Community centre action commitee presents final report on February 27

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To the Editor:

For 38 years as a performer, I have personally experienced the role the community centre plays in hundreds of communities across Canada. And in the 20 years I’ve lived on Bowen Island, I have always felt that we, as one of only a few communities without a community centre, are suffering from the lack of that central galvanizing force. Yes, the capital expenditure is the largest undertaken by the municipality thus far. But the initiative is not a frivolous wish. It is a fundamental need for a healthy community.

The Bowen Island Community Centre Action Committee, appointed by council in the fall of 2009, is scheduled to give its final report and recommendations to council on February 27.

So let me first invite any community members interested in hearing the results of the research and planning done by the BCCAC to attend the 1 p.m. meeting in council chambers.

It’s been a long haul for this dedicated group (it was not the first community centre committee for some of its members) and we feel confident that our work will provide council with what they need to move forward with this important project (http://www.bimbc.ca/current_topics.php?nnid=756).

As chair, I would like to acknowledge the initiative taken by the previous council to establish the BCCAC, and its unerring support through the process. In response to my call for assistance in 2010, council appointed Christine Walker as staff liaison. She has provided exceptional staff support that has had a dramatic impact on the efficiency of the progress of our work. Council also assigned councillor Cro Lucas as council liaison, who has served as an important link to council and supported the hiring of a project manager. We were exceedingly fortunate to have experienced architect and project manager Florrie Levine take on this complex task. Her expertise made it possible for the BCCAC to fulfill its mandate and provide the detailed and fact-based information that will allow council to proceed with confidence.

I personally would like to express my sincere gratitude to all the committee members – Sarah Haxby, Paul Hooson, Kevin Manning, Tina Neilsen and Ann Ramsay for their continued support and patience, and their years of unfailing dedication to this project. I have been honoured to be a part of the process and look forward to seeing all our hard work pay off when we celebrate the opening of the facility in the term of this council.

Shari Ulrich

Chair - BCCAC