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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCSD-003-08 ClfJlilJglOn REPORT COMMUNITY SERVICES DEPARTMENT Meeting: GENERAL PURPOSE AND ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE March 17,2008 Resolution #:~PA-d [3-68 Date: Report #: CSD-003-08 File#: By-law #: Subject: COMMUNITY SERVICES - 2007 YEAR END REVIEW Recommendations: It is respectfully recommended that the General Purpose and Administration Committee recommend to Council the following: 1. THAT Report CSD-003-08 be received for information. Reviewed bYO ~~. Franklin Wu Chief Administrative Officer J PC/SMITLfEM/SC/SM/GAlWG CORPORATION OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF CLARINGTON 40 TEMPERANCE STREET, BOWMANVILLE. ONTARIO L 1C 3A6 T (905)623-3379 F (905)623-5506 REPORT NO.: CSD-003-08 PAGE 2 1.0 BACKGROUND 1.1 The Community Services Department is responsible for planning, implementing and evaluating municipal recreation and leisure programs and facilities. This report is intended to provide Council with an overview of the activities associated with the Department's Recreation Services and Facilities Divisions during 2007. 2.0 RECREATION SERVICES DIVISION 2.1 Over the course of 2007, this Division offered residents of Clarington over 1,400 registered classes in aquatics and fitness, as well as, youth and adult recreation programs. In addition to our structured programming, the Division is also responsible for the Department's drop-in programs, special events, memberships, public swims and recreational skating. 2.2 Recreation Services also provides opportunities for approximately 170 part time staff positions, the majority of which are filled by local youth. These are positions of substantial responsibility as parents entrust their children to our care and safety. 3.0 AQUATICS 3.1 Burlington Cup i) The Lifesaving Society of Canada has a recognition program for all affiliates who offer their programs. For each program run by the Municipality, points are awarded based on the number of candidates who successfully complete the program. These popular programs include the Bronze awards (Star, Medallion, Cross), First Aid/CPR and advanced lifesaving (NLS) and leadership (Instructor course). ii) Placed in categories based on population, Clarington competes for the Burlington Cup, which is for affiliates with a population between 50,000 and 100,000 in Ontario. iii) In 2007, Clarington operated the 5th largest lifesaving program, a two place improvement over 2006. Competing against affiliates such as Pickering, Halton Hills, Ajax and Newmarket, this standing is an excellent achievement, and a conscious effort of staff to promote lifesaving and drowning prevention programs. REPORT NO.: CSD-003-OB PAGE 3 iv) Standings for the Burlington Cup: 1st City of Pickering 2nd Town of Halton Hills 3rd Town of Ajax 4th Town of Newmarket 5th Municipality of Clarington 6th City of Brantford yth Town of Caledon 8th Norfolk County 9th City of Kawartha Lakes 10th City of Sault Ste Marie 3.2 Heat Relief Swims i) In an effort to offer relief from the heat to the residents, the Municipality of Clarington offers Heat Relief swims during the months of July and August. These swims provide free recreational swimming at all Municipal pools when the temperature exceeds 30 degrees Celsius and/or the Humidex reaches 40 degrees Celsius or higher. Hours of operation are extended until 9:00 p.m. ii) In 2007, seven Heat Relief Swims were offered; these swims were a success in terms of patrons using the pools to cool off. A total number of 2,321 patrons utilized the four municipal pools on these days. 3.3 Aquatic Portfolio Statistics i) Overall, Aquatic programs at all aquatic facilities remain popular. In 2006, 5,729 participants were registered for swimming programs compared to 6,175 in 2007, representing a 7% increase. Preschool Swim Kids Leadershi Adult 2,085 2,289 358 722 2,341 2,296 321 771 2,581 2,597 261 736 ii) The Community Services Department offers a wide variety of swims at its indoor facilities. More popular swims include Adult, Lane, AdulULane, Public and Family swims. REPORT NO.: CSD-003-08 PAGE 4 iii) Statistics for 2007 swims were as follows: Adult Lane AdulULane Public Famil 855 1,243 7,029 9,644 nfa 962 4,454 5,624 28,859 3,545 iv) Over the past year, staff have noticed a decrease in the number of participants attending swims at both pools. This trend has been identified in neighbouring municipalities in Durham. Additionally, the City of Oshawa has built two new leisure concept aquatic facilities in the past 18 months, which may have impacted the number of users at the Courtice Community Complex. v) To lessen the impact of the decrease, staff made adjustments to the swim schedule where necessary, including changing swim times and types of swim, as well as adjusting the number of staff on deck, without compromising patron safety. Additionally, staff will be placing a renewed emphasis on marketing and promotion for the facilities in upcoming months. 