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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCSD-003-09Claringto~n Leading the Way REPORT COMMUNITY SERVICES DEPARTMENT Meeting: GENERAL PURPOSE AND ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE Date: February 23, 2009 Resolution #: Pt7' `~"~~®~ Report #: CSD-003-09 File #: By-law #: Subject: COMMUNITY SERVICES - 2008 YEAR END REVIEW Recommendations: It is respecttully recommended that the General Purpose and Administration Committee recommend to Council the following: THAT Report CSD-003-09 be received forinformation. Submitted by; P. Caruana of Community Services J P CIS M/TUS C/S M/C F/GA Reviewed b r ~'"^~ ~-A ~3 "~' Franklin Wu Chief Administrative Officer CORPORATION OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF CLARINGTON 40 TEMPERANCE STREET, BOWMANVILLE, ONTARIO L1C 3A6 T (905)623-3379 F (905)623-5506 REPORT NO.: CSD-003-09 PAGE 2 1.0 BACKGROUND 1.1 The Community Services Department is responsible for planning, implementing and evaluating municipal recreation, 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 2008. 1.2 As previously reported to Council, the Community Services Department completed a strategic plan in 2008. The plan acts as a guiding document and forms the basis for future service level recommendations as well as capital and operating budget submissions. The plan provides a framework for the department for the next eight to ten years and contains specific action items that will be completed over the life of the plan. 2.0 RECREATION SERVICES DIVISION 2.1 Over the course of 2008, this Division offered residents of Clarington 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 provides opportunities for approximately 190 part time staff positions, the majority of which are filled by local youth. These are positions of substantial responsibility as many of these positions are responsible for the direct care and supervision of children. 3.0 AQUATICS 3.1 Burlington Cup 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 2008, Clarington operated the 6th largest lifesaving program. Competing against affiliates such as Waterloo, Pickering, Halton Hills, REPORT NO.: CSD-003-09 PAGE 3 Ajax and Newmarket, this standing is an excellent achievement, and there continues to be a conscious effort by staff to promote lifesaving and drowning prevention programs. 3.2 Aquatic Portfolio Statistics Overall, Aquatic programs at all aquatic facilities remain popular. In 2008, 5,879 participants were registered for swimming programs compared to 5,588 in 2007, representing a 5% increase. 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. iv) In recent years, staff have noted a decline in the number of participants attending swims at both the Clarington Fitness Centre and the Courtice Community Complex. This trend has also been identified in neighbouring municipalities in Durham. , v) Staff is actively marketing and promoting swims (both public and instructional) in an effort to increase participation levels. In addition, staff continue to make adjustments to the swim schedule, including changing Statistics for 2008 swims were as follows, noting that numbers for Newcastle & District Recreation Complex are reflective of a four month operation: REPORT NO.: CSD-003-09 PAGE 4 swim times and types of swim, as well as adjusting the number of staff on deck, without compromising patron safety. 3.3 School Board Swimming Lessons 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 continues to be a popular activity. ii) At the present time, the Municipality reserves 15 one-hour time periods from mid-September to mid-June for school use. Response from parents and teachers continues to be positive. iii) Participating schools vary in both the grade and the number of students participating in the program. Some schools designate swimming for certain grades, usually Grades 3, 4 or 5. Other more enthusiastic schools give each grade the opportunity to attend every school year. iv) Partnerships such as 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 lack of ability to pay. It also increases children's exposure to water safety education and lifesaving skills. v) Total children participating in the program during the 2007-08 school year decreased due to a number of factors. Increases in busing and fuel costs have had an impact on the number of children coming from each school as well as the number of schools participating. As well, early dismissal times at various schools impacts the ability of some schools to book late afternoon time slots and return back to the school in time for dismissal. This creates an increasing demand on earlier time slots. Staff continue to monitor this situation. vi) Statistics for the 2007-08 school year were as follows: REPORT NO.: CSD-003-09 PAGE 5 3.4 Newcastle & District Recreation Complex-Aquatics i) The opening of the Newcastle & District Recreation Complex has brought new programming initiatives to Aquatics. Programs unique to this facility are being offered to the residents of Clarington, with great interest. Some of these programs included new Aquafit classes - Aquajog & Deep Water, Nice & Easy, Shallow Water and Water Power Fitness. Other programs were geared towards children and youth, and venture beyond the traditional swimming lesson program, to include an element of fun and fitness. These included Aquatic Adventures (ages 8 - 12 years), Friday Fun (ages 6 - 12 years) and Water Explorers (ages 4 months - 5 years). ii) Traditional swimming lessons for all ages, from Preschool to Adult, have been very well received. Also offered were Lifesaving and First Aid courses. iii) Feedback about the staff, programs and amenities the facility has to offer have been very positive. 