PERIOD REPORT
DATE: May 27 2024 Report No. P&R-24-004
TO: Dan Horan, Chief Administrative Officer
FROM: Steve Knoke Director Parks and Recreation
SUBJECT:TITLEParks and Recreation Services- 2024 Period Report
Body
The following is a report on the activities pertaining to the Parks and Recreation Services from January 1 2024 to April 30, 2024.
I. DIVISION ACHIEVEMENTS AND ACTIVITIES
1.Parks
BC Hydro has again granted $7,500 towards our annual tree planting initiative.
Publicly owned trees
• Trees pruned - 22
• Trees removed - 5
• Trees planted - Blvd trees - 53
• Natural area trees planted - 450
• Total trees planted - 503 compared to 73 last year this period.
Invasive Removal
• General parks maintenance - 65.5 cubic meters of invasive plants removed from 209.5 square meters of land compared to 17 cubic meters from 65 Square meters during the same period last year.
• Earthday - 59 cubic meters of invasive plants removed from 630 square meters of land compared to 19 cubic meters from 250 square meters this period in 2023.
• Total cubic meters of invasive plants removed during the 1st period - 124.5 vs 36
• Total square meters of park land cleared during the 1st period - 839.5.
Privately owned trees (tree permit/developments)
• Trees approved for removal - 31 compared to 40.
• Trees denied for removal - 2 compared to 11.
• Trees approved for pruning - 6 compared to 14.
• No permit required (not protected tree) - 5 compared to 4.
• Number of tree cutting permits waiting for more information or cancelled - 4 vs 5.
• Total tree cutting permits applied for - 30 compared to 29.
Parks Highlights
• Installed new interpretive signage in the Japanese Garden in collaboration with Uvic’s Past Wrongs, Future Choices.
• Expanded walking trail in Esquimalt Gorge Park, extending it from the parking lot to the Takata Garden.
• Installed Stone Lantern and Hiroshima Ginko Tree at the front of the Gorge Pavilion.
• Earth Day in Highrock Park on April 17, 2024 had over 800 people including over 700 students, adult volunteers and community members.
• A Branch Out invasive removal event was held on April 21 at Highrock Park during the Earth Day Celebration, with the Greater Victoria Green Team, to address a section of invasive species that threatens the native biodiversity of the park. 169 sq. metres of land was cleared of invasives.
• Safety upgrades at Lampson Park Lions Baseball diamond 2 including resurfacing and regrading of playing area completed in February (2nd and final phase).
• Upgraded building security at the Parks Nursery.
• Added improvements to parking area at the entrance to Saxe Point Park.
• Updated all park entrance cedar signs with modern stain and paint.
• Planted newly created traffic island at Head and Old Esquimalt Rd (part of active transportation project).
• Upgraded 4 water cannons in the Adventure Park.
• Completed repair of the middle pond at Esquimalt Gorge Park.
• Installed new Seacan in Esquimalt Gorge Park to support events and programs.
Park Bookings
• Saxe Point Park - 5 (3 wedding, 2 special event).
• Esquimalt Gorge Park - 7 (2 filming, 1 wedding, 2 special events, 2 picnic).
• Macaulay Point Park - 1 (Special Event).
• Bullen Park - 19 (Gorge soccer, Spartans Football, Victoria Slo Pitch).
• L’Ecole Brodeur - 23 (Youth and Adult Soccer Club).
• Anderson Park - Community Garden.
• Highrock Park - 1 (1 Special Event).
• Memorial Park - 8 (Farmers Market, Picnics, DND Memorial Service).
• Lampson Park - 41 (Lions Minor Baseball).
Gorge Park Pavilion
• There were 224 bookings at the Gorge Park Pavilion in this reporting period compared to 180 bookings for the same period last year.
• The Township Community Arts Council hosted Sculpture Splash at the Gorge Park Pavilion on April 11 - April 14, 2024. This event showcased a variety of art pieces in collaboration with the Vancouver Island Sculptors Guide that brought inspiring 3-D works of over 40 sculptors.
• The Pavilion hosted the Sport For Life Summit, which engaged many recreation professionals in a day of learning about the benefits of accessible and inclusive sport programming. Other notable rentals were the CDR Environmental Services, Castaways Year End Wrap Up, Community Living Victoria and Inclusion BC, 2nd Annual Victoria Herring Symposium, Metis Identity Youth Sharing Circle, and A Living Canva: Bridge Art and Restoration in Climate Action.
• The Parks and Recreation team worked in collaboration with the Past Wrongs, Future Choices and the Victoria Nikkei Cultural Society for the official unveiling of the new interpretive panels and teahouse displays on April 26, 2024. This event was well attended with over 50 people in attendance.
2. Maintenance
Sports Centre
• AME Group is currently project managing the replacement of the condenser and hockey rink dehumidifier, in coordination with phase 2 of the roof replacement.
• Curling ice was removed March 18th.
• Hockey ice was removed April 12th.
