Minutes of the West Shore Parks and Recreation Society Board of Directors Meeting - December 14, 2023

Approval of Agenda

MOVED/SECONDED BY DIRECTORS GUIRY AND ANDERSON THAT THE AGENDA BE APPROVED AS PRESENTED.
CARRIED

Approval of Minutes

MOVED/SECONDED BY DIRECTORS ANDERSON AND GUIRY THAT THE MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING NOVEMBER 9TH, 2023, BE APPROVED AS PRESENTED. NO ERRORS, NO OMMISIONS.
CARRIED

Public Participation

• a) John Buchanan shared his experience as an unhoused person using the WSPR facilities and questioned why the public is not permitted to use the JDF Arena dressing rooms. The chair requested time to confer with the board and staff for more information, and promised to follow up with John tonight. John agreed that is fair.

  JOHN BUCHANAN LEFT THE MEETING AT APPROXIMATELY 5:45PM

• b) Matt Towle introduced himself and his role as vice president with the JDF Lacrosse Association. The association is interested in building stronger relationships with WSPRS and will attend meetings in the future.

Chair’s Remarks

• The chair wished all staff and directors a happy holiday season, acknowledged the success of the past year and hope for the best in the coming year.

Standing Committees

• N/A

Old Business

• N/A

New Business

a) Juan de Fuca Performing Arts Centre Society (“the Society”) Presentation

Judith Cullington showed a PowerPoint presentation which highlighted the following:

• The purpose of the proposed Juan de Fuca Performing Arts Centre is simple: create an arts and culture hub in the Westshore.
• The goal of the proposed centre is to provide accessible and inclusive opportunities for the Westshore community to participate in arts and culture, not to bring headliners.
• The board of directors is a diverse group with a variety of skills, and they continue to grow as a board.
• A feasibility study has been conducted, noting the following:
  • Thank you to the municipalities for their participation.
  • Judith will share the results of the study.
  • The Rick Hansen Foundation accessibility guidelines provide a good a foundation of considerations, and the Society is seeking ways to go above and beyond.
  • WSPR was not included as a potential location.
  • Estimated costs are from the previous year and do not account for changes since the study.
  • The society is seeking support for operational costs in the amount of $7 per person if all municipalities are on board.
  • Capital costs will be covered by governments and grants.
  • Capital costs do not include land or parking.
• The organization would operate a municipally-owned NGO model.
• An intermunicipal committee is now in place, with Langford confirming their representative shortly.
  • The committee is advisory, with municipalities providing direction.
• The Society is in the stage of working toward a grant-ready project.
• Today’s presentation is to determine the possibilities for collaboration between the Society and WSPR. Options range from WSPR renting space in the proposed centre to absorbing their operations or providing a location for the proposed centre.
• The CAO and Director Guiry will attend the intermunicipal committee meeting in January.

The chair thanked Judith for the presentation and for the Society’s efforts to bring arts and culture to the Westshore. The board shared personal anecdotes and appreciation for the Society’s accessibility considerations. The Society is also open to considering multi-use space such as child care or affordable housing.

MOVED/SECONDED BY DIRECTORS JANTZEN AND ANDERSON THAT THE PRESENTATION BE RECEIVED.
CARRIED

JUDITH CULLINGTON, DOROTHY YORK, AL LEHMAN, AND CHRIS FRASER LEFT THE MEETING AT APPROX. 6:05PM

b) Budget Process Update

Grant Brown, administrator, highlighted the following:

• The proposed 2024 budget has been accepted by Metchosin, Langford, and Colwood.
• A presentation is scheduled with View Royal on January 16th.
• Highlands has been contacted to determine if their council would like to schedule a presentation.
• Director Jantzen expressed appreciation for the CAO’s concise presentation to Colwood council.

MOVED/SECONDED BY DIRECTORS ANDERSON AND JANZTEN THAT THE UPDATE BE RECEIVED AS PRESENTED.
CARRIED

c) Annual Housekeeping

Grant Brown, administrator, highlighted the following:

• “Consent to Act as a Director” for 2024 forms were signed.
• “Declaration of Related Party Transactions Involving Key Management Personnel” in 2023 forms were signed.
• The 2024 board of directors meeting schedule was distributed.
• The CAO confirmed that the WSPRS bylaws indicated directors are to hold a 2-year term, and pre-filled term appointment requests will be distributed to deputy clerks in 2024.
• The chair requested that the WSPRS bylaw indicating 2-year term appointments be distributed to deputy clerks as there is high demand from councillors wishing to participate on the board.

MOVED/SECONDED BY DIRECTORS GUIRY AND ANDERSON THAT THE FORMS BE RECEIVED AS PRESENTED.
CARRIED

For Information

a) Administrator’s report

STAFF REPORT

TO:
West Shore Parks & Recreation Board Members

FROM:
Grant Brown

DATE:
December 2023

SUBJECT:
Administrator’s Report

Administration/Human Resources

The finance team is turning their focus to year end preparations as 2023 comes to an end. Additional support provided by reception team leads will reduce the “catch-up” required for finance once the auditors complete their work. KPMG will be onsite December 14th and 15th to complete preliminary audit tasks.

