By Sebastian Kanally, Times Chronicle

Upgrading facilities, retaining volunteers, and expanding arts and cultural programming are some of the highlights of the new comprehensive Oliver & District Recreation Master Plan.

The plan, which began in October 2023 was developed collaboratively with the Town of Oliver, the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen (RDOS), the Osoyoos Indian Band (OIB), and the community, under Lees + Associates who were awarded the tender to develop the plan. 

The recreation plan covers the period from 2025-2035 and will be followed based on available resources. The plan will be implemented by Oliver & District Recreation through a five to 10 year work plan that will set priorities for the delivery of services. 

The founding vision of the document is: Oliver & District Recreation works collaboratively to provide a variety of high-quality, accessible recreation opportunities that support community health and well-being, foster a sense of belonging, and are economically and ecologically sustainable.

Carol Sheridan, director of recreation, explained that “it has been truly a highlight of my career, and I am really proud of the vision, principles and goals, I believe that they will provide excellent guidance over the next 10-20 years.”

Sheridan also commented on how impressed she was with the level of engagement they received on the project. 

They received engagement from 576 participants in two online surveys, 50 participants in a student survey, three user group workshops, 20 participants in the public open house, staff interviews, and one online presentation of the draft plan. 

The first round of community engagement saw people expressing interest in things like an indoor pool, a bigger gym, an indoor walking track, improved ball diamonds and more outdoor lighting.

Some themes from the community for the future that came out of this engagement pointed to the importance of collaboration with the OIB, the importance of fostering inclusivity through recreation, fostering year-round recreation, and an interest in investing in new and expanded facilities. 

The second round of community engagement yielded the vision for a year-round aquatics facility, winter and family-friendly recreation options, increased safety at parks and trails, options for all income levels and abilities, culturally diverse and inclusive programs, and facilities for competitions and tournaments. 

There were 12 goals that emerged as grounding the vision for recreation in Oliver. Some of these include: Strengthening regional and community partnerships, retaining and enhancing volunteerism, taking an inclusive approach to recreation, expanding arts and cultural programming, and maintaining and upgrading recreation facilities to meet evolving communities, to name a few. 

As for the recommendations to come out of this master plan, some high-priority ones are to enhance staff expertise by offering training on topics such as community development, Syilx/Okanagan culture, diversity, equity, and inclusion.

  • Partnering with the OIB to explore opportunities for sharing knowledge about sukʷnaʔqin culture at recreation facilities, parks, activities, and events;
  • Another high-priority recommendation is developing a fees and charges bylaw for recreation in order to balance affordability and cost recovery; 
  • Exploring and encouraging seniors to join recreation programming with a focus on arts and culture, digital literacy, integrating new technologies, and mental health and wellness; 
  • Planning upgrades to the Oliver and District Community Hall, to areas such as the community kitchen, community weight room and the parking lot;
  • Planning upgrades to the Oliver and District Arena, to areas such as the washrooms, auxiliary spaces and the concession; and
  • Planning upgrades to the Oliver and District Pool, including a technical review of the pool basin, upgrading changing facilities, and considering shading options for the pool deck. 

Oliver Council expressed their appreciation for how thorough the plan is and unanimously adopted it.  

Now that the plan is adopted, the operational tasks will be incorporated into the Oliver and District staff work plans, and the capital projects will be assessed and incorporated into capital budget planning which will later on either be approved or not in budget considerations.