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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCSD-05-06 Cl!1lpn REPORT COMMUNITY SERVICES DEPARTMENT Meeting: GENERAL PURPOSE AND ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE Date: February 20, 2006 Resolution #: Report #: CSD-05-06 File#: By-law #: Subject: PROGRAM DIVISION 2005 YEAR END REVIEW Recommendations: It is respectfully recommended that the General Purpose and Administration Committee recommend to Council the following: 1. THAT Report CSD-05-06 be received for information. Submitted by: J p P. Caruana . ector of Community Services Reviewed bO ,JZ.-.e(2--",~ Franklin Wu Chief Administrative Officer J PC/EM/SC/TL/SM CORPORATION OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF CLARINGTON 40 TEMPERANCE STREET, BOWMANVILLE, ONTARIO L 1 C 3A6 T (905)623-3379 F (905)623-5506 REPORT NO.: CSD-05-06 PAGE 2 1.0 BACKGROUND 1.1 The Program Division is responsible for the planning, implementation, and evaluation of community recreation and leisure programs and related services offered to the community through the Community Services Department. This report is intended to provide Members of Council with an update on the activities and highlights of the Program Division during 2005. 1.2 In 2005, this division offered the residents of Clarington over 1350 registered programs as well as numerous other recreation and leisure opportunities by way of drop-in programs, special events, memberships, public swims and recreational skating. The Program Division has over 250 part-time staff positions, the majority of which are filled by local youth. These are positions of great responsibility as many parents entrust their children to our care. 2.0 AQUATICS PROGRAMS 2.1 HIGHLIGHTS, EMERGING TRENDS, ISSUES 2.1.1 Heat Relief Swims i) With an unusually hot summer, heat relief swims were an overwhelming success in terms of patrons using the pools to cool off. In 2005, the Community Services Department offered 16 Heat Relief Swims on days when the temperature reached 30 degrees Celsius or higher. ii) Staff will be reviewing the initiative/program in the upcoming months to ensure a high level of customer service is maintained for all users, including members who were unable to utilize the pool during the regularly scheduled adult or lane swims, when Heat Relief Swims were implemented. Options may include designated pools for Heat Relief Swims as to affect the daily operation as little as possible. 2.1.2 New Red Cross Swim Program i) After months of preparation, staff training and public education, Aquatic Winter registration in December marked the Municipality of Clarington's launch of the new Red Cross Swim Program. Together with feedback from parents, instructors and trainers, the Red Cross swimming and water safety program underwent extensive revisions in order to better address the needs of today's parents and children, including health and fitness through swimming as life-long goals. REPORT NO.: CSD-05-06 PAGE 3 ii) Red Cross Swim Preschool, a new seven level program for children aged four months to five years, is where parents have seen the most significant change. Kids have responded with great enthusiasm to the new animal themes and mascots, which have been added to enhance learning in a fun environment. iii) Red Cross Swim Kids, a new ten level program for school aged children six and over, teaches competitive and survival strokes, building distance and speed, while focusing on making safe decisions in, on, and around the water. 2.1.3 Aquatic Staff Hiring i) Fall 2005 saw an unprecedented 20 new Instructors and Lifeguards hired to work at the Courtice Community Complex and the Clarington Fitness Centre. These hirings made up nearly 40% of the staff compliment. As a result of high school now being a four year program instead of five years, staff anticipates this yearly turnover to become the norm. ii) Although all new employees come with the five required certifications for aquatic employment, it is the responsibility of the Aquatic Coordinator to further train, develop and mentor these young people in what is for many, their first job - a job that is full of enormous responsibility, and always in the eye of the public. iii) In an effort to reduce the time spent on hiring, training, developing and monitoring new staff in such large numbers, the Aquatic division of the Community Services Department is developing an Aquatic Volunteer and Mentoring program for 2006. This program would draw its participants from existing Aquatic Leadership and Lifesaving courses, and guide them through a variety of sessions to better prepare them for aquatic employment, including volunteer opportunities, attending staff training, lesson planning, and customer service. If successfully hired, these individuals would require much less time during the training process, and be stronger employees having had the benefit of the mentoring program. 