Recreation complex is getting a new name

By Mark Ribble

LEAMINGTON — Going forward, the Leamington Kinsmen Recreation Complex will be known as the Nature Fresh Farms Recreation Centre.

The naming rights were awarded to Nature Fresh Farms at the May 12 Leamington Council meeting.

Nature Fresh will pay about $1 million to the municipality over the 15-year agreement for the naming rights.

The 179,000 square foot facility originally opened in 1985 and the Leamington Kinsmen Club spearheaded the fundraising and building of the project.

The land was donated by the HJ Heinz Company and the complex was initially known as the Frank T. Sherk Complex to honour the first Canadian President of Heinz, who was from Leamington.

The Leamington Kinsmen Club began in 1944 and the Kinsmen and Kinettes have been instrumental in many of Leamington’s largest events and fundraisers.

They still have a large hand in Hogs for Hospice, although the membership numbers have dipped recently.

Kevin Reid, speaking on behalf of the current Kinsmen members, said the decision does not come as a surprise to them.

“We had meetings back in January and the municipality told us of their plans to shop around the naming rights”, he said.

“We decided at that point, that we were best suited to focus on the canteen and other venues.”

The Kinsmen Club currently runs the canteen and Locker Room Lounge in the complex, as well as the refreshment venue at Seacliff Park. Those will all stay in the hands of the Kinsmen Club.

“We negotiated to keep those long-term,” said Reid.

Reid said the club’s motto is ‘serving the community’s greatest needs’ and he thinks by allowing the town to sell those rights, they’ve accomplished that.

“We decided to assist the town in allowing that to happen,” he said.

The front entrance of the newly named Nature Fresh Farms Recreation Centre as it stands today. The local company purchased the naming rights for the next 15 years.

Nature Fresh Farms is a greenhouse grower with over 200 acres of greenhouse facilities. Growing in the Leamington community for the past 20 years, Nature Fresh Farms has become one of the largest independent, vertically integrated greenhouse vegetable farms in North America.

“As a family-run business, we understand the value of family and the importance of community facilities that help bring them together,” said founder and President, Peter Quiring.

Leamington Mayor Hilda MacDonald says the municipality is looking toward the future, and recognizes that the Kinsmen played a huge part in the construction of the complex.

“We will never forget what the Kinsmen have done over the years,” she said.

Mayor MacDonald had nothing but praise for Nature Fresh for stepping up to the plate.

“I’m thankful that we have partners in this community who are willing to put their money up front for the betterment of the community,” she said. “Nature Fresh has always been so good to our community.”