• Painting of the roller derby track on the curling rink floor and the 2 roller derby tracks on the hockey rink floor was completed.
• Replacement of the domestic hot water heat exchanger was completed in February.
• Insulation of the hot water pipes is in progress.
• 2 new RPT Building Maintenance Workers were hired, giving us a complete team of staff members.
Recreation Centre
• AME Group is currently following up on a few items, yet to be completed, before closing out the Recreation Centre Boiler Project.
• Cleaning and burnishing of all activity room floors is in progress and ongoing.
• Replacement of all heat exchangers was completed in early January.
• Insulation of the domestic water heat exchanger and all hot water pipes is in progress.
• We have hired 2 new RFT Custodial Maintenance Workers, giving us a complete team of staff members.
3. Recreation Services
Fitness and Sports
• The Wellness Centre had 28,566 visits from January - April 2024 compared to 28,819 the previous year.
• Drop-in Fitness continued to offer 33 classes per week, with increased registration from the same period in 2023. January- April 2024 saw 6,909 attendees compared to 5,989 the previous year.
• From January- April, 21 registered fitness classes a week were programmed, with 921 registered fitness participants compared to 975 participants in the first period of 2023.
• Adult Drop-in Sports continue to be popular, with almost all sessions fully booked. During the first period, there were 2,661 drop-in sports spots filled compared to 2,637 in the same period last year.
• Through Personal Training and the 60 Day Challenge, Esquimalt Rec’s personal trainers were able to see 45 new clients in the first period of 2024.
• The 15th Annual Esquimalt 5k had 301 participants and 173 children registered in the 1K Fun Run compared to 291 in the 5k and 163 kids in the 1k last year. Participants engaged in a variety of pre and post run activities and received great support from local businesses.
• Re-upholstery has been completed on two benches and two machine seats in the gym to help extend the lifespan of the equipment. A new recumbent bike was purchased to replace an older, broken recumbent bike in the Wellness Centre.
Aquatics
• The winter pool schedule continued normal hours of operation from the 2023 3rd period at 119 hours/week. Up 8.5 hours compared to the 1st period in 2023.
• The pool consistently stayed open compared to being closed once in the 2023 1st period due to staffing issues.
• Pool had restricted capacity due to staffing restrictions 5 times. This is down from the 13 times during the 2023 1st period. The exact dates were:
o January: 14 & 21
o February: 4 & 8
o March: 21
• Registered private lessons for January - March included 36 participants compared to 85 in the same period in 2023. This is due to running fewer private lessons to run more group lessons.
• 155 community lessons were run with a total of 676 participants compared to 105 lessons with 514 participants during the same period in 2023.
• 9 new aquatic staff were hired bringing our number to 75 aquatics staff compared to the 60 staff we had during the same period in 2023.
• 11 Lifesaving, lifeguarding and swim instructor training courses included 108 registered participants, compared to 6 courses and 50 participants during the same period in 2023.
• 20 waterfit classes were offered per week with an average of 27 participants compared to 17 classes per week with an average of 24 participants during the same period in 2023.
Memberships/Registrations
• 2,400 memberships were sold compared to 1,760 in 2023 this includes:
• 337 - 1 month Passes compared to 252
• 346 - 3 Month Passes compared to 221
• 110 - 6 Month Passes compared to 73
• 353 - 1 Year Passes compared to 246
• 891 - 10 Punch Passes compared to 723
• 313 - 25 Punch Passes compared to 217
• 50 - Regional Passes compared to 16
• 722 products were sold through the Recreation Centre shop (googles, swim caps, swim diapers, and water bottles) compared to 519
• There were 5,835 registrations completed compared to 4,812
Marketing
• Esquimalt Parks & Recreation social media platforms continue to have a strong following with 6,987 on Facebook (up from 6,505 last period), 2,446 on Instagram (up from 2,226 last period), and 4,270 on Twitter (up from 4,264 last period).
• Our Instagram reach is up 24.5% over last period, our Instagram visits are up 152.1% over last period, and our Facebook visits are up 46.4%.
• The launch of the new website has been successful, and the Parks & Recreation section continues to be the most predominantly viewed content.
Facility Rentals
• 276 contracts were issued for rentals at the Esquimalt Recreation Centre (51 of which were lane/pool rentals) compared to 243 and 52 for the same period last year.
• 279 contracts were issued for rentals at the Archie Browning Sports Centre compared to 118 last year.
Preschool - Children and Youth Services
• Our Licensed Preschool M/W/F class ran with 10/16 spaces filled.
• Our outdoor Puddle Jumpers Preschool ran with 5 participants.
• The Japanese Infant/Toddler class located at the Pavilion ran with 6/15 spots filled.
Licensed Out of School Care
• Before School Care had 48/78 registrants, leaving 30 spaces available.
• After School Care remains at capacity with 78 participants, with a short waitlist by the end of April 2023.
• OSC Registration for the 2023/2024 school year opened on April 18th. We moved our OSC application and waitlist to an online model and it went very smoothly.
