A review of the management structure for the Sicamous and District Recreation Centre is long overdue.
This was the consensus among Sicamous council after reviewing and accepting the latest draft of the district’s new Parks, Recreation and Open Space Plan.
The plan recommends that a review of the management model at the arena be accepted by the Columbia Shuswap Regional District, which owns the arena facility.
“A goal of the review process would be to examine the capacity for a broader programming role by funded staff persons,” states the plan. But Coun. Heidi Dewit noted how for the past 30 years the arena has been run by the volunteer Sicamous and District Recreation Centre Society, and that a review wouldn’t hurt.
“I don’t think it’s harsh or unreasonable to look at what the next 20 years is going to hold, because things are going to change,” said Dewit. “I don’t think it’s too heavy handed to have discussions about changing that contract model.”
“I think, what you’ve just said, I’d like to hear from each and every one of us as to your comments,” replied Mayor Malcolm MacLeod, after which each councillor voiced their support for the review.
District administrator Alan Harris noted the rec centre society’s contract with the CSRD is only for the maintenance of the facility, and does not include programming.
“You’ve heard people say, ‘You’re putting in this programmer and we don’t need it,’ and other people say, ‘We do need it because we’re going to burn out,’” said Harris. “What this does is open up the discussions and then you look at, do you want to increase your taxes to have this, is there a better way of doing it?”
Harris noted there is no need for immediate action as the rec centre society’s contract with the CSRD was recently extended to the end of June, 2012.
Rec centre society president Kathy Morrison confirmed the contract extension. When the contract is up, the society will be required to submit a management plan to the CSRD, similar to what would happen through a request for proposal process.
While Morrison is not opposed to the review, she says it’s only happening now because of the District of Sicamous parks plan, and not because of the way the society has been running things.
“There’s nothing wrong with the way it’s been managed, and the cost of us managing it, I think, when they do the dollars and cents of it, is going to be a lot less than what the district would do it for,” says Morrison.
CSRD Area E director Rhona Martin speaks highly of the rec centre society and the job they’ve done and continue to do.
“Our staff and myself are very, very pleased with the way the rec centre has been run,” says Martin. “We have a top-notch facility. The mechanical, structural end of the building – which is what they do, they manage the building, not programs – they’ve done an outstanding job. And they’re a volunteer organization that has done this job since it began.”
Martin says, however, that the CSRD operates in partnership with the District of Sicamous and, in this case, a partner has requested a review be done.
“When we have a partnership and we get a request from one of our partners to have a look at it, then we are required to have a look at it,” says Martin, adding the arena must be looked at as a separate entity and not in comparison with other facilities.
“You can’t compare our building to other buildings,” says Martin. “An ice plant is an ice plant and they operate a certain way, but each community does their own thing.
“I know down in Ashcroft, they don’t put their ice in until really late, probably the end of September. We put our ice in early… that’s because there’s a hockey school that happens and then the tryouts for the Eagles.”
Martin notes this difference brings families into the community who contribute to the local economy.
Harris explained the parks plan would be sent to the CSRD for comment, and that it is intended to work in conjunction with the Area E parks plan.