Editor:
We are very fortunate to have some great recreational opportunities on the Coast – both natural and human-made. Cliff Gilker and Big Tree offer spectacular year-round accessible hiking trails. The off-road cycling trails in Sprockids are challenging. Our beaches are hard to beat in the summer. There are a number of sports fields for soccer, baseball and football. The indoor pools and ice arenas serve the swimmers and ice users well. But what’s missing from this picture from a community recreational perspective? Where’s the public gymnasium?
Unlike in most regional districts in B.C., we have no public gym (or field house or sportsplex) to offer needed sports and recreational opportunities for the health and well-being of Coastal residents – particularly in the rainy months. For comparison, the SCRD with a population estimate of 32,307 with headquarters in Sechelt (population 10,971) is very similar to the Kootenay-Boundary Regional District with a population of 33,650 with headquarters in Trail (population 8,168) – all 2021 estimates (citypopulation.de/en/canada/britishcolumbia/admin/). However, the Trail Memorial Centre houses a large gymnasium (along with two ice rinks, squash and racquetball courts and public library). Additionally, there is the Willi Krause Fieldhouse in Trail that is a state-of-the-art indoor sports facility for badminton, pickleball, basketball, tennis, soccer, floor hockey, etc. plus some track events. That’s what’s missing on the Coast!
Recently the SCRD conducted a recreation survey and hopefully a number of Coasters noted this need for a public gymnasium. Granted it takes capital cost dollars to build such a facility, but compared to the ice arenas and pools its annual operating cost is much lower and it can serve multiple sports plus community events. With some grants and a joint public/private partnership we can make this happen – let’s do it.
Ted Bentley
Gibsons
