Two people sitting at a picnic table on a sunny day at the Selkirk Waterfront

Selkirk Council adopted its Recreation Master Strategy at the Nov. 14 City Council meeting. The strategy will guide all recreational activities in the city for years to come.

This document will serve as a master strategy, prioritizing capital projects and defining the direction of recreational and cultural life in Selkirk. Additionally, the strategy establishes a municipal recreation philosophy for the city and community organizations to follow.

A Bold Step Forward

Mayor Larry Johannson said the Recreation Master Strategy is a bold step forward for the city as it looks to continue the working relationship it has with all the groups and organizations, made up predominantly of hard-working volunteers, that provide sports and recreation in Selkirk.

“This strategy looks at everything that goes on in the Rec Complex, in the old Arena, on the soccer fields and baseball diamonds and considers what we do well and what we need to improve on,” Johannson said. “I’m really proud of this document. It took a lot of work, and city staff was dedicated to it and the people of Selkirk were too. It puts a plan in place, a path that we can follow and make things better for our kids and grandkids in the years to come.”

Brady Clark, the City’s Manager of Cultural and Recreational Programs, said the City contracted Scatliff + Miller + Murray to develop the Recreation Master Strategy and over the course of the last year they looked at the City’s internal structures as they relate to recreation and engaged the public users of recreational facilities in the City, to determine their needs as well. An online survey was conducted, user groups were contacted for input and an open house was held in November 2015.

“We had meetings with all the major stakeholder groups and we connected with the smaller groups as well, either with a phone call or an email, to get their input into recreation in the City,” Clark said. “Connecting with the people that use the facilities in Selkirk was important, because it’s their opinion, their contribution that’s vital to what this strategy sets out to do, which is improve the way we deliver recreation in Selkirk.”

Linked to the Strategic Plan

The Recreation Master Strategy directly links to the City’s Strategic Plan and its five priorities: a vibrant, safe, and healthy community, a strong and stable local economy, safe and sustainable infrastructure, maximum value from community resources, and environmental stewardship.

The strategy considers City-owned facilities like the Rec Complex and Selkirk Arena, as well as soccer, baseball, and football fields. It also includes other non-City-owned recreational facilities. Clark noted that Selkirk’s situation is unique because its facilities are spread throughout the city rather than being centralized.

Chris Carruthers, the City’s Director of Culture, Recreation, and Green Transportation, explained that the Recreation Strategy covers more than sports. It also includes arts and culture, with specific strategies for these areas to be developed. Several other strategies will emerge from the overall Recreation Strategy.

“The Recreation Strategy is the pinnacle. Other strategies, including one for arts and culture, another for parks, which is currently in the works, and others for pools, athletic fields and arenas, will evolve out of this document,” Carruthers said.

Recommendations To Be Implemented Over 25 Years

The recreation master strategy makes 19 recommendations and identifies a capital plan expenditure of $35-$40 million. Both will be implemented in phases over the next 25 years. The strategy outlines a long-term recreation plan, and the city will study residents’ best interests. It will create long-term financial plans to ensure all capital projects are feasible.

The recommendations are wide-ranging. They include tactics to fund recreation, attract more volunteers, incorporate active transportation in city planning, and build new facilities.

Major recommendations include developing a second arena at the Rec Complex, decommissioning and repurposing the Barn, and creating a multi-purpose facility/community hall. An all-season park pavilion in Selkirk Park is also proposed. A recreation advisory committee, consisting of stakeholder group members, will be formed.

The strategy will integrate into other City planning, such as street work and renewal. This planning will consider active transportation moving forward.

The strategy will be reviewed annually and undergo a thorough community review every five years.

Selkirk Recreation Master Strategy: http://myselkirk.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Pages-from-Selkirk-Recreation-Master-Strategy-reducedweb.pdf