3.4 School Board Swimming Lessons i) Since September of 1997, the Community Services Department has offered a customized program for the Boards of Education within Clarington and promoted these programs to be implemented into the school's curriculum. Participation in the Municipality of Clarington School Board program has increased over the years and continues to be a popular activity. ii) At the present time, the Municipality traditiomilly reserves 15 one-hour time periods from mid-September to mid-June. Response from parents and teachers continues to be positive. iii) Participating schools vary in both the grade level and the number of students using the program. Some schools designate swimming for certain grade levels, usually Grades 3, 4 or 5. Other more enthusiastic schools give each grade the opportunity to attend every school year. REPORT NO.: CSD-003-08 PAGE 5 iv) The School Board Swim Program targets members of the community who may not normally be reached through municipal swimming lessons, perhaps due to shift work or irregular schedules not allowing them to attend evening and weekend classes, and ability to pay. v) Partnerships such as the School Board Swim Program not only benefit the children by providing exposure to water safety, but assist the staff as well, ensuring maximum daytime usage of both Municipal pools, and by freeing up spaces for residents in Municipal lessons, who may not have been able to be accommodated during high demand sessions. vi) Changes to end of day dismissal times at various schools have had an impact on the number of classes participating both this year and last school year. Early dismissal impacts the ability of some schools to book late afternoon time slots and return back to the school in time. This creates an increasing demand on earlier time slots. Staff continue to monitor this situation. vii) Statistics for the 2006-07 school year were as follows: Colle e Park Durham Christian Dr. Emil Stowe Dr. MacGillivra Dr. Ross Tille Enniskillen Good She herd Harold Lon worth Homeschool John M. James Newcastle St. Jose h's S.T. Worden Vincent Masse Waverle Ii I" 46 34 50 141 185 27 544 83 24 47 75 29 59 180 76 3,4,5 1,2,3,4 4,5 2,3,4 3,4,5 3,4 3,4,5,6 3,4,5 2,3,4,5,6,7,8 3 3,4,5 3 3 3,4,5 3,4 REPORT NO.: CSD-003-08 PAGE 6 4.0 FITNESS PROGRAMS 4.1 Fitness and Youth i) In 2007, the Municipality of Clarington continued to see an increased interest in youth use of the Courtice Fitness Training Facility. ii) The Department was able to offer aerobics programs in our Fall 2007 line-up geared specifically for youth ages 12-17 years. We offered Youth Yoga and Youth Spin, both of which were well received. 4.2 SummerActive i) Twice a year, the Federal Government, and in Ontario through Parks and Recreation Ontario, runs campaigns called WinterActive and SummerActive to encourage residents to become physically active. ii) In June 2007, the Courtice Fitness Training Facility facilitated an event for its members as part of SummerActive. This event was the "Race Across Canada". In total, 72 members participated in this activity. iii) Participants were encouraged to track their cardiovascular exercise throughout the month of June. Their progress was plotted on a map of Canada. For each "trip" across Canada, participants were eligible to enter their name in a draw for a mountain bike (funded by Durham Lives!). iv) The event was motivational to encourage the members to be physically active. As a result of the success of this event, the Municipality of Clarington was awarded a Community Participation Award from Parks and Recreation Ontario. (see Attachment #1) 4.3 Team Training i) Throughout the early part of 2007, staff at the Courtice Fitness Training Facility was contacted by community organizations to offer a conditioning program geared for sports teams, that being primarily youth sports teams. ii) The types of activities that are focused on are speed, power, strength, balance and agility in a sport specific manner so the athletes can dominate in their sport. A better conditioned athlete will have fewer chances for injury so it's important to continually modify the program to REPORT NO.: CSD-003-08 PAGE 7 challenge and improve their performance. As well, the off-ice time is a wonderful opportunity for the team to bond outside of the game. iii) The program was officially implemented in October 2007 and was well received by local sports teams. Primarily through word of mouth we were able to provide a total of 29 dry land training sessions to six teams. iv) Through a grant managed by Durham Lives! which focuses on youth involvement in physical activity, we sent two fitness staff to a certification workshop for a Sport Conditioning course with Can Fit Pro and Twist Conditioning. 4.4 10-visit Pass Option i) In September 2007, the Fitness Facility introduced a flexible 10-visit option for fitness centre use and aerobics class participation. The passes provide the choice for participants to pick and choose the days and times of their workouts and/or attend a variety of classes on the aerobics schedule, without committing to a full membership or session of classes. ii) This program has proven to be quite popular with our clientele, with 123 10-visit passes being sold since its implementation in September 2007. 