The Parks and Recreation Annual General Meeting was held Monday evening and Chartered Accountants Omland Heal stated that the Society is conducting business according to Public Sector Accounting Standards. Staff gave their reports, all of which were approved and entered in to the Minutes.

The regular meeting opened with two speakers:

Linda Schaffrick of the Lions and Lionesses Club of Oliver. Some highlights of her report included the club’s operation of the concession stand in the arena; club members put in 1,164 totally volunteer hours this past season.

In addition Linda stated that the concession has provided enough money to send 14 ‘challenged’ children to Camp Winfield and Camp Kakhamela which provides facilities for children with diabetes. He Lions Club sponsors junior curling, public skating weekends, Cops for Kids, Easter Seal House for accommodation when 247 Oliver residents needed a place to stay during medical treatments in Vancouver.

The final success for the Lions was the result of pure luck when a chance encounter led to the club assisting a single Mom who was undergoing cancer treatment.

Elaine Chernoff representing the Healthy Living Coalition presented the results to date of the Age-Friendly Outdoor Fitness Park Project Survey.

155 surveys have been collated to date. 55 and 75 not yet collected so it is not possible to rely on the results until all surveys are accounted for.

The Coalition started with 2 Open Houses and the Healthy Living Fair then made presentations and distributed surveys to the Senior Women’s Fitness class, Shopper’s Drug Mart, Remedy RX, and the Recreation Centre “gentle fit” program. Also on the list were the Dietician and Diabetes workshops the Integrated Health Coordinator (Interior Health), the South Okanagan Physio (Aging and Balance program), Heritage House, Cherry Grove Mobile Housing and a discussion with the 1st Nations Health Manager which will be followed up by P&R Manager Carol Sheridan.

A broad range of respondents were selected: older seniors, seniors, older adults and younger adults, those who are fit/healthy, those who have chronic conditions and those “in-between”.

Ms. Chernoff noted that the community wants to be involved in the decision making process and concluded with a recommendation that P&R should host another meeting/open house to review final survey results and discuss pros and cons of outdoor fitness equipment location, either in Community park or Lions park. Based on that recommendation the Society decided to follow up with additional presentations of information on the pros and cons of both locations and Carol will prepare a concept model explaining why the Society leans to the South end of Lions Park as the optimum location.

One Director was heard to state that “we must take Lions Park back for the residents of Oliver and our visitors”.

Finally, as the result of some water leakage and freezing in the Lions Park washrooms, the toilets are not being opened until staff can find a plumbing contractor who is available for repair work. However, do not despair there will be.