Park board backs Strathcona Community Centre demands for secure funding
Megan Stewart / Vancouver Courier March 28, 2017 12:19 PM
The community centre in Strathcona is saddled with unique, complex demands that set it apart from
most others in the city and should have a distinct contract and secure funding.
This
was the unanimous decision taken Monday night by the park board, now
wrapping up a year-long
effort to sign the city’s 21 community centre associations to a joint
operating agreement. Proposing a different deal marks a new direction
for Strathcona and potentially other community centres that struggle
financially.
The park board is also prepared to put its hand out. It will consider “potential funding partners”
that can “develop an interim as well as a long-term strategy for a sustainable funding model.”
The new direction was supported by the community centre association president.
“Over
the last several months, it became clear that we couldn’t be supported
in very significantly
through the JOA,” said Shannon Williams about the joint operating
agreement between centres and the park board that could still include an
“investment fund” to a small amount of revenue from more to less
profitable centres.
“They
have really taken the step. It is a significant shift that the park
board is saying they
need to support community centres such as ours, so we are really
heartened by that,” she said. “The board has heard us and understands
and appreciates our concerns and those of other centers in similar
situations.”
The decisions has two phases and will begin with recommendations specific to Strathcona on a short-term
basis before long-term options are considered for it and any other community centre with similar financial limits and burdens.
“Something needed to be done differently,” said Vision commissioner Catherine Evans.
The
Strathcona community centre association fundraises $1 million of its
annual $1.7 million operating
budget each year. Park board staff is tasked with researching models to
follow or innovations to dream up and will present interim, short-term
suggestions to the board by June 30. Long-term models will be presented
by Nov. 30.
“I
would suggest staff was already working toward a solution with
Strathcona, but I think it’s
important we separate the process and formalize this so the
commissioners and staff all recognize and that we are ready to address
this,” said NPA commissioner Casey Crawford, who is the park board
liaison to the Strathcona Community Centre and proposed an
initial motion that he later revised alongside Evans because she had
proposed a similar but separate motion of her own.
“Poverty
isn’t restricted to one neighbourhood or two or three, it is throughout
our city,” said
Evans, who did not want the community centre in Strathcona to be
mistaken as anything else. “It’s very important it be a community centre
in the same way every other centre plays a central role in its
community. The fact if faces funding challenges doesn’t
change its role. It is just a difference of resources available to it
through program fees.”
The
Strathcona community centre association had asked the park board for
guaranteed funding of
$200,000 going forward. Depending on the operational model that is
suggested and approved, they could get more, or less, from the park
board or could be funded through numerous other government partners and a
distinct model. For example, the Ray-Cam Co-operative
Centre located a few blocks from Strathcona is not strictly a community
centre, but provides many similar services and is operated through
agreements with their a board of directors along with the city and BC
Housing.
“I
think most community centres say they would face funding challenges,”
said Stuart Mackinnon,
with the Green Party, who later commended the work of Strathcona
representatives, staff and patrons for opening up about their struggles,
both financial and human.
After
the vote, a small group of spectators broke into applause. Many of
them, including Williams,
Ron Suzuki and Veronica Light, had attended every special public meeting
held by the park board as the joint operating agreement is ironed out.
“We are really happy the board has heard us,” said Williams.
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