2.2 PORTFOLIO STATISTICS i) Overall, registration in Aquatic programs at all Aquatic Facilities increased in 2005. In 2004, 4962 participants were registered in programs. This number increased to 5563 in 2005. This represents an increase of 11 %. ji) Number of users participating in public swims at the Outdoor Pools (Orono Park Pool and Newcastle Lion's Pool) also increased in 2005. In 2004, there were 4898 total users. In 2005, there were 7908 users. This REPORT NO.: CSD-05-06 PAGE 4 represents an increase of 61.5%, largely due to the extreme weather conditions experienced this past summer. 3.0 FITNESS PROGRAMS 3.1 HIGHLIGHTS, EMERGING TRENDS, ISSUES 3.1.1 Fitness and Youth i) T oday's youth are more sedentary than ever before, leaving them at greater risk for cardiovascular and other diseases. ii) Unlike earlier generations when play consisted of more active games and involved plenty of running, jumping, climbing and throwing, for most youth play has now become long hours spent in front of a television, video-game or computer. iii) Combine these low activity levels with too much fat in their diets and the youth of today are vulnerable to sickness and injury. Unhealthy lifestyle habits can follow them for the rest of their lives. iv) The Municipality of Clarington, through Report CSD-13-05, has taken a proactive step in the pursuit to provide youth with an avenue to achieving a healthy and active lifestyle. The Teen Fit Club was introduced in January 2006 and the program has been received so well and gained immediate popularity, a second timeslot was added and both classes sold out. v) As we move forward in broaching youth fitness initiatives, we look forward to incorporating inclusive youth programming in the fitness facility by way of introducing supervised programs to youth younger than 13. One focus of programming to youth of this age would be to involve their parents / guardians as well as their role models to living a healthy lifestyle. 3.1.2 Fitness and the Older Adult i) Since 2002, the Courtice Fitness Training Facility has been offering a fitness program geared towards adults 55 years and up, 55+ Strength Training. The program has served as a tool for adults to become more comfortable in the fitness facility setting by familiarizing them with the proper use of the equipment, proper workout techniques, and indirectly setting the adults up with other "buddies" in a similar situation. ii) As older adults are becoming more fitness savvy, we have found a need to expand our older adult fitness program and have recently (Fall 2005) introduced a 55+ Spinning class to our schedule. This program has been REPORT NO.: CSD-05-06 PAGE 5 very successful and we have seen many participants of a local Older Adult Cycling club join our program to remain in shape during the off-season. iii) There is a definite need to continually evaluate our program offerings for the older adult in an attempt to assist them in leading and maintaining healthy lifestyles. We look forward to increasing opportunities to offer our 55+ Strength Training program and continuing to work in partnership with the Clarington Older Adults Association to provide quality programs for older adults that meet the needs of our community. 3.2 PORTFOLIO STATISTICS i) We are pleased to offer several fitness membership types (including Adult, Youth, Senior, Corporate and Student) for various terms (1 month, 3 month or Annual). Overall, registration in Fitness memberships at the Courtice Fitness Training Facility increased in 2005. In 2004, 1055 fitness memberships were sold. This number increased to 1846 in 2005 (see Attachment #1). This represents an increase of 75%. ii) The number of registered participants in our Aerobics programs also increased overall from 2004 (394) to 2005 (436). This represents an increase of 6%. (see Attachment #2) iii) We are also pleased to offer a variety of fitness services to the fitness members and the public. These services include Fitness Assessments, Fitness Programs, Personal Training and Fitness Day Passes. We saw an increase in these services from 2004 (691) to 2005 (737) as well (see Attachment #3). This represents a 6% increase. 4.0 RECREATION PROGRAMS 4.1 HIGHLIGHTS, EMERGING TRENDS, ISSUES 4.1.1 High Five Program i) In the Fall of 2005 the Community Services Department became a Provisional Member of the Parks and Recreation Ontario High Five Quality Assurance Program. High Five is a provincial quality assurance program, designed to assist children along the path of healthy development. Through the training of our staff and the provision of tools to assess best practices and overall program quality, we will be able to offer excellent programs that focus on quality and the child first approach. ii) We recently had 15 of our part-time staff attend the Principles of Healthy Child Development program. The program will become a pre-requisite for employment for all recreation program applicants effective summer 2006. REPORT NO.: CSD-05-06 PAGE 6 This program is one of the first steps in achieving accreditation status. Through High Five's training modules, which have been designed to recognize levels of achievement within a quality continuum (see Attachment #4), we hope to attain the highest level of achievement in order to position the organization to be successful in attaining accreditation status. The quality assurance program and accreditation standards ensure that the organization is committed to healthy child development and accountable for quality recreation programs. 