A push to receive provincial funding for a new field house in Community Park has received support from the Regional District of Nanaimo’s District 69 Recreation Commission.
In a letter to deputy planner Luke Sales, Tom Osborne, the general manager of recreation and parks services for the RDN added his weight to the town’s request, callign the field house project a quality candidate for provincial funding.
• The regional district found itself with three places to fill after volunteer multi-tasker Michael Procter pulled out of the positions due to anticipated commitments to the Rotary Club.
Procter has been named district governor for Rotary District 5020, which includes Vancouver Island and northwest Washington State, 88 clubs in all. Because of this, he no longer has time to sit on the RDN board of variance, the District 69 recreation commission and the Parks and Open Space Advisory Committee.
• School trustee Ross Milligan has been named as the school district representative on the District 69 Recreation Commission for 2012.
• The City of Parksville has jumped on board a proposal by the RDN to proclaim May 1 to 7 as Youth Week.
• Revenue at Oceanside Place appears healthy, with 580 hours totaling $47,700 booked for November, an increase of 25 hours or 4.5 per cent from the same time in 2010. Revenue is up $1,704, or 3.7 per cent.
• Reports indicate the infra red sauna at the Ravensong Aquatic Centre is functioning well after it was closed for five days for a refit. Workers reconfigured the controls, protective racks and heat panels, causing the facility to be closed for five days.
• Parks staff are concerned about ATV trespassing at both Top Bridge and Englishman River regional parks and are continuing to harden access points in a bid to prevent it.
In a report to the District 69 Recreation Commission, staff said damage from illegal ATV use is a significant and expensive problem at the two parks.