An upgrade to registration software was successfully completed last month. The upgrade solved several issues that required workarounds by staff. A new activity planner in the software is being tested and will be made available to patrons once testing is complete. General registration for the winter session starts on December 7th, while registration for aquatics preschool lessons starts on December 18th, and adult/school age lessons on December 19th. 3 additional electronic cash registers (virtual point of sale devices) have been added to resolve the payment challenges experienced due to the high volume of swimming lesson registrations during online registration this year.

The renovation in the reception area is nearing completion.

The human resources team is preparing for the upcoming contract negotiations. Proposals will be exchanged with CUPE 1978 on December 4th and the first days of meetings are scheduled for December 11th and 12th. Updates to the Working from Home Policy have been circulated to staff for comment and final touches are being added to the reception Working Alone and Customer Service policies.

Operations

Maintenance The maintenance department has successfully replaced the blower fan in the hallway heater and completed semi-annual service for the JDF Arena tunnel and library roof top air handling units. The Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus equipment has undergone quarterly service, and the plant room vestibules have been adequately stocked.

Staff addressed issues with both cooling tower pumps, including shaft seal leaks and bad bearings in the JDF Arena pump. The JDF Arena motor and seal were replaced, and at The Q Centre Arena, an impeller problem was identified. A temporary solution for the impeller is in place while work on a comprehensive repair is underway. The Q Centre Arena dry floor season cooling pipe runs are in progress, with coring scheduled for this week.

In project maintenance, the renovation of the reception area was a major focus this month and is nearing completion. The leisure pool encountered a significant problem when the filter pushed dirty perlite into the main tank, requiring 48 hours of intensive cleanup.

In general maintenance, the team completed fire inspection deficiencies and the procurement of pool grates, which are on their way. Lockers have arrived, but staff are awaiting the delivery of token locks prior to installation.

The auxiliary team is fully staffed. Although the full-time FMW 3 posting remains vacant, staff are actively exploring options to address this gap.

Parks The parks crew is transitioning from routine daily maintenance to winter project initiatives. A new bike rack and shelter has been installed at the main entrance to replace the one damaged in a spring windstorm. The new shelter’s design enhances the facility. Staff’s focus will now shift to installing a fountain at the skate park and replacing the score clock in the lacrosse box.

A notable improvement has been the installation of tee mats on the golf course, minimizing wear on the tee boxes. With an increase of winter pass sales, there is increased usage and subsequent wear on the grass, emphasizing the need for this intervention. Ongoing maintenance efforts persist at the lower ball parks, specifically with the transformation of diamond #3. The infield is currently undergoing modifications to skin the infield and address historical grass-related challenges faced in previous years.

Programs

Community Recreation With funding received from the Building Safer Communities grant, youth programming is well underway. To date, 450 youth have participated in the Friday youth drop-in program. THRIVE & Westshore RCMP are two of the partners who attended the youth drop-in nights and assisted with youth outreach this month.

The Shore & Skate is a new youth drop-in program on Wednesdays, where youth can play in The Shore (formerly known as the youth room) and attend a $2 public skate. 8 youth participated on the first night. A free art drop-in program for youth began on November 16th, with 7 participants attending the first session. This free art program will run weekly from 3:15-6:00 PM, providing youth an opportunity for youth to make art, play games and enjoy snacks at Centennial Centre (2805 Carlow Rd.).

$2 youth drop-in basketball is also new and runs 6 times per week in the Indoor Sports Complex. Staff have created great partnerships with outside organizations that focus on youth, including the Washington Kids Foundation, Inter-Cultural Association, Westshore Secondary School and Pacific Centre Family Services Association.

The Youth Outreach Programmer posting closed on November 21st. There were not many suitable candidates (2nd posting) and those that applied have unfortunately withdrawn their applications. Staff will be discussing alternate options.

Staff attended multiple information sessions on youth violence and gangs, including the Canadian Municipal Network on Crime Prevention, and the CCSC BSCF Community of Practice meeting which included presentations from the cities of Edmonton and Nanaimo and included breakout rooms with other municipalities who received BSCF funding. Staff also attended a Gang Education & Trends seminar presented by Saanich Youth Services and Saanich police.

Staff have made the unfortunate decision to cancel the Nature Preschool program as of December. Several factors have led to this decision, including a decline in registration, as well as resignation notices from the dedicated staff. Nature Preschool was operating only 2 half-days per week. As registrations decline and more families opt for full-time care, staff are reviewing alternatives to some of the preschool programs. One consideration is the conversion of one of the half-day programs to another full-time daycare program next September.

The fantastic French music program has restarted and runs during the 10-month preschool and daycare on Wednesday and Thursday mornings.

Active Start runs every Monday (when there are no bookings in the ISC) with 2 staff and sees up to 24 families having fun unstructured play in the Indoor Sports Complex. In late November, interviews were conducted to fill on-call Early Childhood Education (ECE) and Early Childhood Education Assistant (ECEA) staff roles. These positions will provide coverage during holidays and staff illness in the 10-month and daycare programs.

