A lot has happened since Kivi Park, a sprawling area for wilderness enjoyment and recreation, was introduced to Sudburians three years ago.

Trails for hiking, skiing and biking have been improved and expanded, high-end play equipment has been installed, and an outdoor rink was significantly upgraded. More land providing access to Crowley Lake was acquired, and this past winter a 1.3-km skating path, which curves through the forest, made its debut.

All of this has occurred thanks to a huge team of volunteers and the generosity of Lily Fielding, who initially gifted the land and contributed $3 million overall for the park’s development, along with other donors like the Grossi family and various businesses that have provided either money or in-kind contributions.

With such an expansion in scope, however, comes additional financial pressures and the need for a new organizational structure.

Changes are in the works for Kivi, and part of this new era will involve fees for users.

“The Kivi Park Community Foundation is now being established as a charitable organization and so it’s time for a board of directors and executive team to be put in place for its governance,” said Melissa Sheridan, who has acted as park leader since the inception of Kivi. “This will help take it in so many different directions.”

Some people have already expressed interest in serving on the board or executive, but others are still welcome to apply by emailing info@kivipark.comand sharing their interest and resume, she said.

Registering as a not-for-profit charitable organization will allow the park to take advantage of new funding opportunities, Sheridan said, as well as issue receipts to donors for tax purposes.

More money will be required, however, to sustain the park and enhance its offerings.

“As Kivi has continued to grow — at over 480 acres now, with the addition of Crowley Lake and canoeing and kayaking — it comes with a large price tag,” said Sheridan.

Insurance alone is quite steep, she noted, and grooming equipment needs to be maintained and fuelled — this past winter, with its record snowfall, drove that budget up significantly — among other operating costs.

“That’s what has created the need for passes,” she said.

Beginning this summer, visitors will be expected to pay to frequent the park, choosing from a range of options.

“You can have an annual pass for Kivi Park, a family pass, or a day pass,” she said. “There would be a parking component to it, kind of modelling Killarney Park where you park for the day to go for a hike.”

Sheridan said machines like the ones in Killarney that accept credit cards should be in place at Kivi access points by the end of June for occasional visitors — such as people from out of town — while those who opt for annual or seasonal passes won’t have to pay an additional parking fee.

The fees have not been firmly set but Sheridan said they will be on par with what is charged at comparable places like the Walden Cross-Country Fitness Club, BioSki Cross-Country and Snowshoe Club or a provincial park.

“All these things go toward offsetting our operating costs and ensuring sustainability,” she said. “Lily Fielding was extremely generous with her founding donation and she continued to donate while we expanded, but it can’t go on. The park needs to be sustainable and stand on its own.”

Some people accustomed to free access may balk a bit at having to part with money, but Sheridan said it was always the Kivi group’s plan to eventually introduce user fees.

“We said it wasn’t fair for us to impose a day pass or annual pass while we were under construction and going through development,” she said. “But now that our trails are complete and we have expanded with the biking, and Adventure 365 has a rental facility on site, we feel we are in that position where if someone wants to try cross-country skiing or go hiking for a day, we can ask them to pay for a day pass or parking pass.”

Doing so will also “create an even field for everyone,” she added. “So it’s not like you come to Kivi to ski or bike for free and have to pay to go everywhere else. It will be consistent across the board.”

Those of limited means will still have the opportunity to visit Kivi Park, however.

“We want to make it available to everyone,” said Sheridan. “We understand that obviously there are some families and individuals who have financial hardships, and they might be discouraged by the implementation of a pass to access Kivi.”

With that in mind, park stewards have established an endowment fund, she said, which suitable candidates can access to supplement the cost of a pass.

“People can apply online for it,” she said. “Their application will then be reviewed by the executive committee or the board, and it would be granted on a case-by-case basis. They would be asked to pay a nominal fee and the endowment fund would cover the balance of the pass for them.”

At the moment the trails at Kivi are still a bit too muddy for use by cyclists, but they will be firming up soon and Adventure 365 will open again in the next couple of weeks to rent equipment, said Sheridan.

The Sprockids summer camp, which introduces youngsters to mountain biking through a one-week program, will also be offered again at Kivi this summer.

Canoes and kayaks, meanwhile, will again be available for rent at Crowley Lake, along with — for the first time this year — paddleboards.

Several big events are also on the Kivi schedule, including Miners Mayhem on June 22, the CanaquaSwimRun Challenge on July 28, and the Xterra Conquer the Crater triathlon on Aug. 4.

This summer the park will also begin setting up poles and lamps to light the skating path next winter, so skaters will be able to glide amongst the trees as late as 11 p.m.

“We have added a lot of things that are unique to Kivi,” said Sheridan. “And we continue to grow.”

jmoodie@postmedia.com