EDITOR,
Re. "Brennan Park could use the cash," Reporter's Notebook, Chief, Feb. 11.
I would like to revisit my weight room proposal with regard to civic use of Olympic Legacy money in our community. I think the current direction to an outdoor facility to be inappropriate to our climate and community.
Not being present at the committee meeting reviewing my original proposal, I am not aware of all the issues that led to failure at that time. A council member told me that there was an addition to Brennan Park suggested that would become our public weight room; the cost in the millions of dollars.
The municipality now owns the Forestry Building across from Brennan Park. Current use of this building is for forestry offices and other office usage - in short, non-recreational. I would propose that this building could in whole or in part be converted to recreation purpose; specifically, a weight-room and fitness facility. The original proposal was refused in part due to cost of upgrade of the seniors lounge, claimed between $30,000 and $60,000 would be required to upgrade that facility. I apply that broad cost range to upgrade of the Forestry Building for similar purpose.
The lack of a public weight facility has definite consequences for our community. As a person struggling with disability rehabilitation, I have no affordable local options. Seniors and retirees on fixed incomes are in a similar circumstance. The broad range of the general public has no affordable option in our community. The benefits of weight training are common knowledge and I would gladly encourage public and expert discussion on this aspect. Briefly, the lack of a public weight-room facility is a real loss to those in need of affordable, healthy options in our community.
A few interesting exercise and sport-specific opportunities have opened up to the upper middle class of Squamish. To put a public facility in perspective, Club Flex, Squamish Athletic Club and the gender-exclusive Dream Fitness offer a far wider selection of muscle-specific training equipment. I would propose that with a broader range of the public involved with weight training the commercial market would be enhanced. A public facility sets a standard that private facilities must exceed, thereby raising the overall quality of fitness options in our community. I believe these business operators would demonstrate an enthusiastic response to this proposal given an opportunity to provide input and expertise.
This facility enhancement of Brennan Park would benefit our community from general fitness opportunity, sport-specific training, seniors, and rehabilitation to local youth. Daily operation over a 16-hour period (using current swimming pool hours) would allow facility access to all of our very active community. With bus service to Brennan Park, a broad range of age group users could access this facility. This would greatly increase the utility of Brennan Park and to the community and boost revenue.
I have been informed, on inquiry, that the common approach to weight-room equipment is to engage in full-service contracts with distributors. Costs for equipment could be serviced by user revenue. This facility combined with our swimming pool would increase Brennan Park facility usage and as a consequence enhance general community fitness and boost revenue.
I believe our Recreation Department is staffed with very competent people already, fully capable of operation of this facility.
I appreciate this opportunity to revisit the weight-room proposal for all or portion of our Olympic Legacy money.
Riun Blackwell
Squamish