4.0 FITNESS PROGRAMS 4.1 Fitness and Youth i) In 2008, Community Services addressed the growing concern over the number of sedentary, obese children in our society by offering the Grade 5 Action Pass and Grade 10 Pedometer Challenge. These programs received funding support from Durham Lives! ii) The Grade 5 Action Pass was offered to all students during the year they were in grade 5. The pass provided free drop-in access to students to REPORT NO.: CSD-003-09 PAGE 6 public swims and public skates and will run October 1 of the year the student is in grade 5 until August 31 of the following year. The 2008/09 school year is a pilot year for this program and thus far 252 students have taken advantage of the free one year swim/skate membership. iii) In November of 2008, 226 grade 10 students from three local high schools participated in a three week pedometer challenge. Prizes, sponsored by Durham Lives! were awarded on a draw basis including seven Ipod shuffles, one Wii Fit and a $150.00 gift certificate to SportChek for the school with most participants completing. 4.2 Winter Active 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) The Courtice Fitness Training Facility facilitated two events for its members as part of WinterActive and SummerActive. Events were "Survivor Clarington 2008" and "The Race Across Canada". Both events encouraged members to increase activity levels as well as try activities that they did not regularly participate in. Both events saw good participation levels and very positive customer feedback. 4.3 Team Training i) Community Services continued to offer Team Training in 2008. Staff at the Courtice Fitness Training Facility provided 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 excel in their sport. Abetter conditioned athlete will have fewerchances for injury so it's important to continually modify the program to challenge and improve their performance. As well, the off-ice time is a wonderful opportunity for the team to bond outside of the game or sport. 4.4 Fitness Centre 10-visit Pass Since its inception in September 2007, the 10-visit pass for fitness centre use and aerobics class participation increased in popularity. 10 Visit Pass Sales: Implemented in September 2007, 10 visit pass sales have become very popular as it allows individuals to utilize the facility at a reasonable rate without having to REPORT NO.: CSD-003-09 PAGE 7 make a membership commitment. This pass has also been popular with high school phys-ed classes. 4.5 Learn to Run i) The Learn to Run Programs offered individuals another alternative to meeting their fitness goals. In addition to becoming more physically fit, participants also forge lasting relationships and bonds with other runners and the instructors. ii) The half marathon program was specifically designed to assist individuals in making the transition from shorter distance runs through to the half marathon distance. The half marathon training program ran for 22 weeks and prepared the runners to participate in a fall half marathon (Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Half Marathon, September 28, 2008). iii) In 2008, the Learn to Run Clinics continued to see growth with 74 registered participants. The Half Marathon Program which started in the Spring of 2008 was well received with 16 participants registered. 4.6 Fitness Membership Sales i) Membership sales remained consistent compared with 2007. In 2009, staff will continue to focus on maintaining the overall membership base and retaining new members attracted in 2008 as their memberships come due for renewal ii) In 2008, aerobic registrations increased significantly. 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. REPORT NO.: CSD-003-09 PAGE 8 Aerobic Registration Comparison 2007-2008 Courtice Community Complex Newcastle & District Recreation Complex Grand Opening October 2008 iii) The Newcastle & District Recreation Complex opened its doors on September 2, 2008. The grand opening October 4th drew a large number of local residents and offered activities, games, BBO and free public swimming. iv) Eight aerobics courses were offered, beginning with the Fall Session which increased the activity level of 112 registered participants. 