‘Titanic’ not sunk just yet

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Rec meeting generally upbeat; multi-use front and centre

By Jim Mosher
Friday November 11, 2005

Interlake Spectator — WINNIPEG BEACH -- The town’s financially-strapped rec centre is keeping its head above water. But there’s plenty of work ahead, if the accolades and cannonades at a public meeting Monday evening are any indication.
“Percentage-wise we’re ahead of the game,” rec board president Frank Figler said during his opening remarks. “On the whole, we’re looking a little better. But it’s not enough.”
In May, the rec centre had a deficit of about $84,545. By the end of last month it had been pared to $79,138. Not a lot of movement.
What’s needed, most agree, is expanded use of the rec centre, which is currently home to a weekly bingo, hockey and figure skaters and adult rec hockey teams.
The special members meeting was called to examine expanding the programs offered at the rec centre. At the board’s annual general meeting in April, the newly-elected board was directed to meet later to discuss the future of the rec centre. That direction came after members gave the thumbs down to a plan by Tony Pimentel to convert the centre into a year-round indoor soccer arena.
Pimentel said this week his idea was broader than that.
“If you look at the report it does not say indoor soccer. The report is about a multi-use facility that’s going to offer a range of different activities for all age groups,” he said. “You had the direction to explore this.”
Treasurer Amanda Mosher acknowledged Pimentel’s frustration.
“As a new board, we knew that. It [the multi-use proposal] has been on the agenda every meeting,” she said. “We have kept that in mind for the last six months ... but let’s get some money so we can do something. We know that we do have to go to a multi-use facility.”
“Multi-use means enhanced use,” said Figler. “We’ve already started the process. We do realize that something has to be done. We have to work with all groups.”
Pimentel wanted specifics.
“What plan have you guys come up with to ensure this building is used by more people?” said Pimentel, who noted that of the 14 hockey players and 36 figure skaters who use the centre “just seven or 11 kids are from Winnipeg Beach.”
“We’re going to have to come to a decision as to what we’re going to do,” said Figler. “We are looking at multi-use -- that’s different uses and being involved in different things.”
The film crew shooting “Falcon Beach” rented space at the rec centre this past summer to build props and sets for the made for television film, Figler noted. That’s a different use and a new revenue source.
The rec centre’s fiscal fortunes were also given a shot in the arm with the money generated by a series of board-sponsored summer socials, which raised an estimated $10,000. As well, revenues are up in adult rec hockey. Registrations are down in hockey, while figure skating is holding its own. There’s just one 14-person hockey team based at the Beach this year; that’s down from two-and-a-half teams last season. There are 36 registered figure skaters, including 15 in the CanSkate, seven in the Future Stars and 13 in the Star Skate programs. The Beach boasts one skater in the competitive skate category.
The latest rec centre meeting attracted 22 people -- on-hand for a sometimes gripe session at the Hamilton Ave. rec centre. After a financial snapshot that showed rec finances about $5,400 ahead of last year’s May to October performance, Figler opened the floor ... and the floodgates.
One of the more loquacious critics was Jim Thompson. He compared the rec centre to a sinking ship. His bottom line was that if keeping the rec centre open meant increased taxes, he was all for closing the centre.
He said council would have to “bump up taxes” $300-$400 a year “to bring the Titanic back up.”
“If I’ve got to pay more taxes to keep the Titanic afloat, I’ll put up a for-sale sign,” he said.
“We’re charged with keeping the rec centre open,” said Figler.
“Will it float or will it sink?” said Thompson. “Whatever it is, stay out of my tax dollars.”
Thompson sought assurances from Mayor Don Pepe -- at the meeting as an observer with councillors Sonya Dodd and Daryl Carry and rec director Lee Hanson.

Pepe came prepared.
“My council commends this group. You’ve worked hard to raise money,” the mayor said. “But we have to look out for our ratepayers. We know that things have changed in the past few years. Bingo revenues used to pay for hockey, figure skating and everything else. That revenue is no longer there.”

A regional centre

The solution? “What it comes down to pretty well is that the centre has to be used as a regional recreation facility,” Pepe said.
The mayor noted that Dunnottar contributes $500 to the centre, while Gimli ponies up with an annual $2,000 grant. St. Andrews contributes $1,500 a year.
“The Town of Winnipeg Beach, we pay $9,800 just for the insurance on this building,” he said. “And we’re signed up to cover a $96,000 line of credit for the rec centre. You’ve got to get more support from the neighbouring communities.
Board member Lori Frejak made an impassioned plea at the close of the meeting.
“We’re all volunteers,” Frejak said. “We can’t run all of these things ourselves. We are running our tails off. We need the town and people in the town to get involved in this facility.”
“You want quilting classes? Great. Who’s going to teach it? Who’s going to run it? Who’s going to do it?”
Concluded Pepe: “We have an aging Zamboni, an aging ice plant. You need, right now, new activities that will bring in new people.”
And new revenue.
That is the crux.

SOME IDEAS FOR CHANGE

Beach figure skaters spend a lot of their off-ice time with their parents fundraising. They raise money to pay for their instructor, the costs associated with attending and hosting tournaments, ice rental fees, among other things.
They money raised stays with the Winnipeg Beach Figure Skating Club.
Former figure skating mom Debbie Benson said: “Years ago, any fundraising we did, 100 per cent of the profits had to come back to the rec centre.”

Bingo heyday

“In our heyday, we made about $75,000 profit just on bingo,” said Larry Moore, former rec board president. “Thesedays, we are down and while we don’t have big jackpots we do, fortunately, have a $5,500 jackpot waiting to be won.”
That should push up bingo revenues this month, Moore said.

Figler-Pimentel Round 1

“The demographics have changed in the last few years,” said Figler. It’s in that environment “that we’ve been mandated to keep the doors open. We have to bring in a new revenue stream.”
Said Pimentel: “How about recreation?”

Schools off to side on ice

Moore, who works as a school teacher at Winnipeg Beach School, also recalled when students used to trek to the rec centre arena for a skate. That generated income for the centre and some needed healthful activity for the youngsters.
But now the school division requires that students cannot go on school-sponsored “public skates unless they have helmets.”
“We used to come to the rec centre three to five times a winter.”

55 and better

Bonnie Dykes noted that neighbouring communities have tapped into providing recreation for the 55-plus adults who are a growing part of the area’s population make-up.
“There’s a lot of activities we could host here,” she said.
Quilting, cribbage and Scrabble were just a few of the recreation and arts activities cited.
“There are 300 things that could be done in that area,” suggested board president Figler. “We have to follow the money.”