Fitness equipment coming
New fitness equipment could be coming to the Gibsons and Area Community Centre, Sechelt Aquatic Centre and Pender Harbour Aquatic and Fitness Centre, now that directors have approved contracts with fitness suppliers.
The total budget for the equipment replacement is approximately $209,300. Suppliers have also agreed to donate some of the surplus equipment to shíshálh Nation, which will be installed at no extra cost.
The companies awarded the contracts are Matrix Canada/STAK Fitness, Flaman Fitness BC Ltd. and Life Fitness-Western Canada 116.
Park name change
Whispering Firs Park could be getting a new name. Directors voted to support changing its name to Woodcreek Park, as suggested by the Woodcreek Park Neighbourhood Association (WPNA).
“WPNA’s stated goal for the name change is to create continuity between the community subdivision name and the SCRD park name,” according to the staff Feb. 7 report.
McMahon said she also supported a suggestion of naming a feature in the park Whispering Firs “in order to continue that name and the little history of it.”
The idea will be brought to community groups and other stakeholders for feedback before directors make a final decision.
No climate emergency yet
Roberts Creek director Andreas Tize made a motion for the SCRD to “declare a Climate Emergency,” during the Feb. 7 planning committee meeting.
While generally supportive, directors voted to defer the discussion at the board until after the Association of Vancouver Island and Coastal Communities Convention in April, since the SCRD is also bringing a resolution about climate action to that conference. The motion and background materials will be brought to an upcoming intergovernmental meeting.
The motion came with a series of recommendations, including creating a “Climate Change Action Plan,” and adopting the BC Energy Step Code, among others. The code is an optional guideline for local governments to encourage the construction of energy-efficient buildings.
Part of the reason directors chose to defer the motion was to get more input from the public and local governments.
Gibsons director Bill Beamish said his council would need to see the motion and that regional action with coordination between local governments would be a more effective approach. “You can’t have a climate emergency in a regional district and not have it in Sechelt and Gibsons,” he said.
Sechelt director Darnelda Siegers told directors she was “all in favour of doing this,” before adding the caveat that a “staged approach” should be taken with public input.
“If we just go ahead and say this is what we’re doing, we’re going to get huge pushback,” she said.
Area A director Leonard Lee was hesitant about the recommendations if it meant new building regulations would be more expensive for property owners.