5.0 RECREATION PROGRAMS 5.1 Job Opportunity Fair The Community Services Department hosted the second annual Job Opportunity Fair in Clarington. Last year's event was held on Saturday, March 1, 2008, at the Courtice Community Complex from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The committee built on a successful first year and invited the Emergency and Fire Services, Human Resources and Operations Departments to participate. Also, to promote the event, staff went to Durham College and three local high schools during their lunch hours. The event was well attended throughout the day. Community Services staff had the opportunity to interview 439 potential candidates. The objective of the day was to help create a larger pool of better qualified part time candidates; by all accounts this was achieved. This year's Job Opportunity Fair took place on February 21, 2009 at the Rickard Recreation Complex. 2007 2008 REPORT NO.: CSD-003-09 PAGE 9 5.2 Financial Assistance Programs i) The Municipality of Clarington, Community Services Department is committed to increasing access and participation in recreation activities among Clarington residents. In 2008, Council approved (CSD-008-08) the implementation of Clarington based financial assistance programs to support individuals and families who require financial assistance. ii) Canadian Tire JumpStart 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. iii) Staffs 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 the sport or program registration costs. iv) In 2008, the Municipality of Clarington had $5,560 available to its residents through JumpStart, which provided 25 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. Last year's March Break activities included day camps at Rickard Recreation Complex and Courtice Community Complex for 6 -12 year olds; a Trip Camp for 8 -14 year olds which picked up participants at both locations and for the fourth straight year, we offered a Sports Camp for 8-14 year olds at the Bowmanville Indoor Soccer/ Lacrosse Bowl . 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 staff confirmed that the programs were well received, and full of activities that were enjoyable for everyone. 5.3.2 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 REPORT NO.: CSD-003-09 PAGE 10 camp opportunities including; Leadership Camp, Drama Camp, Trip Camp, Sports Camp, Day Camps, Mobile Playground and new in 2008 Kinder Camp. Over 1,400 participants took advantage of our registered camp programs in 2008. ii) In the summer of 2008 we employed a total of 31 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 the High 5 Principles of Healthy Child Development, Standard First Aid and CPR "C" as well as supplying acceptable criminal reference checks. iii) In order to accommodate working parents, our extended hours service was once again provided. Hours were adjusted slightly with early drop off now starting at 7:00 a.m. and pick up now running as late as 6:00 p.m. This service was available at all of our registered camp locations. There were 488 registered campers who took advantage of the after hours program throughout the summer. iv) This past 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 an afternoon of cooking at East Side Mario's, movie screenings at the Clarington Cineplex Odeon, swimming at Cedar Park, and golfing at Quarry Lakes Golf. v) Leadership Camp was held at the South Courtice Arena and was once again very successful. Participants were taught a variety of topics including 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 found skills by volunteering in our camp programs. vi) 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 REPORT NO.: CSD-003-09 PAGE 11 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, Ina Brown Parkette, Avondale Park, Elliot Park and Haydon Hall. Visits were extremely well received at all locations with close to 4,000 people visiting the playground throughout the summer. vii). 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. Total Registered Campers: 5.4 Clarington Idol Talent Showcase i) On Wednesday May 7, 2008, the Community Services Department hosted our first ever Clarington Idol Youth Talent Showcase at the Garnet B. Rickard Recreation Complex. This event ran in conjunction with National Youth Week, which is dedicated to the celebration of youth and their active participation in their community. ii) Doors opened at 6:00 p.m. to an enthusiastic crowd of over 100 people and the show began at 6:30 p.m. There were 11 fantastic youth performances singing the hits of yesterday and today in front of their family and friends. Tickets were $3.00 each and could be purchased at any of our community centres or at the door the evening of the event. Some of our event sponsors who helped make this wonderful event possible were Millennium Music, Star 93.3, and The Firehouse Youth Centre. iii) Staff are busy planning the 2009 event and hope to build on the event's successful first year. This year the Clarington Youth Talent Showcase will be open to both singers and dancers and will take place on Friday May 8, 2009, at the Garnet B. Rickard Recreation Complex. REPORT NO.: CSD-003-09 PAGE 12 5.5 Summer Job Subsidy Program 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 seventh 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. 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 103 requests for student positions put forward; we received approval for 50 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 $31,803.40. 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. 