Resetting Recreation in Chestermere

April 15, 2024 Update

Recreation Needs Assessment Community Engagement Has Started!

The City is seeking residents to share their thoughts about the current and future provision of recreation in Chestermere.

If you are interested in participating in a virtual focus group to discuss recreation services in Chestermere, please let us know! Simply send an email to Kathy Russell (Project Manager) at krussell@chestermere.ca and provide the following information:

• your name,
• email address,
• years living in Chestermere, and
• the ages of any children living with you.

The information you provide will be used to help determine session participants. It will be deleted once decisions have been made about the focus groups.

Please send your email with the above information by May 20, 2024.

By providing the above information you have not committed to participating in a session. The City will only use the information to invite your participation in an online focus group. The focus group will be facilitated by a consultant (RC Strategies) retained by the City to assist with this recreation work and will be 60-90 minutes in length.

Should the interest exceed the online capacity, the consultants will need to coordinate a targeted approach where only those who are selected will be provided with a specific date and time to participate.

In addition to the public focus group, the following engagements are happening:

• On Monday, May 13^th, RC Strategies will be conducting in-person independent group interviews with senior officials from the City of Chestermere, Rocky View County, and the Chestermere Regional Recreation Association.
• On Wednesday, May 22 and Friday, May 24, over 20 in-depth online group interviews are being scheduled with community group representatives.

Having updated information on recreation amenity needs, priorities and options will provide the newly elected Council with important data and feedback; and will inform them as they set a new strategic direction for recreation and related services.

The City of Chestermere is “Resetting Recreation.”

With the goal of determining the best path forward in the provision of recreation services, the City of Chestermere is undertaking a study that will build on recreation feedback collected from the community in recent years.

As part of an updated needs assessment, the city will refresh previous information and compile a depository of recent recreation reports for residents and stakeholders to access. Any gaps in this research will be completed or scheduled for the future. This update will be made available outlining the community profile and the external pressures our community and region face in the provision of recreation services; as well as exciting opportunities that can be explored.

“Having updated information is an important step for the City to take as it begins to reset our provision of recreation services,” said Interim CAO Pat Vincent. “We want to ensure the city is focusing its efforts and resources most effectively to best meet the community’s needs for recreation services.”

Many Chestermere-based agencies, and organizations have raised concerns about either the lack of space and or land, the lack of amenities, and aging infrastructure that will need to be replaced.

In response to the multitude of needs, the consultants will formulate a list of desired facilities and amenities and developed a prioritized list. This prioritization will consider potential shared usages, partnerships, or innovative approaches. The Chestermere community will have the opportunity to provide input into the prioritization process.

“Community recreation and facilities are expensive to build and cost money to operate, so the exploration of cost sharing options, co-location, local and/or regional partnerships and the evaluation of various business models will need to be considered as part of this process,” said, City Project Manager, Kathy Russell.

This important work will result in an outline of several viable concepts or approaches for our newly elected Council to consider and will provide a planning framework for much needed recreation amenities. Ultimately the City will redefine its commitment to the provision of recreation services in the Chestermere area.

The city is committed to being open and responsive as we navigate through this process. Finding long-term solutions for recreation services will ultimately improve our community health indicators, economic prosperity, and overall sustainability.

The updated needs assessment and subsequent planning work is scheduled for completion by the fall of 2024. For more information, please contact Kathy Russell (Project Manager) at krussell@chestermere.ca