Children in afterschool care enjoyed baking in the Childcare Centre kitchen this month, crafting a selection of cookies and other goodies to share. They also enjoyed many out-trips while the weather was mild, including Royal Roads, Esquimalt Lagoon, and the library. The children were given bear safety talks due to the furry friend who has been roaming the grounds around the Garry Oak Hill. Staffing continues to be a challenge in ASC with multiple leaders and two drivers resigning for full time work. LA limo has again been contracted to support the program while positions are posted.

Aspiring Artist birthday parties at Centennial Centre sold out in November and December. The art instructor will be providing holiday-themed art activities to a local preschool group as well as the WSPR daycare throughout the holiday season.

Fitness and Weights November saw a strong start for registered fitness and wellness programs with 86% of programs running successfully, and several core programs at full capacity with waitlists. Programs such as 50+ Strength and Stretch have seen continual growth throughout the fall season, along with Body Sculpt and small group training.

Working in partnership with the Washington Kids Foundation, the fitness department offered a group weightroom orientation for a small group of youth enrolled with the foundation and they will be utilizing the weightroom twice a week.

The weightroom introduced microfiber cloths in a 'Be Clean, Be Green' initiative to minimize paper towel consumption and enhance cleaning protocol. Patrons pick up an individual cloth and spray bottle for use during their visit, and used cloths are collected and laundered by staff on each shift. Over time, the paper towel dispensers will be reduced. Positive feedback has been received since the launch.

Additionally, a highly desired hip thruster machine for glute strengthening was installed at the end of November and has been greatly appreciated.

Aquatics In November, swim lessons smoothly transitioned from set 1 to set 2. Running 2 sets of lessons was an exploratory system designed to increase the availability of swim lessons, although it brought additional administrative challenges. A survey was sent out to participants who had finished set 1 and within a few days over one hundred responses were received. The average score was 4.13 out of 5 for overall experience and is overwhelmingly positive regarding swim instructors.

Aquatics also experienced a transition of staffing, with Shekinah Landry, one of the instruction team leads, moving into as the role of program assistant. With input from a consultant auditing the advanced aquatics program for enhancements, an additional WSPR swim instructor course was offered and drew 10 participants, including 3 siblings of current staff. Between this course and the Bronze Cross/Medallion course that took place in October, staff anticipate more lifeguards and swim instructors will be hired by December. Current job postings, closing at the end of November, align with the completion of the instructor course and will facilitate recruitment into the staff team.

Arena, Events, and Golf Golf at WSPR experienced a positive upswing with the presence of Jeff King and Ed Bain from Chek News’ The Upside in October. They conducted an insightful interview on the golf course, where the winter pass took centre stage and contributed to a notable boost in sales. Winter pass sales have increased by 27% for adults with a total of 66 passes sold (up from 48 in 2022) and 18% for youth, with 11 passes sold (up from 2 in 2022). 2023 has already surpassed 2022 by over 2,000 rounds, making 2023 the 9th best year for rounds since 1999.

In arenas, the Canadian Sports School Hockey League (CSSHL) Island Classic held in early November was a resounding success, featuring 16 top U18 teams from Western Canada. The tournament boasted three of the top WHL prospects for the 2024 draft, with 66 registered scouts in attendance, indicating the significance of the event. Hall-of-Famer and former NHL player Jarome Iginla was among the team of coaches in attendance. Iginla's team, RINK Kelowna, emerged victorious in the A final game against St. George’s, the team of former Calgary Flame/Hartford Whaler Todd Harkin.

Island Culinary Service Inc., the preferred caterer, provided meals in the Q Centre Arena for 10 teams during the tournament and received rave reviews from all participating teams. The maintenance crew also deserves commendation for their outstanding efforts in maintaining the ice and facilities at peak condition throughout the four days of the tournament.

The Grizzlies continue to shine as a top team in the BCHL, currently tied for 2nd in the conference. The Wolves are making strides up the standings in a highly competitive VIJHL south division.

Below are November sales statistics from The Q Centre Arena concessions:

Top 5 concession items:

1. Fries: 413
2. Popcorn: 337
3. Hot Dogs: 221
4. Hot Chocolate: 214
5. Slush Puppy: 188

Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Applications for the 2024 regional Leisure Involvement For Everyone (LIFE) passes are now being accepted. The 2024 application form can be found on wspr.ca or picked up at reception.

---

Grant Brown, Administrator

In Camera

MOVED/SECONDED BY DIRECTORS JANTZEN AND ANDERSON THAT THE WSPRS STAFF ATTEND THE IN CAMERA MEETING.
CARRIED

THAT there is a need to have a meeting closed to the public and persons other than the West Shore Parks & Recreation Board of Directors, and staff and those identified under section 1.(2)(b) negotiations between West Shore Parks & Recreation and a third party.

Adjournment

MOVED/SECONDED BY DIRECTORS GUIRY AND DONALDSON THAT THE MEETING BE ADJOURNED AT 6:18PM.
CARRIED

MATT TOWLE LEFT THE MEETING AT 6:18PM