2008 Summer Job Subsidv - Funding Received by Department iv) Employer packages for the 2009 Summer Jobs Service Program will be available shortly and the Community Services Department intends to submit an application on behalf of the municipality once again this spring. REPORT NO.: CSD-003-09 PAGE 13 5.6 Newcastle & District Recreation Complex-Recreation With the addition of the Newcastle & District Recreation Complex we were able to offer many exciting recreation programs to the residents of Clarington. Participants of all ages had the opportunity to try a variety of programs from hip hop dance to drop-in basketball and many others. The feedback staff has received from program participants has been very positive. Staff are constantly looking at new ideas and programming options in an effort to continually provide the best recreation programs for the residents of Clarington. 5.7 Portfolio Statistics Program participant figures for 2008: • 694 children 6-16 years of age attended our after school drop-in program at South Courtice Arena and Newcastle & District Recreation Complex • 846 children 8-14 years of age attended our drop-in basketball programs in Courtice and Newcastle • The birthday party program continues to be very popular with both parents and children. In 2008 we hosted over 70 birthday parties (Saturdays and Sundays, January to May and September to December) • Pre-teen dances at the Courtice Community Complex were once again very popular. Statistically we had a slight decline in attendance from 2007 due to inclement weather (December), therefore we offered one less dance in 2008 Youth Dance Attendance: In 2008 we had a total of 10,092 participants attend our public skate programs throughout the municipality. Below is an attendance comparison by arena for 2007 and 2008. Public Skating Participation: REPORT NO.: CSD-003-09 PAGE 14 6.0 COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT 6.1 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. Clarington is a vibrant community with numerous groups and organizations providing many programs and services which contribute positively to the quality of life in our community. Many of these programs and services provide opportunities for healthy, active lifestyles; aid in the development of self confidence and leadership skills or provide a social network for residents. 6.2 In 2008 staff initiated a community development framework as the first step in an enhanced and ongoing program of support and facilitation for community organizations. A community inventory questionnaire and cover letter was sent to 58 targeted organizations. This was followed up with an invitation for an individual meeting with each organization, to discuss their input in a one on one setting and to initiate the process of developing a rapport with each group. 6.3 The purpose of the questionnaire was to create an inventory of programs and services available within the community and also to identify any possible opportunities that may exist for the department to assist the community groups and enhance their volunteer experience. 6.4 During this process, several training opportunities were identified by the. volunteer community and staff has initiated a program of volunteer development. 6.5 Staff has also been involved in the "Volunteerism in Youth Sports and Recreation" study which is being coordinated by the Community Development Council Durham and funded through a Trillium grant. The purpose of this study is to gain a better understanding of who is volunteering and why they volunteer. One of the goals is to encourage women and marginalized sectors to become more involved as volunteers. The data collected will be used to identify ways of enhancing the volunteer sector for youth programming in Durham. REPORT NO.: CSD-003-09 PAGE 15 6.6 Community Events Winter WonderLearn The Community Services Department was once again actively involved in the fifth annual Winter WonderLearn. Over 1,500 local residents enjoyed perfect winter weather and the informative displays, hayrides and activities offered as part of this February event at the Courtice Community Centre. ii) Breakfast with Santa For the second consecutive year, Breakfast with Santa was hosted at the RRC. This program is a partnership with Ontario Early Years and the Community Services Department and has grown to an extent that there are now two sittings (9:00 - 11:00 and 12:00 - 2:00). Youngsters (578) and their families enjoyed a full breakfast plus games and activities followed by a visit from Santa. iii) Municipal Grant Review Staff once again conducted a review of the Municipal Grant Program, to ensure that the program continues to provide support to the community in fiscally responsible manner. The review addressed four areas of concern: • organizations receiving funding from the Municipal Grant program and the municipal budget process • procedure for processing requests received after the deadline • procedure to address requests received from individuals • funding for the Rotary Club Canada Day fireworks December 9th staff hosted a community meeting for all perspective grant applicants to introduce the revised Municipal Grant Program. The meeting was an opportunity to review the changes and to emphasize the philosophy of the grant program and answer questions regarding specific applications. 