The president of the Parksville Community Centre Society (PCCS), Holly Heppner, has written a letter in response to Mayor Ed Mayne’s letter which addressed the closure and future of the Parksville Community Centre (PCC).
Heppner’s letter, dated March 22, reiterated the society’s stance the PCC will not continue to operate as it had in the past, and would only be available to the community by ‘a select few’ on a limited basis ‘at the discretion of the Boys and Girls Club Central Vancouver Island (BGCCVI).’
“The Parksville Community Centre was much more than a rental facility. The PCC provided many programs and activities for people of all ages and we believe the suggested change will not be better for the community as a whole,” read Heppner’s letter.
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“Creating more daycare spaces will not, in itself, attract more young families to the community as they would still need more affordable housing and good-paying jobs, which is limited.”
Heppner’s letter stated there are no other facilities in Parksville that could support all the activities the PCC provided, and the suggested use of the Shelly Centre as a replacement would not be sufficient due to its size.
The PCCS operated the community centre until Dec. 31, 2020, after which the City of Parksville did not enter into a new agreement with the society. Earlier in the year, on Oct. 5, Parksville city council voted to work with the BGCCVI and to provide new childcare spaces and other associated child programs, using the community centre as the new site. Currently, the building is being used as a vaccination site for immunization against COVID-19 until September this year.
— NEWS Staff, submitted