A new policy under development aims to improve access to recreation facilities in the town of Quispamsis.
The recreational facility allocation policy will guide how community spaces are booked, shared and used.
Forward Creative, a Nova Scotia-based creative agency, is leading the development of the new document.
Mary Ellen Makhlouf, owner and CEO, said they have already received more than 560 survey responses so far.
In addition, the project team has heard from organizations representing an estimated 2,000 recreation users.
“The most resounding thing that we’ve heard is how incredible the programming is that’s available to adults, youth and seniors in Quispamsis,” Makhlouf told council last week.
Officials are zoning in on ice surfaces and fields, which Makhlouf said seem to be the two areas that have the most contention for peak times.
She said there are still some sports they hope to zone in on, including soccer, tennis, baseball and figure skating.
“We see them as kind of some key gaps in the particular spaces that are being discussed around allocation or that may have increased demand for utilization,” added Makhlouf.
One of the questions on the survey discusses how recreation groups should be prioritized when demand for facility space is high.
So far, Makhlouf said nearly 75 per cent of people who have answered the survey said youth sports and activities should take priority.
“We did hear that anecdotally, as well, from different groups, saying ‘we understand that youth need access to recreation,'” she said.
“I think we can all remember being involved in recreation as kids and how much that does for our learning — how to be on a team, how to be a team player and also how to challenge our own selves.”
The survey will remain open until June 16. After that, the project team will create a draft policy to bring back to the council for approval.
Makhlouf said their goal is to have the new policy in place for the fall, but they also want to ensure it is rolled out properly.
