting, and will not employ amplification.
There will be no additional buildings constructed as part of the project, although a portable washroom will be available for amphitheatre and trail head users.
The outdoor amphitheatre is intended to be an extension of Lakehurst Hall and could be used for outdoor weddings, gatherings, speakers and presentations, and theatre and other arts-related programming. Night-time events and those requiring amplification would be held inside Lakehurst Hall, as is currently the case.
Located at 259 Lakehurst Circle Road, Lakehurst Hall has a seating capacity of 125 people. It was re-constructed in 2010 to accommodate accessibility measures and a full kitchen. In 2012, the Municipality of Trent Lakes acquired the lands adjacent to Lakehurst Hall and a formal parking area for 40 vehicles was constructed.
The board of Lakehurst Hall first pitched the idea of developing the lower bowl area to Trent Lakes council in 2023. Council approved the project in February 2024 and obtained a grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation to fund its construction.
This past August, Trent Lakes council held a public meeting on a zoning by-law amendment for the project, which included a noise study prepared by Cambium Inc. that recommended the outdoor space be limited to day use only and not include amplification due to the close proximity of neighbouring properties.
At the public meeting, neighbouring property owner Bill Bodnaryk spoke in opposition of the application, noting his concerns with the amphitheatre being located 30 feet from his property line, while Bruce Averill, a Lakehurst Hall board member and youth performing arts coordinator who has been a key advocate for the project, spoke in favour of the application.
Trent Lakes council approved the zoning by-law amendment and issued a request for tender for the project, which was awarded to Young’s Construction in November. Construction is set to begin on January 9.
“Residents and visitors are advised to be aware of the heavy equipment operating in the area and to respect the barricades in place,” the municipality noted.
