Work is continuing on a new policy aimed at improving 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, was hired by the town to lead the development.
Owner and CEO Mary Ellen Makhlouf recently presented a summary of the engagement process to councillors.
Makhlouf said the town’s current approach to recreation booking is widely seen by residents as inconsistent and inequitable.
“They don’t know who gets priority or why. It’s not to say that this is any fault of staff, it’s more so looking at is there a policy in place that we can really rely on to say, ‘OK, that makes sense and that’s the rules,'” she said.
Fairness, transparency a top priority
Residents are looking for a process that is “fair, transparent, and designed with local needs at the forefront,” said the report presented to council.
In fact, Makhlouf said, more than three-quarters of residents who responded to their survey identified fairness and transparency as their top priority.
They are looking for a system that accounts for demand, team-specific needs and equitable distribution across all users, said the report.
Residents also want a clearer understanding of how ice time is allocated and reallocated, and how infractions like overstaying and private subletting are handled.
Access for everyone
Makhlouf said they also heard from community members about the importance of ensuring access that works for all ages, genders and backgrounds.
For example, youth need after-school and early evening time slots, seniors need late-morning and early-afternoon windows, and working adults often rely on late evening or weekend access.
“How do we have a schedule that balances all these different priorities and community needs. That’s the challenge we’ll be looking at, but we have some great concepts already drafted up for this,” she said.
There is also high interest for new or expanded facilities, including an indoor pool, more ice time and spaces for pickleball, tennis and indoor field activities, the report noted.
Mayor Libby O’Hara said she feels having a recreational facility allocation policy will be great for the community as a whole.
“It gives us a baseline now that we can look at this policy and say, ‘this is the fairness that we have discovered through a third-party,'” said O’Hara.
Makhlouf said she expects the draft policy will be ready for the next council meeting in August.