4.5 Learn to Run i) In Spring 2007, we introduced a Learn to Run clinic which blossomed into the addition of an Intermediate Run clinic in the Fall of 2007. Due to much demand, we are pleased to introduce a Half Marathon Program to our Spring 2008 lineup. ii) The Learn to Run programs offered individuals with another alternative to meeting their fitness goals through our facility. As a bonus to becoming more physically fit, participants also forge lasting relationships and bonds with other runners and the instructors. iii) The half marathon program is specifically designed to assist individuals in making the transition from shorter distance runs through to the half marathon distance. Everyone is welcome no matter what their speed. The half marathon training program is 22 weeks and will prepare the runners to participate in a fall half marathon (Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Half Marathon, September 28, 2008). REPORT NO.: CSD-003-08 PAGE 8 4.6 Fitness Membership Sales i) Membership sales remained consistent compared to 2006. In 2008, staff will be focusing on increasing the overall membership base. There will be a focused effort on both member retention and member recruitment initiatives throughout the year. ii) In 2007, aerobics registrations remained consistent over past years. In some cases modifications to the class schedule have been made to incorporate the trends in the industry towards youth fitness, mind-body exercise and specialty programs for 2008 by which we will encourage a wider variety of clientele. Aerobic Registrants Comparison 2005-2007 100 &00 500 400 :laD 200 100 o REPORT NO.: CSD-003-08 PAGE 9 iii) Our fitness day passes continued to be a popular choice for many in 2007. We anticipate the introd uction of the 10-visit Fitness Centre pass may shift some of the fitness day pass purchases in 2008 as it is a popular choice for school groups and those who are frequent day pass purchasers. iv) Personal Training Packages continue to be a popular item enjoyed by regular clients. In 2008, we would like to encourage a wider number of clients to register for personal training packages by offering combined incentive programs such as ''The Biggest Loser", etc. 4.7 World Record Walk i) On October 3, 2007, the Municipality of Clarington took part in a potentially world record breaking event. Walkers across Canada walked at least 1 kilometer simultaneously at 12:30 p.m EST that day in an effort to shatter a record currently owned by Western Australia of 100,915. ii) In the event organized by our Community Services Department, 319 walkers participated in our walk which began and ended at the Municipal Administrative Centre. Our event contributed to the national total of 231,635 walkers (160,048 of which were in Ontario alone!). iii) By all intents and purposes, it appears as though Canada has broken the world record; however, at the time of this report, we are still awaiting confirmation from the Guinness Book of World Records. 5.0 RECREATION PROGRAMS 5.1 Job Opportunity Fair i) The Community Services Department hosted our first Job Opportunity Fair in Clarington at the Rickard Recreation Complex on Sunday, March 25, 2007. The objective of the day was to help create a larger pool of better qualified part time candidates; by all accounts this was achieved. We had over 200 youth in attendance and were able to collect over 300 resumes and applications for a variety of positions within the department. This was the first event of its kind to be offered by the Municipality. REPORT NO.: CSD-003-08 PAGE 10 ii) This year's event was held on March 1, 2008 at Courtice Community Complex from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The committee built on a successful first year and invited Emergency and Fire Services and Operations Departments to participate. Also, to promote the event, staff went to Durham College and three local high schools during the lunch hour. The event was well attended throughout the day. Community Services staff had the opportunity to interview 439 potential candidates. 5.2 Canadian Tire JumpStart i) The Canadian Tire JumpStart program was created by Canadian Tire Foundations for Families. In partnership with the Community Services Department, the program's goal is to provide financially disadvantaged children 4 to 18 years of age with the opportunity to participate in sports and recreation activities. ii) Our role is to identify the children in the local community who are in need, determine their eligibility for the JumpStart program and if so, JumpStart will disburse funds to assist in covering the sport or program registration costs. iii) The program is funded primarily through a variety of fund raising initiatives including national events which raises funds for distribution at the local community level. Additional funds will be raised through the Canadian Tire network of businesses and through sponsorships and partnerships with their vendor partners. iv) In 2007, the Municipality of Clarington had over $4,300 available to its residents through JumpStart, which provided 10 children the opportunity to participate in sport and recreation activities in Clarington. 