6.7 Clarington Sports Hall of Fame The sixth annual Clarington Sports Hall of Fame weekend was celebrated October 24 - 26. ReMax Spirit joined charter sponsors Ontario Power Generation, St. Marys and the Municipality in hosting the Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony this year. ii) The 2008 inductees included athletes Garry Bachman, Lori Glazier and Sommer West, the team of Jack Brough and AI Osborne and honourary inductees the SPLASH committee. iii) The Friday evening Alumni Night welcomed a new sponsor in Don Breen. Many of our previous inductees joined us for an evening of fellowship with old friends and team mates followed by the Bowmanville Eagles Hall of Fame game. The evening was very well received by those in attendance. REPORT NO.: CSD-003-09 PAGE 16 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 overview is intended to provide Council with an update on the activities and highlights of the Facilities Division for 2008. 7.2 Supporting the Facilities Manager, the Division is staffed by four Facilities Supervisors and the Food Services Co-ordinator. The supervisors share the management of our seven indoor facilities and outdoor pools, 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 100 part time staff to help operate the facilities. 8.0 FACILITIES PERMITTING 8.1 Our facilities booking office, located at South Courtice Arena is responsible for the majority of the facility permits issued by the department on an annual basis. These permits include all rentals for our major sport users in the arena, pool and indoor field facilities, the annual facility rental contracts for all major ice, field and pool users. 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. 8.2 2008 hourly ice and floor rental statistics are as follows: REPORT NO.: CSD-003-09 8.3 8.4 2008 indoor soccer/outdoor lacrosse rental statistics are as follows: PAGE 17 8.5 In addition to private and community group rentals, the department provides a variety of public programs to residents in our arena facilities. 2008 statistics are as follows: Note: South Courtice Arena Pad 1 ice out form May 28 -August 4, reducing numbers of summer ice program hours 2008 swimming pool rental statistics are as follows: REPORT NO.: CSD-003-09 PAGE 18 9.0 PUBLIC ACCESS DEFIBRILLATOR PROGRAM 9.1 The Public-Access Defibrillator program continued to expand during 2008. In September an AED unit was installed at the newly constructed Newcastle & District Recreation Complex. This installation represented the completion of our three year program to have all recreation facilities equipped with a defibrillator. 9.2 On Tuesday, July 22"d at the South Courtice Arena staff responded to a collapsed hockey player. In addition to performing CPR the AED unit was attached to the player and a shock was administered prior to arrival of emergency service personnel. Subsequently, the victim was released from hospital and has been before Council to acknowledge his appreciation for the efforts of our staff that day. 9.3 To date we have certified over 100 staff and various volunteers in automatic external defibrillation. In addition to department staff, Orono Arena staff, Newcastle Arena staff as well as staff and volunteers from the Newcastle Town Hall were also trained. In addition to the initial certification we coordinate an annual re-certification program to keep our staff and volunteers current on the program. 9.4 The Community Services department continues the administration of this program for all seven of our indoor recreation facilities as well as the Orono Arena, Newcastle Arena and Newcastle Town Hall. The annual program support and certification is provided by Central East Prehospital Care Program and the costs associated with this support are provided in the department's annual operating budget. 10.0 CREATING HEALTHY ENVIRONMENTS FOR YOUTH (CHEY) 10.1 The Creating Healthy Environments for Youth Coalition continues to act as a working group under the umbrella of Durham Lives. The team and partners continue to promote and support the "Healthy Eating in Arenas" project and have developed a successful communications campaign called "CHEY Energizers 2008". This initiative reached over 250 youth team coaches and managers and will greatly assist to educate youth athletic associations and will promote team involvement in the program. 10.2 In support of the various programs, the coalition has created a series of posters, designed by Beaverton resident Margaret Munro that are on display in our recreation facilities. REPORT NO.: CSD-00$-09 PAGE 19 11.0 SAFER BARS IN DURHAM REGION COALTION 11.1 Our Food Services Coordinator is an active member of this group's steering committee. The purpose of the group is to develop and provide training programs and workshops for the purpose of "Managing and Reducing Risks for Reduced Liability". The quarterly workshops create a network for assessment, open communications and the promotion of education for bar and banquet facility owners and operators, managers, staff and the community. 12.0 ANNUAL CAPITAL PROJECT PROGRAM 12.1 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. 