Baby steps were taken last night in the first meeting between SLS Centre user groups and leaseholders with municipal officials since the Calgary YMCA withdrew its bid to operate the town’s recreation hub.
Kendall Waiting, president of the Cochrane Curling Club, said about 50 people attended the two-hour session, which initially focused on the failed RFP process before shifting to potential next steps.
Waiting said town officials acknowledgement that the RFP process failed and must be rebuilt with transparency, user input, and community trust.
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He said Mayor Jeff Genung and Rocky View County Reeve Crystal Kissel confirmed the centre and the Cochrane Arena will continue to be operated by the Spray Lake Sawmills Recreation Park Society (SLSRPS) for the time being.
Currently, the centre operates at 92 per cent cost recovery and is considered a gold standard among recreation facilities. Still, town officials said the status quo is not sustainable and that change is necessary.
While many groups voiced frustration over the lack of meaningful consultation during the RFP process, they expressed a desire to move beyond talk and take action—calling for improved communication and transparency going forward.
Waiting said next steps include updating the town’s recreation master plan, restarting long-term facility planning under SLSRPS, and conducting a governance review of the SLSRPS board and its bylaws.
Two of the centre’s founding figures—Rick Evren and Bruce Kendall—are among those who have offered to return to the board to provide guidance.
“Myself, Rick Evren and Bruce Kendall have offered to meet with Mayor Genung to go through and see how we can assist in making this go forward and bring different ideas to light,” he said.
He noted that several speakers at the non-statutory public hearing also offered constructive ideas that could be leveraged.
“There’s a lot of opportunity out there—now it’s just doing it.”
The SLSRPS board held a meeting this morning to discuss next steps.