Morinville residents will meet face to face with town councillors this week to brainstorm ideas for their new recreation centre.
Morinville town council has announced the dates for six community focus groups on the design of the town's proposed rec centre.
The town budgeted up to $13.75 million in capital spending this year to build the first phase of a new rec centre and arena, which is meant to replace the crumbling Ray McDonald Sports Centre.
Starting today with the help of St. Albert facilitator David Ramsey, town councillors will hold six focus groups to hear what residents want to see in the new rec centre, said Mayor Lisa Holmes.
"Anything inside the building is at this point negotiable," she said, and anyone can attend any of the groups.
Tracy Reaume, who is co-ordinating the consultation sessions for the town, said that about 35 people had confirmed their participation as of Tuesday, with many more expected to walk into the sessions when they start. All sessions are from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in council chambers, except for the Jan. 24 session, which is from 10 a.m. to noon.
Coun. Rob Ladouceur hosts the sports and recreation group this Jan. 21, followed by Coun. Gordon Putnam's powwow with current arena users the next day.
Coun. Barry Turner talks with community groups Jan. 24, while Coun. Stephen Dafoe chats up business interests on Jan 26. Coun. Nicole Boutestein meets public institutions on Jan. 29, and Coun. Brennan Fitzgerald speaks with the general public group on Feb. 5.
Mayor Lisa Holmes says she will hold a seventh focus group with people looking to partner with the town on the recreation centre after these talks. She hasn't finalized the membership of this group yet.
Arena ideas abound
Sturgeon School Division board chair Terry Jewell said that at least three members of the board planned to attend the sessions. The board plans to build a new Grade 5 to 9 school in Morinville, and hopes that it will be linked directly to the new rec centre.
"We'd like to see something like what's in St. Albert – sort of a rec centre kind of thing which would have our school on one end of it or somehow attached to it," he said. Such a setup would let the two projects share expensive facilities such as gyms or parking lots.
Town resident Murray Knight said he planned to attend the community group, arena user and general public sessions.
"The older citizens in our community are leaving the family farm and moving into town," he noted, and leaving much historic farm equipment behind them.
Although the town's museum is in a great spot right now, Knight said the group could move onto the rec centre site and use part of it as an outdoor museum for those agricultural artifacts.
As a granddad of a young hockey player, Knight said he also wanted the new arena to be accessible to all ages, especially seniors.
"I find some of the stairs right now are cumbersome for old people to climb."
Bigger change rooms, better bathrooms, and a decent heating system for the stands were also priorities, he continued.
Knight was also concerned about the costs of keeping the Ray McDonald arena open until this new facility was ready.
"Hockey's a very expensive sport to play," he noted, and if parents have to rent ice out of town this fall, the cost could push more kids out of the sport.
The town plans to spend $150,000 to fix the Ray McDonald enough so it can last until the end of March, Holmes said. They don't have the numbers yet on what it will cost to keep it open for another season.
If the new rec centre/arena isn't open by this fall as originally planned, the town would have to rent ice abroad or keep its current arena open, she continued.
Knight encouraged residents to come out to the groups and learn more about the rec centre.
"One way or another, it's your money, and you should have input in spending your money."
Town council will hold a second open house on the rec centre after this round of focus groups, Holmes said.
Contact Reaume at 780-939-7853 or [email protected] to learn more about the sessions.