5.3 Camp Programs 5.3.1 March Break Camp i) For many years, the Municipality of Clarington has offered a March Break program to its residents. This year's March Break activities included day camps at Rickard Recreation Complex and Courtice Community Complex for 4 -12 year olds; a Trip Camp for 8 -14 year olds which picked up participants at both locations and for the third straight year, we offered a Sports Camp for 8-14 year olds at the Bowmanville Indoor Soccer Centre. ii) Each day participants took part in a variety of activities including arts and crafts, sports, special events and trips planned around themes, as well as swimming and skating. The feedback from the participants, parents and REPORT NO.: CSD-003-08 PAGE 11 staff confirmed that the programs were well received, and full of activities that were enjoyable for everyone. 5.3.2 P.A. Day Camps i) In 2007, PA Day Camps were introduced. The one day camp took place at South Courtice Arena on Friday April 25, 2007 from 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.; extended care was available from 7:30 a.m.-8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.-5:30 p.m. to assist parents who required extra care before and after camp. The P.A. Day camp was initially offered as a trial program. It was very well received by the participants with over 20 participants taking part. Participants had the opportunity to take part in arts and crafts, active and passive games as well as ice skating. As a result of the success of this camp and the interest expressed by parents we are planning to offer four PA Day camps in 2008 at various facilities throughout the Municipality. 5.3.3 Summer Camps i) For a number of years, the Community Services Department has offered summer camp programs to our residents. These camps serve a wide range of children and youth from 4-16 years of age. There are a variety of camp opportunities including; leadership Camp, Drama Camp, Trip Camp, Sports Camp, Day Camps, Mobile Playground and Skateboard Camp. Over 1,400 participants took advantage of our registered camp programs this past summer. ii) In the summer of 2007 we employed a total of 32 students as camp supervisors and counsellors. They brought a wide range of knowledge, experience, leadership and enthusiasm to the team. Staff received 35 hours of pre-camp training in areas such as leadership development, team building, recognizing child abuse, customer service, program planning, behaviour management, conflict resolution and administrative responsibilities. All staff were required to be certified in First Aid and CPR as well as supplying current criminal reference checks. iii) In order to accommodate working parents, our extended hours service was provided again this year. Early drop off started at 7:30 a.m. and pick up ran as late as 5:30 p.m. This service was available at all of our registered camp locations. There were 247 campers who took advantage of this throughout the summer. iv) This summer, camp participants were offered several trips that were tied into the theme of the week for the program. A conscious effort was made to focus the trips on local attractions and to minimize travel time. Trips included Clarington Cineplex Odeon, Cedar Park, and Quarry lakes Golf. REPORT NO.: CSD-003-08 PAGE 12 v) vi) vii) Leadership Camp was held at the South Courtice Arena and was once again a huge success. Participants were introduced to a wide range of topics such as goal setting, motivation, team building, conflict resolution, leadership, and were encouraged to develop their communication skills and self-esteem. Upon successful completion of this camp, participants received a Certificate of Completion and Certification in First Aid and CPR. Participants were then encouraged to test their new skills by volunteering in the day camp programs. Once again we partnered with the YMCA Early Years staff to continue in delivering a comprehensive Mobile Playground program to the community each week of the summer. YMCA Early Years and Community Services each committed one van and two staff. The drop-in style program offers a less structured option to our day camps for participants and caregivers. The two "Funmobiles" each visited a different location every day and delivered games, activities and crafts appropriate to the participants. No pre-registration was required and often parents/caregivers would come to the park and socialize as their children participated. The Mobile Playground rotated through eleven different parks weekly during the summer which included: Tyrone Park, Orono Park, Guildwood Park, Walbridge Park, West Side Park, Roswell Park, Kendal Park, lna Brown Parkette, Avondale Park, Elliot Park and Haydon Hall. The program numbers were good. Visits were extremely well received at all locations with over 4,300 people visiting the playground throughout the summer. The camp programs will continue to accommodate as many individuals in the Municipality of Clarington as possible. The Department continues to revise and improve the camp program each year, achieving the underlying goal of providing quality programs at a reasonable fee. 2005 264 Leadershi 2005 2006 2007 16 20 25 REPORT NO.: CSD-003-08 PAGE 13 Trone Park Orono