Revitalization plans to bring Loch Sloy property spaces ‘back to life’

Prince Edward County council will get a preview of preliminary discussions for revitalization of the former Loch Sloy property at its meeting Tuesday night.

The group of community builders, based mainly in Toronto and area, officially announced the purchase of the business park, aerodrome and land in December. It includes approximately 688 acres and more than 400,000 square feet of buildings, three runways, six hangers, four separate land parcels, as well as the Flying Club.

In the presentation, Tim Jones, of PEC Community Partners Inc, notes the zones of revitalization include first project priorities including event venues for collaboration – the Lecture hall, Sergeants Mess Hall, Drill Hass and outdoor stage.

“These spaces have traditionally played a role as convening spaces so there is a terrific opportunity to bring them back to life,” states Jones in the presentation to council. “The Melt Gallery will be upgraded and we will be building a larger new home for Maison Depoivre Gallery.”

The group plans to bring event venues online to a multi-year program from local arts, musicians, performers and cultural producers hosting and producing markets, festivals, weekend events, educational programs, art exhibits and lighting installations and hope to extend program into the shoulder seasons.

This spring the group plans to begin landscaping throughout the site, create an ‘Art Garden’ integrating nature with arts, music and educational programs.

The team includes seven people and hopes to grow to 25 by summer with a mandate to involve local vendors, tradespeople and contractors and seek the County’s creative community to participate in revitalization through a public art procurement campaign, along with opportunities for tenants to provide goods and services to the project.

The industrial park currently has more than 50 tenants and a waiting list.

The site originally hosted Camp Picton (Royal Airforce No. 31 Bombing and Gunnery School), as part of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan that trained aircrews from the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, during the Second World War, becoming operational on April 3, 1941.

It is the last remaining site of its kind in North America with many original buildings still intact.

More than two dozen television and movie productions have taken place at the site over the years. A number of small businesses continued to use the facility for a wide range of business activities including self-storage, small business operations as well as an arts and culture space.