4.1.2 Program Delivery i) With the Municipality growing, it is important to address the community's needs as well as emerging trends in leisure activities. This past fall we introduced Youth Ultimate Frisbee and it was very well received by the 14 registered participants. It is very important to review and assess our current programs attendance figures to determine if there is an increase or decline and take action if necessary. Our mobile skateboard program numbers have been steadily decreasing over the past two years; we have added a day camp component and made the skateboard camp a full day program. ii) In March 2005 we offered a Sports Camp during March Break for the first time. This program was well received and its success carried over to our summer Sports Camp as the numbers rapidly increased over the eight weeks of camp. We started in July with 23 children and by August we reached 47participants. iii) It is a necessity to constantly review the quality of our programs and occasionally infuse new energy into them to meet the growing demands of the pu blic. 4.1.3 Youth Programs i) Presently the Municipality offers Drama, Hip Hop, Guitar, Ultimate Frisbee, Mobile Skateboard Drop-in and Basketball Drop-in to the youth of the community. While most of these programs are well attended there is always room to grow. In 2005 the Clarington Youth Advisory Council, in partnership with the Municipality hosted a CD release party for a local band known as No Alternative at the Garnet B. Rickard Recreation Complex. This event was attended by over 100 youth and turned out to be a fun night had by all involved. These types of events and activities have to become more prominent in the community. Encouraging the youth to become involved in their community will only benefit the Municipality. These youth are our future staff and leaders of tomorrow and we need to invest in them today. REPORT NO.: CSD-05-06 PAGE 7 4.2 PORTFOLIO STATISTICS i) Overall, registration in the 2005 Recreation programs was up slightly. In 2004,2708 people were registered in our programs. In 2005, this number increased to 2757 registered participants. ii) Our introductory birthday party program was a great success in 2005. We hosted 72 themed parties in total at South Courtice Arena. These parties are very popular both with parents and their children. In January of 2006 we have already hosted seven parties and have bookings currently extending into April. iii) In 2005 we had 13,520 people take part in our public skating programs at the Garnet B. Rickard Recreation Complex, Darlington Sports Centre and South Courtice Arena. 5.0 COMMUNITY SERVICE 5.1 The Community Service Portfolio was recently established to provide support, guidance, facilitation and training, as required, to assist community groups in the provision of recreation and leisure services. The Municipality of Clarington is experiencing a period of rapid growth in population and diversity. As more young families move into the new developments there is more demand for recreation and leisure opportunities. Some of this demand will be met through enhanced programs and services offered through the Community Services Department, however there will also be an increase in demand for sports leagues, arts and cultural groups and community associations. There will be a need to assist, facilitate, nurture and provide support and guidance to these new groups so that they can develop into efficient, productive community partners. A good example of this is the role the Community Services Department played in the development of the Clarington Minor Lacrosse Association and the ongoing role as staff liaison with the Clarington Older Adults Association. 5.2 HIGHLIGHTS, EMERGING TRENDS, ISSUES 5.2.1 Clarington Presents Brian McFarlane's Total Hockey i) The creation and subsequent implementation of the business plan, endorsed by Council last May, and the design and development of this exciting new facility were the key focus of this portfolio through 2005 and will continue to be a high priority through the upcoming year. Work is under way on identifying sponsorship opportunities, developing curriculum guidelines to enhance Total Hockey as an educational destination and networking and promoting the facility throughout the Region. REPORT NO.: CSD-05-06 PAGE 8 5.2.2 Clarington's Sports Hall of Fame i) 2005 marked the third year of this program as six very deserving recipients were inducted into Clarington's Sports Hall of Fame. 360 guests were on hand to witness the induction ceremony and enjoy the anecdotes of key note speaker Walter Gretzky. ii) A new feature was the Alumni Night on the Friday evening, sponsored by the Bowmanville Eagles. Inductees from previous years were invited to mix and mingle at a reception prior to the Eagles hockey game and then were recognized at the game. The Alumni Night was very well received by those that attended and will become a regular feature of the Hall of Fame weekend. 