Park Walbrid e Park, Newcastle West Side Park, Bowmanville Roswell Park, Courtice 120 443 613 624 685 Kendal Park Guildwood Park, Bowmanville Avondale Park, Courtice Ina Brown Park, Newtonville Ha don Hall 9am-noon Elliot Park, Ham ton 1 m-4 5.4 Movie in the Park On Saturday June 23, 2007 Community Services hosted a Movie-in-the-Park at the Garnet B. Rickard Recreation Complex. This was the second year that we have offered this free evening out for families in the community. Participants were encouraged to bring their lawn chairs and blankets and enjoy the movie "Open Season" under the stars with their family. The turn out for this event was excellent with over 250 people in attendance. Our staff provided games and activities prior to the sun going down and also sold concessions throughout the movie. Plans are already in the works to host another Movie-in-the-Park again this June. 5.5 Summer Job Subsidy Program i) The Summer Jobs Service is a student job subsidy program created by the Province of Ontario and is facilitated in the Durham Region through the John Howard Society. This is the sixth year that the Community Services Department has facilitated the program on behalf of the municipality. The program provides up to a $2.00 per hour wage subsidy to employers who employ students for the summer. The program also posts jobs which are subsidized by the program in the Summer Jobs Service job bank for student access. The Summer Jobs Service program offers free training to students in areas such as job search and self- marketing skills. This program is designed to help eligible youth prepare for employment, gain employment experience and stay in school. The Summer Jobs Service program is targeted to students aged 15-24 years (up to 29 for a person with a disability) who are currently attending school and plan to return to school in the fall. It should be noted that eligibility does not guarantee the employer will receive $2.00 per hour per student as the total funds are distributed by formula to the participating employers. REPORT NO.: CSD-003-08 PAGE 14 ii) In early spring, the Community Services Department submitted an application to the Summer Jobs Service program on behalf of the Municipality of Clarington. There were 94 requests for student positions put forward; we received approval for 46 students into the program. Student's hours were then tracked and invoices were forwarded to the Summer Jobs Service program throughout the summer season. iii) The subsidy that the Municipality received was $26,785.10. Departments do not budget for this revenue as the program is not guaranteed from year to year. The funds are recognized in a miscellaneous revenue account specific to each department. 2007 Summer Job SubsidY - Fundina Received bv Department ....i.ii~jimjiiWlii $600.00 $19,201.10 $720.00 $5,760.00 $504.00 "....~~ii!iJ"'8. . ........" j:-;:f.~.~j,,:,,~~'~~ii: iv) Employer packages for the 2008 Summer Jobs Service Program will be available soon and the Community Services Department intends to submit an application on behalf of the municipality once again this spring. 5.6 Portfolio Statistics i) Program participant figures for 2007: · . 771 children 6-16 years of age attended our after school drop-in program at South Courtice Arena · 1,236 children 8-14 years of age attended our drop-in basketball programs in Courtice and Newcastle · Our birthday party program continues to be very popular with both parents and children. In 2007 we hosted over 60 birthday parties (Saturdays and Sundays, January to May and September to December). Below is a statistical comparison of 2006 and 2007. REPORT NO.: CSD-003-08 PAGE 15 . Our Pre-teen dances at the Courtice Community Complex were once again very popular and experienced a slight growth in attendance over 2006. . In 2007 we had a total of 11,752 participants attend our public skate programs throughout the municipality. Below is an attendance comparison by arena for 2006 and 2007. 5,210 8,219 14,876 3,563 6,927 11,752 6.0 COMMUNITY SERVICE . 6.1 The mandate of the Community Service portfolio is to provide support, guidance, facilitation and training, as required, to assist the community in the provision of recreation and leisure services. 2007 was a challenging year as staff were also tasked with the marketing, promoting, programming and operation of Total Hockey. Although programs, events and marketing opportunities had to be developed to raise the profile of this new and exciting attraction, staff were also attentive to the support and guidance of our other community partners. 6.2 Total Hockey i) 2007 was a busy year as Total Hockey enjoyed its first full year of operation. Every attempt was made to capitalize on our core targets for business: schools, older adults and the hockey community. Staff were proactive in reaching out to the community and were involved in numerous events and presentations including hosting the first ever game of the UOIT varsity hockey team and speaking to many schools and service clubs. Peter Puck was present at community events including Maplefest, Applefest, Clarington Family Safety Day and Racing Against Drugs. REPORT NO.: CSD-003-08 PAGE 16 Book signings and autograph sessions were hosted where Clarington residents were able to get up close and personnel with NHL stars Mat Stajan, Ian White, Carlo Colaiacovo, Keith Premeau, as well as, female superstars Jayna Hefford, Vicky Sunohara and Sommer West. ii) One of the highlights of a most interesting year was the unveiling of a new exhibit within Total Hockey. 