The Springbank Community Collaborative (SCC) is encouraging area residents to provide feedback on the future of culture and recreation in west Rocky View County (RVC) through an online survey. According to Springbank Park For All Seasons (SPFAS) board member Karin Hunter, the grassroots group is hoping the assessment will help them determine a plan for improving recreation in the area.
“Our survey went out to Springbank residents in the middle of January, and we are hoping to get all responses in by the end of February,” Hunter said. “Intentionally, we left the questions open, so we don’t point people in any one direction. We want to see what the community feels it needs.”
Hunter said the survey will give the SCC some direction as the group moves forward with their goal of working with community partnerships to provide more culture and recreation opportunities for area residents of all ages. The group plans to use the information to develop a plan for the community, which Hunter said will be presented in the fall.
“We have a community that is very rural, and we’ve been operating the way we have for a long time, in terms of sports and recreation and culture,” she said. “The schools have avid performing arts programs, and those have been going on for a while, but how can we grow that and build on it?”
In a community like Springbank, Hunter said, where residents drive everywhere and bus their kids to school, there isn’t as much of a sense of community as other areas. According to Hunter, a main goal with the survey is to see how the SCC can bring people together to create that community feeling.
“The SPFAS is the centre of our community, where we have our functions, and that’s where you see the community,” she said. “Let’s see how we can further enhance this to provide programs and services for all demographics that are safe and accessible, so we can all be proud.”
According to Hunter, the response the SCC has seen so far from the community shows that now is the right time for the assessment. She said residents are looking for more opportunities, and with this momentum pushing the group forward, the SCC will be able to use the survey to identify where those opportunities are.
“Everyone seems really excited to share their ideas, which has been so great to see,” she said. “People are definitely interested in reinvigorating this community, but step two of the process will be to narrow the list down based on things like economics – what can we actually make happen?”
Hunter said her “guiding principle” is inclusivity – making sure every resident in the area has the opportunity to participate. She said the SCC is always looking for more people to help out and contribute to projects as they move forward.
“Ideally, we are in it for the long haul,” she said. “It takes time and patience and co-operation to bring these sorts of projects to fruition, but I hope that at the end of the day we can give the community a vision to rally around. From there, we will worry about how to fit all the pieces into place.”
A link to the online survey can be found at springbankpark.com
