Members of the Kerrisdale Community Centre's Facilities Renewal Committee are disappointed there's no money in the park board's proposed 2012-2014 capital plan to replace that community's aging community centre, ice arena and pool.
Committee chair Chris Heath says that community's ice arena and swimming pool are in desperate need of replacement. The Kerrisdale Arena was built in 1949, while the swimming pool was added to the community centre in 1956.
"Both facilities are well past their sell-by date," says Heath. "And neither would withstand an earthquake. This community centre is supposed to be an emergency refuge, but this would be the case of survivors having to save the rescuers."
He said both facilities are much needed. The committee recently hired the Mustel Research Group to conduct a survey of the Kerrisdale community and its recreation needs. Highlights of the survey's findings include 68 per cent of the 300 residents polled belong to a community centre, club or organization that offers recreational facilities, 56 per cent have used the Kerrisdale pool, while 60 per cent have used the ice rink (86 per cent of the rinks users have children) and 79 per cent strongly support using city funds to build a new community centre with pool. According to the 75-page survey, there were no significant differences in results by gender, household income or ethnicity, though the strongest support came from residents with children.
Heath had hoped the city would direct some of the millions of dollars in amenity funds from the Shannon Mews housing development project towards a feasibility study for a new community centre, but his proposal to council was rejected. He says the infrastructure at the Kerrisdale Community Centre is rotting, the change rooms next to the pool stink and the building itself is sinking because it was built on a swamp.
Heath fears there's a misconception Kerrisdale is full of wealthy residents who don't need the services offered by a community centre. He says the results of the Mustel survey show otherwise.
"Not everyone in Kerrisdale is wealthy," says Heath. "They have to understand this is a community that needs services, too."
Vision Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»park board chair Aaron Jasper says he's aware of the need for new recreation facilities in Kerrisdale, but said repairing or replacing one component of the centre at a time no longer makes sense. Instead, community centres are integrating services with other city departments. The new Mount Pleasant facility not only includes a community centre but also a library and social housing. The planned Marpole Community Centre, part of which is included in the 2012-2014 capital plan, will include a library.
"We're hesitant to upgrade the pool when the whole campus needs replacing," says Jasper. "We're looking at these projects with a new lens that includes renewing everything together on the same site."
Jasper notes Kerrisdale is not the only community centre or group looking for money for facilities renewal or replacement.
"The Mount Pleasant group wants a replacement pool and Britannia needs money too," says Jasper. "It's a challenge. It's going to take some time, so we're asking the residents of Kerrisdale to bear with us."
Twitter: @sthomas10