5.2.3 Community Services Department Strategic Plan i) The Terms of Reference for the Community Services Department Strategic Plan were completed by year end. As the strategic plan will guide the provision and delivery of recreation and leisure services in a fiscally responsible manner over the next 5-10 years, the development of appropriate terms of reference were paramount and involved input from the entire department management team. 5.2.4 Community Development i) Volunteers are the lifeblood of our community. They are the difference between a town and a community. Through their involvement, they take ownership of their community. The outcome of this is; . enhanced quality of life . enhanced civic pride . cost savings to the municipality as volunteers assist with service delivery ii) This is especially true in the leisure services area as hundreds of volunteers are involved as executives, coaches, officials of sport associations and community groups. For many volunteers, their involvement is their form of recreation. As a department, we need to provide subtle guidance and support so that their needs, the community needs and the municipality's needs are all addressed. iii) Volunteer burn out is a serious problem today. With the growth of masters sports, adults continue to participate longer in their own activities leaving fewer bodies to contribute to the volunteer pool. Volunteers are juggling their commitment to their families, their jobs and their community. REPORT NO.: CSD-05-06 PAGE 9 6.0 COMMENTS 6.1 Our part-time staff is one of our greatest resources. The coordinators provide extensive training, supervision and evaluation to all part-time staff in areas such as program specific skills, Health and Safety, Leadership Development, Customer Service and High Five Quality Assurance Program. Many of these young people will settle in our community and raise their families here. The skills, attitudes and values, such as leadership, teamwork, self-esteem and respect for the community, that they develop through their part-time experience are the skills, attitudes and values that they will bring to the community as future community leaders and volunteers. 6.2 The recent reduction of the secondary school program from five years to four years has had a dramatic impact on part-time staffing. Coordinators are now dealing with increased staff turnover as students move on to college and university a year earlier and a younger staff. This, plus the enhanced requirements for Health and Safety /WHMIS training, requires the coordinators to provide more training opportunities for the part-time staff. 6.3 Youth and Youth at Risk issues have become prominent within the GTA. Concerns once unique to Metropolitan Toronto are migrating to the surrounding GTA communities of Pickering, Ajax, Whitby, and Oshawa. Clarington has the opportunity to learn from our neighbours and develop a proactive approach to youth programming. By reviewing the programs and services being offered by other recreation departments in Durham and the GT A we have the opportunity to identify positive partnerships to assist in the delivery of programs and services, consult with local service providers and agencies and take appropriate action for a proactive approach to youth programming. 6.4 The rapid growth being experienced in our community is also reflected in the growth of our volunteer community. It is appropriate that staff initiate a process to assess the needs of the volunteer community, identify training opportunities for volunteers and offer workshops, seminars etc. to enhance their skills and make their volunteer experience more rewarding and efficient. This goes hand in hand with Community Association Liaison and Community Group Liaison. Training could range from technical clinics in specific sports, to coaching clinics, to workshops on Running Effective Meetings, Fundraising, Time Management and Volunteer Recruitment. Attach ments: Attachment #1 - Fitness Membership Statistics Attachment #2 - Aerobic Program Statistics Attachment #3 - Fitness Services Statistics Attachment #4 - High Five Accreditation Standards Chart Attachment #1 to CSD-05-06 Fitness Membership Statistics Fitness Memberships: Members One month Three month Annual Corp- Staff Student orate Yth Adult Sr Yth Adult Sr Yth Adult Sr Adult Adult Adult 2004 13 76 6 36 171 9 41 373 29 207 33 61 2005 15 100 6 32 199 16 95 623 65 572 40 83 700 600 j-+- 20041 11--20051 500 400 300 200 100 o One month Three month Annual Corp- Staff Student orate Fitness Memberships Sold 2004 vs. 2005 Total Fitness Memberships sold: 2004 1055 2005 1846 Attachment #2 to CSD-05-06 Aerobic Program Statistics Aerobics Registrants: Aerobics Winter Sorino Summer Fall 2004 147 111 21 115 2005 117 114 41 164 200 50 . 2004 . 2005 150 100 o Winter Spring Summer Fall Aerobics Registrants 2004 VS. 2005 Total Aerobics participants: 2004 394 2005 436 Attachment #3 to CSD-05-06 Fitness Services Statistics Fitness Programs / Services: Services Assessment Program Personal Personal Day Pass Training 5 Training 10 hours hours 2004 12 107 32 5 535 2005 13 77 27 6 614 700 o [112004 I_ 200~ 600 ----- 500 400--------- - - 300 --- 200 100 Assessment Program Personal Training 5 hours Personal Training 10 hours Day Pass Fitness Services Sold 2004 vs. 2005 Total Fitness Services Sold: 2004 691 2005 737 co o I L.{) o I o CJ) () o - -.::t ::j:f:: - c: CD E ..c: () CO - ~ .. rIJ. 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