'Local Heroes of Hockey' married the best players to have called Clarington home, from 1896 Stanley Cup champion Fred Higginbotham, to NHL and WHA players, to Major Junior stars and looking towards to the future. The display was launched with an emotional evening involving the local heroes, invited guests and the media in the Peter Puck Theatre. iii) The Mayor's Golf Classic took place at the Bowmanville Golf and Country Club on August 9th, organized and hosted by Total Hockey. On a beautiful day with eighteen holes to play, many with a hockey-themed twist, participants mingled with hockey stars Johnny Bower, Brian Conacher, Brian McFarlane and Bryan Bickell as well as Rick Campanelli from Global's E Now and local radio morning hosts Jerry Archer (KX96) and Terry Johnston (CKDO). As they say, 'a great time was had by all.' iv) Re/MAX Spirit continued their sponsorship of Total Hockey, and were joined by Don Breen during 2007. Don Breen, a local sportsman, generously sponsored the Local Heroes of Hockey exhibit in memory of his recently deceased wife. 6.2 Clarington Sports Hall of Fame i) October 19 - 21 marked the fifth annual Clarington Sports Hall of Fame weekend. This weekend has grown to become one of the highlights of the local sporting community, thanks to our partners St. Marys, Ontario Power Generation and the Bowmanville Eagles. ii) The Eagles hosted Hall of Fame alumni at the Hall of Fame hockey game Friday night and the new inductees at Sunday's game. On Saturday, over 300 guests witnessed the induction of this year's most worthy recipients, Athletes Dustin Reid and Susie Rowe, Builders George Sainsbury and the Orono Figure Skating Club and in the Team category, the Bowmanville Eagles 1980/81. Everyone was then entertained by the humorous and often moving anecdotes of guest speaker George Chuvalo. iii) The Friday evening Alumni Night continues to grow each year as previous inductees take advantage of the opportunity to reminisce with friends and team mates and share their recollections of past glories. This year over 50 alumni joined us then were treated to the Bowmanville Eagles Hall of Fame game. REPORT NO.: CSD-003-08 PAGE 17 6.3 Community Development i) The mandate of the Community Development portfolio is to provide support, guidance, facilitation and training, as required, to assist the community in the provision of recreation and leisure services. 6.3.1 Winter WonderLearn i) The Community Services Department was once again actively involved in the fourth annual Winter WonderLearn. Over 1,600 local residents enjoyed perfect winter weather and the informative displays, hayrides and activities offered as part of this February event at the Courtice Community Complex. 6.3.2 Kids of Steel i) After a six year absence, the Clarington Kids of Steel was reborn, due to the efforts of a dedicated group of volunteers lead by Derrick McKay. Staff worked with Derrick and his committee to develop a business plan and then to facilitate the event. ii) On August 26, 129 young triathletes from across the province descended on Courtice Community Complex and enjoyed an excellent, well organized event. The Ontario Association of Triathletes, in their post game evaluation stated "Great job for a first event" and 'This event has a future!" 6.3.3 Breakfast with Santa i) 2007 was the 5th year that staff have partnered with Ontario Early Years to offer the Breakfast with Santa program. From humble beginnings at South Courtice Arena in 2003, through growing pains at Courtice Community Complex, Breakfast with Santa was ready to move to the vast expanse of the Garnet B. Rickard Recreation Complex in 2007. Children and their families (544) enjoyed a hot breakfast, games and activities culminating with a visit with Santa Claus. The event was without a doubt the best ever, due in part to the excellent facilities at Garnet B. Rickard Recreation Complex. 6.3.4 Wilmot Creek Homeowners Association i) Staff continued their work with the Wilmot Creek Homeowners Association to develop a more efficient scheduling and programming model for the recreation activities offered within their community. In August, the new model was presented to the general membership and implemented with the new fall season of activities. This model has allowed the Wilmot Creek Activity Group to deal with the many and varied demands from their members in a more efficient and equitable manner. REPORT NO.: CSD-003-08 PAGE 18 6.3.5 Municipal Grant Review i) Staff conducted a review of the Municipal Grant program and reported to Council in September. The report confirmed that the Municipal Grant Policy is an effective vehicle which allows Council to acknowledge and support the efforts of the volunteer community and the not-for-profit agencies that provide services which benefit the community at large. Revisions were recommended to the policy which would ensure that the Municipal Grant program would provide the maximum benefits and support to the community in a fiscally responsible manner. It was also acknowledged that the policy must continue to evolve as the community grows and evolves. 