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‘Friends of Arrowdale’ present petition opposing golf course sale to city hall

The Friends of Arrowdale, a non-profit organization formed to protest the City of Brantford’s closure and sale of the municipal Arrowdale Golf Course, has presented the city its petition, containing data that would have a profound impact on a referendum if one was to be undertaken.

Elisabeth Chernichenko of the Friends of Arrowdale said the results of the petition submitted refute the opinions of Brantford city councillors to the effect of “no one caring” or the amount not being significant enough to not sell.

“The statistics tell a very different story,” she said in a statement to media.

Council had voted late in 2019 to close the nine-hole course so that it could be developed for affordable housing. The matter had been taken to court, with the Ontario Divisional Court siding with the city’s original decision for closure. An appeal, however, is being launched.

The petition was conducted on a city-wide, door-to-door basis from January to mid-March 2020 before the COVID-19 pandemic put a stop to the campaign. More than 8,000 engagements were made with people at their doors, with 7,619 people deciding they didn’t wish to see the golf course sold.

Statistician Dr. Tim Swartz, of Simon Fraser University, conducted a statistical analysis of the data, suggesting that 55 per cent of city residents would vote for no sale if a referendum was undertaken.

To view the document which explains the petition data, click

Totals from Petition Counting.

To view the Arrowdale Golf Course community engagement survey, click Arrowdale Golf Course Community Engagement Survey.

To watch a video of the petition’s delivery to the city, click here.