Kerrobert Recreation Report
BY BOBBI HEBRON
Recreation Director
Summer is winding down, but the weather looks great as we head into September. We hope that the flower pots continue to bloom a little longer and that the weather cooperates for our farmers. We wish all our farmer friends a safe, successful, and bountiful harvest season.
We welcome Evan Biletski as the main arena custodian to begin some deep cleaning in the arena prior to opening. Evan brings with his over 20 years of custodian experience in the school system, and we know that during this time of COVID, his knowledge and expertise will continue to keep our facilities following all cleaning guidelines. Evan is also our custodian at the PCC, and we are hopeful to bring him back soon to prepare for the October rentals. He has also recently covered for Trayzee German, who is our Courthouse custodian. We are happy to have her return to work on September 1, after some time off. And this week, we say goodbye to Rylan Borschneck, who was hired through the Federal Canada Summer Jobs program. He spent his summer helping out the Recreation and Operations staff with work in various areas, including painting, flower and tree care, street repair and so much more. He is a steady, dependable and hard worker and has been employed with the Town of Kerrobert since 2017. We hope to see him back again next year and wish him all the best as he heads to Red Deer to take Electrical Engineering Technology.
Kerrobert Minor Hockey will be meeting tonight (August 25) to discuss the 2020-2021 season. They are hopeful to begin the practise season as they always do, following Thanksgiving weekend. They will also be reviewing their registration fees and the guidelines they will need to follow to safely play hockey. We are happy to be working with an organization that wants to encourage kids to stay active while staying safe, and we will provide them with the support needed to do it in our facility.
The AA West Central Wheatkings and the RAGE have their practises booked beginning September 21. If you are interested in ice time in the Kerrobert Arena, we encourage you to take a look at the online schedule and call the Recreation office to book. The Tigers, the Mighty Ducks, the Ice Dawgs and the Skating Club have all been contacted, and they are waiting for more direction before booking ice time. The Tigers had a successful organizational meeting, and with enough player interest to run a team, they are waiting for direction from the League before committing to a season of ice rentals.
The provincial funding for KidSport has been reduced in Kerrobert; however, through past support from our local Kinsmen, we have funds in place to help support families who may very well be worried about how to pay for upcoming registration fees for their child’s sports. In 2019 we supported 20 families, and we are anticipating an increase to those numbers this year. We want families who have lost their jobs or seen a reduction in pay to know that this option is available, and the committee is committed to confidentiality and quick replies. Please call the Recreation office for more information.
The Recreation Board put forth several recommendations to Council, including that the booth be leased out for the 2020-2021 season, to increase arena ice fees by approximately 3%, and a re-wording of the rental agreement to include COVID safety guidelines. Council did not pass the Recreation Meeting Minutes but will review them again at their Sept. 9th meeting. We look forward to sharing that information with all organizations when Council passes our minutes or provides direction.
I would like to acknowledge the unwavering support from the RM representatives of Mariposa, Oakdale and Progress and their respective RM’s. Their direction and support at meetings and their yearly financial contribution is ensuring that, despite the pandemic, we can continue to offer recreational benefits to our community. At a time of so much uncertainty, their commitment to Recreation is so very much appreciated. It allows us to make decisions as best we can in a timely manner while keeping the recreation finances in check. I value the relationships we have built with our surrounding RM’s and thank them for their continued support. We are wishing them all a safe harvest!
The Library will be re-opening to the public as of September 1. Be sure to check out the Facebook page to see their new hours and the guidelines they have put in place. I strongly encourage you to visit our Library to familiarize yourself with the great collection of books we have so that you can start a reading list for the winter! We may need to start planning for a quiet winter, and some great books can help. We also hope that a visit to the Library will help you forget for a short time about the stresses of living in a pandemic. Enjoy our beautiful new space, and find a great read.