'i) On November 2ih a public meeting was held to present the revised Municipal Grant Policy to the community. The meeting was attended by 41 people representing 33 different community groups or agencies. Staff presented the revisions and the rational for the changes and then answered questions from the floor. The evening was very well received by those in attendance. 7.0 FACILITIES DIVISION 7.1 BACKGROUND The Facilities Division is responsible for the operations and maintenance of recreation facilities managed by the Community Services Department. This includes permitting of arenas, swimming pools, indoor soccer and multi-purpose rooms. The Division is also responsible for concessions, pro shops and vending operations in our facilities. This section is intended to provide Council with an update on the activities and highlights of the Facilities Division for 2007. 7.2 Supporting the Facilities Manager, the Division is staffed by three Facilities Supervisors and one Food Services Co-ordinator. The supervisors each manage two indoor recreation facilities, while the co-ordinator is responsible for concession and vending functions in all facilities. Along with the other full time staff, the Division requires approximately 85 part time staff to help operate the facilities. 8.0 FACILITIES PERMITTING 8.1 Our facilities booking office, located at South Courtice Arena, issues the annual facility rental contracts, The majority of facility usage is permitted to Clarington based minor sport users, Staff has developed a close working relationship with the minor sport groups and remain in close contact throughout their respective seasons. REPORT NO.: CSD-003-08 PAGE 19 8.2 2007 hourly ice and floor rental statistics are as follows: 6595 1236 1970 276 1923 81 243 6208 1439 1890 315 1679 174 293 5897* 1560 1417** 255 1560*** 109 485 * No rep hockey tournaments in 2006/07 season/House League cancellation of week night 10-11 pm at SeA for 2007/08 season ** Does not include ticket ice hours (reported separately in 8.5) *** Late night, evening and weekend rentals affected by recent construction of 8 ice pads in Oshawa 8.3 2007 swimming pool rental statistics are as follows: 8.4 2007 indoor soccer/outdoor lacrosse rental statistics are as follows: Youth Soccer Adult Soccer Other Youth Lacrosse 1238 302 41 143 1287 432 17 110 1191 585 34 151 8.5 In addition to private and community group rentals, the department provides a variety of public programs to residents in our arena facilities. 2007 statistics are as follows: REPORT NO.: CSD-003-08 PAGE 20 9.0 PUBLIC ACCESS DEFIBRillATOR PROGRAM 9.1 The Public Access Defibrillator program continued to expand during 2007. In December AED units were installed at the Darlington Sports Centre and Clarington Fitness Centre to achieve our goal of having units in place at all recreation facilities by the end of 2007. 9.2 This phased-in approach was initially funded through the annual capital budget over the last three years. However, we received a great deal of support from local sport organizations and one generous private citizen who were interested in assisting with this program. In the end we received funding for four of the six units we installed in our facilities. 9.3 On May 1, 2007 the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario announced a province-wide program allowing municipalities to apply for funding to assist with the purchase of AED units and related training costs. The $3 million program was made possible through the Ministry of Health Promotion. 9.4 In May 2007 a grant application was submitted by the Cardiac Safe Community Program, on behalf of Durham Region municipalities which included four units for Clarington. In November confirmation was received that ten units were approved for Durham Region including three units for our department. The final details are being worked on with HSFO and funding of up to $10,000.00 is expected in 2008. 10.0 CREATING HEALTHY ENVIRONMENTS FOR YOUTH (CHEY) 10.1 The department continues to be a partner in this Durham Lives Coalition initiative. Since September 2006 when we started the "Healthy Eating in Arenas Project" we have expanded to the point where we are now offering healthier choice options at all of our recreation facility concessions. Following the lead taken by Clarington and Scugog the program has expanded to include Pickering, Ajax, Oshawa and Brock. REPORT NO.: CSD-003-08 PAGE 21 10.2 In June 2007, the Health Eating in Arenas Project was the National Award Recipient of the "Speaking of Food and Healthy Living Award" sponsored by Kraft Foods of Canada and Dieticians of Canada. 11.0 ANNUAL CAPITAL PROJECT PROGRAM 11.1 The Facilities Division is not only responsible for the day-to-day operation of the Municipality's recreation facilities; it also administers the Division's capital maintenance program. Significant in scope, this program ensures our facilities are structurally sound and physical plants are maintained to industry standards. 