Huntsville approves EV charger lease for McCulley Robertson Sports Complex

Four new chargers are coming to the sports complex

Huntsville Council approved a site lease agreement with Lakeland Solutions to install electric vehicle (EV) chargers at McCulley Robertson Sports Complex during the July 27, 2026, meeting.

According to the staff report, Lakeland Solutions successfully secured provincial EV ChargeON funding to install the chargers after its application for the McCulley Robertson Sports Complex was approved.

A separate application for the Canada Summit Centre was unsuccessful, however, staff said Natural Resources Canada is expected to reopen a similar funding program in fall 2026. Lakeland Solutions intends to apply again for that location, and if successful, staff will return to Council seeking authorization for a second site lease agreement.

Under the agreement, Lakeland Solutions will lease four parking spaces and charger locations from the Town for a nominal fee.

Lakeland will be responsible for all infrastructure procurement, construction costs, electrical service upgrades and ongoing maintenance of the charging equipment. The Town will continue maintaining the parking area as part of its regular winter maintenance program.

The report adds that staff recommended the nominal lease because the project comes at no cost to the Town, supports Huntsville's climate action objectives, and provides a benefit to the municipality through its shareholding in Lakeland Holdings Ltd.

The chargers will become part of Lakeland's TAKE CHARGE network, which already operates EV charging stations throughout the Parry Sound-Muskoka region.

Existing chargers installed behind Town Hall have been in operation since September 2024 and have been well used by both residents and visitors.

Installation at McCulley Robertson Sports Complex is expected to begin in November 2026 after the busy summer and fall sports season concludes.

Councillor, Cory Clarke, indicated that concerns have been expressed about whether there will be adequate lighting provided in the charging areas.

Climate Action Strategist, David Zilkey, indicated there will be two lights included in the design, however, he will look into it. He said, “The idea is to improve safety for users that are accessing those charging areas, so I don’t anticipate that would cover the entire parking lot, but that is a discussion that could be had with Lakeland about what the sort of options are to be able to increase the amount of lighting in that area.”

Councillor, Jason FitzGerald, inquired about revenue sharing. He said, “If we’re not doing revenue sharing then our percentage of money generated from the EVs in our community are being shared with the other shareholders.” He added, “I’m wondering which avenue is more beneficial to Huntsville’s bottom line.”

CAO, Denise Corry, said, “We can’t lose site of the investment that is put into the infrastructure that provides an added benefit within our community,” however, indicated that she can follow up about the revenue generation.

She added, “I think the belief is when Lakeland does it and invests the money into the infrastructure to give the community the benefit that that’s a little bit of a wash in that regard, and the fact that we’re actually shareholders getting I think we’re 23 something percent at this point… Again, we’re collecting funds.”

FitzGerald, suggested that staff also communicate with surrounding communities “and those that have done cost sharing benefits.”