The newly-formed Barry’s Bay Recreation Committee (BBRC) made a delegation to Madawaska Valley Council at the October 15 meeting. With Township Recreation Coordinator Stephanie Plebon (at left above) were BBRC members in attendance: Helen Benn, (Executive Member at large) Dr. Jason Malinowski (Chair), Bridget Olver (Vice-Chair), Erica Atfield (Secretary), Rosa Corsi-Etmanskie, Sarah Lehovitch (Treasurer). Members of Council welcomed the new committee enthusiastically and engaged with them about collaborating on future recreational activities in Barry’s Bay and area.
Committee Chair Malinowski reminded Council of BBRC’s letter a month ago “outlining our strategy and our spirit for this. We are embracing the diversity of backgrounds and recreational preferences. We don’t want to target any one specific group. We want to be from the youngest to the old, from the secular to the non-secular, to involve everybody in the community in both delivering the offers but also participating as well.” He said BBRC exec members were reaching out to the high school and Seat of Wisdom College, and planned to contact all the other groups in the township so as not to exclude anyone. He said, “We’re happy to partner with you, because we want to complement what’s already being delivered and not compete, not only within our township but in other townships as well.” He thanked Council for their offer of seed money as discussed at an earlier meeting.
Malinowski outlined the strategic direction of BBRC explaining it includes “events planning, programs that maybe have a bit more length to them, some strategic direction for Council, and also advice regarding infrastructure improvements.” He said BBRC welcomes volunteers: “We are in the information-gathering stage and the team-forming stage. We’re looking at groups to look at fund-raising, a group to look at events-planning, a group to look at programs, and a group to look at infrastructure improvements as well. We’re starting to form those groups now.”
Council and BBRC members discussed some short term opportunities and how to cooperate on communication. BBRC said they were considering developing their own website because they had surveyed the attendees at their first meeting and found they preferred to use social media to find out about local recreation events or specific websites e.g. schools, rather than the MV website.
Barry’s Bay Recreation Committee invited to MV Strategic Planning Day on Nov. 21
CAO Suzanne Klatt advised them that Council’s strategic planning day is November 21 and offered to send any specific requests from BBRC to the consultant who will be coordinating that day. She said, “After a session with Council there will be an evening session with youth, seniors and the general public, [which] will be a great starting point as well.” She said “this strategic plan is to be a more community-based, economic development plan as well.” Klatt explained it would allow them to be “shovel-ready” if any infrastructure funding opportunities were identified, and would also be linked to the budget. She said the strategic plan would form a “report card” so that once a year they could see how they have done.
Photo: facebook/madawaska valley