11.2 Every five years, each facility undergoes a building audit, conducted by consulting engineers. This document provides information related to the structure and physical plant that enables staff to maintain our assets pro-actively, forming the basis for the current year's capital budget and three year forecast, which is approved each year through the budget process. 11.3 Various facility projects such as security system and fire safety upgrades, refrigeration and HVAC system preventative maintenance, pool filtration system overhauls, ice resurfacer and janitorial equipment purchases to name a few, have all been completed through the course of 2007. 12.0 RECREATION FACILITY CONSTRUCTION 12.1 The Department continues to manage the construction of recreation facilities with staff working with our architects Shore, Tilbe Irwin & Partners and Aquicon Construction on the Newcastle & District Recreation Compl.ex. 12.2 This project commenced in October 2006 and has progressed steadily from that time. Despite weather and labour disputes that have challenged the project schedule, the facility is scheduled to be complete for public use in September 2008. 12.3 With a total cost of $17,155,000.00, the project remains on schedule. 12.4 A detailed status report on this project is scheduled for Spring 2008. 13.0 HYDRO ONE POWER SAVER BUSINESS INCENTIVE PROGRAM 13.1 In June 2007, the department submitted a project application for funding from this Hydro One program for the replacement of two rooftop HVAC units at Garnet Rickard Complex. The requested funding totalled $3,000.00 to install two-15 ton energy efficient air conditioning units. The incentive was based on $100 per ton of refrigeration. The department is awaiting final approval of the submission early in 2008. REPORT NO.: CSD-003-08 PAGE 22 14.0 DURHAM REGION WATER APPEAL 14.1 In 2007, the department retained the services of Durham Energy Specialist Limited to complete a study on water consumption at Gamet Rickard Complex, South Courtice Arena and Bowmanville Indoor Soccer. In addition to water usage a component of monthly water charges includes a cost for sewer usage. It is our intention to prepare information to substantiate a request for future water bill cost reductions. 14.2 These facilities have been identified for this study as they all use a significant amount of water that does not make it to the sanitary sewer system. At the Garnet Rickard Complex and South Courtice Arena the majority of ice making and resurfacing water does not get to the sanitary sewer. South Courtice Arena and Bowmanville Indoor Soccer have outdoor underground field irrigation systems which are in the same situation. 14.3 Upon completion of the study, we will be submitting a written appeal to Durham Region requesting a reduction in monthly sewer usage charges at these facilities. 15.0 COMMENTS 15.1 Through the dedication of our full time and part time staff and the many community volunteers who assist them, the residents of Clarington can proudly participate in a variety of recreation experiences. In 2008, the completion of the Department's Strategic Plan will further identify areas of potential development and growth, assisting staff in ensuring quality recreational opportunities for a growing and diverse population. Attachment # 1 - Community Participation Award from Parks and Recreation Ontario , '::"';;~~_'{~'l,:" 1:11 (j Plllks ~nd Ro.:cn:ation Onlario ] ] fol5 r:glimon A\>cnuc fast Suite ~06 roront\). Ontario M3CJCO Tel: 416-420.7142 Fn.x:-t.lti-.n6+7371 CSD-003-08 Attachment #1 Angela Evelyn Municipality of Clarington 2950 Courtice Road Courtice, ON L 1 E 2H8 ,1; ,: i] :j~'r December 10, 2007 Dear Angela, I would like thank you, your colleagues and the Municipality of Clarington for taking part in the 2007 SummerActive Challenge. This year's SummerActive campaign was a huge success with over 150,000 Ontarians participating in hundreds of events and personal activities. You are to be commended for your contribution to the campaign and your commitment to promote the benefits of physical activity, healthy eating and living smoke free. Please accept the enclosed commemorative plaque, which acknowledges the SummerActive Fitness Incentive event and your efforts in helping your community take steps towards healthy living. We would be happy to formally present this token of our appreciation at a convenient meeting or event. Please let us know if it is possible to either attend one of your council meetings or another event for this purpose and, we will make every effort to have a PRO representative make a public presentation. If you have any questions or would like to arrange for a PRO representative at your event please contact Fotini Iriotakis at 416.426.7313 or firiotakis@prontario.org. On behalf of Parks and Recreation Ontario, thank you again for your contribution to the SummerActive Campaign. We look forward to your involvement in future campaigns and your continued support of the healthy living movement. Sincerely, "'~. / "",....,-' ........-: .r. Frank Prospero President Parks and Recreation Ontario