12.2 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 four year forecast, which is approved each year through the budget process. In 2008 a building audit was completed for the Courtice Community Complex. 12.3 In 2008 the largest capital project involved the replacement of the arena dasher board system on Pad A at the Garnet Rickard Complex. In addition energy management projects included the replacement of the refrigeration plant heat exchanger at the Rickard Complex. This unit reclaims the extreme heat generated through the refrigeration compressors and uses this heat to pre heat the domestic water used in the arena washrooms and dressing rooms. 13.0 RECREATION FACILITY CONSTRUCTION 13.1 2008 saw the completion of the Newcastle & District Recreation Complex. This 56,000 square foot facility was substantially complete on July 18t". Following this date our staff moved into the facility to begin the process of readying it for public use. The complex was opened to the public on Tuesday, September 2nd 13.2 As with most construction projects there remains some minor unfinished work and/or deficiencies and this work is ongoing. For the most part the staff and patrons are extremely happy with the design and construction of the facility. 13.3 It is anticipated that all outstanding deficiencies will be completed and all invoices paid on this project during the first three months of 2009. REPORT NO.: CSD-003-09 PAGE 20 14.0 ENERGY CONSERVATION 14.1 Facilities management staff are members of the Municipality's Energy Management Steering Committee. As the costs of heat, hydro and water in recreation facilities represents a significant portion of our annual operating costs it is important for staff to stay current in this area. 14.2 Late in 2008 an energy audit for the Garnet B. Rickard Complex was commissioned and at the time of preparation of this report the work had begun. Subject to the recommendations of the report, staff will assist the Steering Committee with an implementation strategy. 14.3 In response to the "10% in 09" initiative to reduce energy consumption, all facilities supervisors have been collectively working on strategies that will assist in meeting this challenge. The department will be calling on all of its full time and part time staff to raise their awareness of this initiative and to do their part to make it happen. 15.0 DURHAM REGION WATER APPEAL 15.1 The process of this appeal to Durham Region continued through 2008. The intention was to provide statistical data to support our position that a significant amount of the water used in our recreation facilities does not reach the sanitary sewer system and as such we should not be incurring the sewage charges for this water. This appeal is applicable to a portion of the annual watedsewer usage charges at the Garnet B. Rickard Complex, South Courtice Arena and Bowmanville Indoor Soccer. 15.2 The appeal was filed with the Region in June 2008, accompanied by the report completed by our consultant, Durham Energy Specialists. Subsequently the Region requested the installation of supplemental metering equipment for the three locations. In order to qualify for the sewage charge reductions, actual consumption usage would be required. In Fall 2008, this equipment was installed at these facilities. We have been advised by th.e Region that this matter is going before Committee and Council early in 2009. 16.0 SPECIAL EVENTS 16.1 Each year our recreation facilities provide the location for a number of special events hosted by our local minor sport organizations. These events include hockey tournaments and exhibition games, figure skating competitions, speed skating events and swimming meets. In many cases our staff work closely with the organizers to ensure that their events are well run and enjoyed by all those who attend. REPORT NO.: CSD-003-09 PAGE 21 16.2 Many of these events involve participants and teams from around the region and in many cases from across the province and into the United States. 16.3 In September, the Bowmanville Eagles were hosts to the Ontario Provincial Junior Hockey League's Annual Governors Showcase Weekend at the Garnet B. Rickard Complex. This event involved all 37 teams in the league and attracts scouts and recruiters from the NHL, OHL, NCAA and CIS. With the hard work of the organizers and our staff we are anticipating another successful weekend in 2009. 16.4 In November, The Bowmanville Figure Skating Club hosted the 2009 BMO Skate Canada Eastern Ontario Sectionals at South Courtice Arena. This event has been hosted in Clarington in the past and we look forward to being selected as the site for the future. 17.0 COMMENTS 17.1 The Community Services Department is very proud of our accomplishments over the past year. Our state of the art recreation facilities offer a safe and attractive environment for all our residents to enjoy. 17.2 Our youth and adult recreation programming continues to provide Clarington residents with a variety of opportunities that encourage a healthy lifestyle. 17.3. In 2009 the department will continue to identify areas of potential development and growth, ensuring quality recreational opportunities for our growing and diverse population.