Environment Committee Joins Parks, Recreation, And Culture Committee

The Town of Vermilion’s Parks, Recreation, and Culture Committee has initiated a merger with the Town’s Environment Committee due to dwindling numbers attending the latter. However, a full amalgamation will not be complete until the Town formally approves a bylaw that brings the two together under a single committee.

A solitary member of the former Environment Committee attended the Parks, Rec, and Culture meeting on Monday, February 26. Bonnie Walsh explained to the group that the primary projects the Environment Committee had been working on were the community garden plots and the pollinator garden south of the Senior Centre.

The community garden plots, located in the airport subdivision, at the United Church, and possibly in the still-undeveloped North Brennan subdivision have the potential to host up to 42 gardeners. In previous years, the committee has organized for a local business to do rototilling in the plots in the spring and again in the fall, and each gardener pays $30 per plot, which helps pay for the rototilling as well as the Town’s water, which is filled in tanks kept at the airport and North Brennan gardens.

Walsh is hoping another member of the community will be interested in taking over the organizational responsibilities of connecting gardeners with their plots, and invites members of the public to step forward to help out with this great initiative. In the meantime, interested gardeners can call Madison Barrett at the town office at 780-581-2415 to express interest in obtaining a garden plot for the coming season.

Walsh also highlighted that another of the Environment Committee’s initiatives was the Curbside Reuse Event, which takes place in early September and was designed to help college students acquire free furniture and other necessities while helping Vermilion residents re-home household items they no longer need.

Following Walsh’s explanation of the Environment Committee’s projects, Don Henry, President of the Lt. Col. W.C. Craig Armoury Historical Society, updated the group on the community’s extensive utilization of the historical building. He highlighted the ham radio club’s use of the armoury for basic and advanced ham radio courses; the provision of the building for the upcoming Race of Vermilion and a day of archery for 4-Hers; the archery club’s, cadets’, and Kuksoolwon Martial Arts’ regular use of the facilities; and the hopes of getting the building’s gun range up and running again.

The building has encountered significant maintenance challenges over the winter, including a furnace failure and a burst pipe. Combined with the costs of updating the gun range, these expenses have led the Society to offer its first online prize draw. Prizes include grass-finished home-raised premium Alberta beef (value $1,300), a lawnmower and gas generator set courtesy of Cornerstone Co-op (value $1,199), and a custom knife by Jim Storch made with metal from a 1917 Krupp German WW1 cannon’s mudwheels (value $900). Tickets are available until Tuesday, April 30 at https://www.rafflebox.ca/raffle/lcol-wc-craig-armoury-historical-society

Members of the Armoury Historical Society are also concerned that the cost of natural gas heating combined with the increase in carbon tax will make the ongoing operation of the building cost-prohibitive. They invite members of the public to offer suggestions about grants that might help with operational costs associated with the carbon tax.

The Parks, Rec, and Culture Committee then went on to note that there had been no grant applications for the $4,000 the committee has available to distribute for the year. Local clubs and sports teams are strongly encouraged to put forward an application, available at https://www.vermilion.ca/en/explore-and-play/parks-recreation-and-culture-board-grant-application.aspx

The committee then discussed non-ice (e.g., lacrosse) and baseball diamond rates, but opted to table a decision to the next meeting, when more data about maintenance costs will be available.

The committee also discussed wheelchair swings, noting that the cost for preparation and installation is significant, but there may be a potential funding source in the works.

The local pottery guild will be offering wheel classes in April, and will put out notifications on Facebook and elsewhere when signup is ready.

The next Parks, Culture, and Recreation Committee meeting will be Monday, March 25 at 5:30 p.m. at the Town Hall.