The Spray Lake Sawmills Family Sports Centre (SLSFSC) board has released its mandate and guiding principles, revealing where the volunteer-run board would like to see the facility by the year 2025.
Its vision is to “inspire and provide opportunities to enhance the well-being of our community,” according to its vision statement.
New policies and procedures are coming into place as a result of the strategic planning, as the facility expansion has come with its share of new challenges and the board continues to work toward a break-even position.
“Our task is to manage the operations of the facility and that job has changed dramatically over the last year,” explained board president Hank Biesbroek.
Prior to the expansion, the facility operated on a user-pay level.
With the new aquatic and curling facilities, the centre is running at a loss, and is not predicted to return to self-sustainability for a few years – what board members flag as a lofty, although attainable goal.
What will help the board reach its goal is filling the 4,300-square-foot leasable space on the second level of the expansion, overlooking the Phillips Curling Centre.
From the beginning, this space has been envisioned as a licensed restaurant.
After months of touring potential tenants, Biesbroek confirmed the centre is working seriously with one vendor. He could not confirm who that party is, only that it is an independent business and not a chain restaurant.
The space shortfalls have plagued potential vendors – including an “awkward design” and costly capital investments, including plumbing and mechanical, that would be required of any vendor.
“We have had several contractors in to estimate what the cost would be to build out the kitchen and bar space plus equipment and furnishings, and the cost would be in the range of $275,000 to $300,000,” said SLSFSC general manager Robin Mitchell, who reports directly to the board.
Mitchell said the goal is to firm up a deal over the next couple of months with a hopeful opening by September or October.
Biesbroek said to offset the investment some type of rent reduction or incentive would likely need to be worked out.
While full cost recovery is the goal, it has been stressed that pools do not typically make money.
The now-defunct Big Hill Leisure Pool ran at an average annual loss of $540,000, as well as soft costs such as accounting, IT, payroll, snow removal and human resources.
According to Paige Milner, senior manager of corporate services for the town, $627,610 in subsidy payments were made to SLSFSC in the town’s 2017 calendar year.
The 2018 budget proposed subsidy is $625,000. The subsidy payment from Aug. 1, 2017 to July 31, 2018 will be subject to final review and audit.
“We expect to operate with a shortfall for the first few years. We won’t know what the true costs associated with operating the entire facility are for at least 18-24 months,” said Mitchell, adding that membership for both the facility-wide passes, the curling club and overall drop-ins continue to climb.
Rates are anticipated to “go up slightly come Sept. 1.” Every year the facility does comparative analysis to facilities in the region to determine whether rates should increase or not. Keeping rates reasonable is the goal.
“I really want to make it work and want to make a difference,” said Coun. Alex Reed, who is the town council member who sits on the board, and is pleased to see a strategic plan in place for the facility to better guide the board in the years ahead.
The Town of Cochrane and Rocky View County jointly own the centre.
Waitlists for swimming
Cochrane parents have been active on social media lately asking why they are on waitlists to get their children registered in swim lessons while Calgary and area residents have their kids registered.
Mitchell said at present, advance registration is not open to Cochrane and county families as out-of-town registration numbers are comparatively low.
“Currently, 90 per cent of lessons are booked by Cochrane families, two per cent from Rocky View County and only eight per cent are from Calgary, Water Valley, Cremona and Bragg Creek.”
