Get Us A Weight Room

By Riun Blackwell
Published: Jan. 28, 2012.

The weight room fitness facility is commonplace in recreation centers through out the province. In fact, I have been unable to find Community Recreation Center without one. There is one even in Lillooet!

The district had included the requests for such a facility as a result of my previous pursuit of this goal. I believe there was considerable support for a development for this facility at the Brennan Park Recreational Centre.

I would like to revisit my weight room proposal with regard to civic use of Olympic Legacy money in our community. I think the current direction towards an outdoor facility to be inappropriate to our climate and community.

A council member told me that a room would be added to Brennan Park that would serve as out public weight-room, although the cost could be in the millions of dollars.

I propose a certain building that could be converted to a weight- room and fitness facility: The municipality now owns the Forestry Building across from Brennan Park. Current use of this building is for forestry offices and other office usage. I suggest that the forestry building be upgraded for the purpose of having a weight room.

The lack of a public weight facility has consequences for our community. As a person struggling with disability rehabilitation I have no affordable local options. Seniors and retirees on fixed income are in a similar circumstance. The broad range of the general public has no affordable option in our community.

This facility enhancement of Brennan Park would benefit our community from general fitness opportunity, sport specific training, seniors, and rehabilitation to local youth.

Daily operation over a 16-hour period (using current swimming pool hours) would allow facility access all of our very active community. With bus service to Brennan Park a broad range of age group users could access this facility. This would greatly increase the utility of Brennan Park and to the community and boost revenue.

Costs for equipment could be serviced by user revenue. This facility combined with our swimming pool would increase Brennan Park facility usage and as a consequence enhance general community fitness and boost revenue.

I believe our Recreation Department is staffed with very competent people already, fully capable of operation of this facility.

I appreciate this opportunity to revisit the weight-room proposal for all or portion of our Olympic Legacy money.

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