Robert Lockhart."Keep Community in Community Centres".
Robert is the President, Kerrisdale Community Centre Society. A volunteer position. Change is on the way for the community centres.
The first one was started on Hastings 80 years ago. Kerrisdale 70 years ago. $82.000 was raised to start it and in 1968 greatly expanded then again in 1995 to 2002. Significant funds raised locally plus funds from the Federal govt, the Provence and the Parks board.
A joint operating agreement was formed with the parks board in 1979.
21 other community centres also have agreements with the parks board.
In 2010 and 2011 the parks board said they would take control of the revenues and decide what programs would be provided.
in 2013 5 community set out on their own as they felt the parks board were no longer operating in their best interests.
The parks board gave them a very short time to decide how to finalize this situation.
They introduced the One Card and gave away three free visits to get everyone on board quickly.
This was a cash give away for no good reason other than to isolate the breakaway community centres.
The 5 centres took their parks board to court to stop them introducing the One Card in their centres.
The judge sided with the community centres.
The visits to the community centres subsidize the programs the centres run such as the seniors lunch.
They were told to take funds from the retained funds to subsidize those programs that loose money.
This was a cash grab from the centres and one that these community centres decided to protest and fought back through the courts.
The purpose of the retained funds is for future expansion.
There is 15.000 hours of volunteer time put in every year in Kerrisdale alone. The other centres have less but still considerable.
People volunteer when they feel recognised.
We need the funds raised to subsidize the programs we currently run such as the seniors lunch.
The cafeteria is entirely run by volunteers.