• We received 36 new participant applications and 43 current participant applications. We expect to reach our After School capacity of 78.
• Before School Care had 56/78 registrants compared to 48/78 in 2023.
• After School Care remains at capacity with 78 registrants, with a short waitlist.
• 2024/2025 OSC registration opened on April 17, 2024. We received 33 new participant applications and 75 current participant applications. We expect to reach our After School Care capacity of 78 by May 15, 2024.
Spring Break Camps
• We offered 8 of our own camps (4 per week) and one contracted camp serving 190 participants compared to 175 last year. With an additional 59 participants in AM and PM extended care.
• LITTLUNIVERSE Lego Robotics camp filled with 18/18 spots filled and 6 on the waitlist.
• The Esquimalt Youth Leadership program ran both weeks of Spring Break. The first week had 9 participants and the second week had 5 participants. Combined, we had 15 out of a possible 24 participants for both weeks and no waitlist. 2023 saw 12 registrants in one week of camp.
Teen Centre Programs
• Tuesday LGBTQIA2S+ program saw a weekly increase from 7 participants last year to 10 to date in 2024.
• Wednesday Ravens Club at Rock heights Middle School: 8 participants vs 9 last period
• Thursday Teen Nights: 14 participants compared to 17 last period.
• Friday Teen Nights: 45 participants compared to 47 last period.
• Saturday Teen Nights: 49 participants vs 44 last period.
Sports
• Rock Water Aikido ran 4 classes a week at École Victor Brodeur school.
• MIJO Taekwondo ran 6 programs a week.
• Longsword Combat 14yrs+ program ran with 13/20 participants.
• Badminton Teen/Adult Class 16yrs+ ran with 16/20 participants and the Badminton Jr Class 8-12yrs ran with 11/20 participants.
• KATS Tennis did not run this season due to lack of instructors.
• Play Beyond Expectations ran two programs a week during this period.
• Urban Rec ran two volleyball leagues on Monday and Thursday nights, filling each day with 17 /17 teams. We also added a new successful pickleball league once per week on Tuesday nights.
• Soccer 3-5yrs class had 8/12 participants and our 6-9yrs class continues to be the most popular with 12/12 spots filled and 7 on the waitlist. We saw growth in the 9-12yr class with 10/12 spots filled.
• Vic City Basketball programs saw growth compared to last year. We successfully ran a new Inclusive Developing Skills Basketball Academy for female, female identifying, non-binary or gender diverse individuals ranging in ages from 15-50 years old. The Sunday program ran with 21/24 spots filled starting on April 7 continuing into June.
• Vic City Basketball Girls 9-15yrs had 8/10 participants in January and April sessions.
• Vic City Basketball Boys 9-15yrs January program reached capacity with 12/12 spots.
• We increased spaces in the April Boys 9-15yr program and reached 27 participants.
Arts, Culture, Social & Special Interest Programs
• We ran another successful Community Volunteer Income Tax Program, filing taxes for 126 community members, free of charge, compared to 85 last year.
• This winter saw high registration in many new and returning programs, such as:
o Kids Cooking: breakfast bonanza and sweets and treats, both full totaling 24 kids.
o Stitch Lab: increased demand added additional sessions last year and they are continually full with a combined 24 kids per session.
o Guitar: we are offering lessons spanning preschool to adult age and had 26 people registered in our first winter session and 29 in the second.
o Soap-Making 101 with Wychbury Ave for adults ran 4 sessions this winter/spring - full with 41 registrations.
Community Development and Events
• Our annual Family Day event was held in person again this year, with a free family swim and kinder gym and a BBQ hosted by the Lion’s Club. In addition, we hosted 7 community groups that offered information and free activities (Esquimalt Community Arts Hub, Spartan Football, Esquimalt Firehall, Esquimalt Emergency Preparedness, Writer’s Group, Play Beyond Expectation, Esquimalt Farmers’ Market). We received a $1,000 BC Family Day Grant from the Province of BC which covered our operating cost during these free family events.
• The Annual Esquimalt Lions’ Easter Egg Hunt returned to Gorge Park and was very well attended with an estimated 1,500 participants at the event.
• As mentioned in the Parks reporting, the Earth Day event at High rock Park had approximately 800 local school students in attendance from Victor Brodeur, Macaulay Elementary and Rockheights Middle School. With the addition of their teachers, parent volunteers, and community members we estimate 1,000 people attended the event. This year we expanded our exhibitor tent to include 11 community groups that covered a variety of Environmental Stewardship related topics. In addition, this year staff held a satellite location at Saxe Point for invasive pulling which was successful.
• The Gigantic Garage Sale returned to Archie Browning Sports center this year and expanded to include both the Curling Rink and Arena. We hosted 108 vendors and event had over 1,000 people attend throughout the day.
• The Esquimalt Farmers’ Market has returned to Memorial Park as of April 4th and will operate until September 26th.
Ice and Arena
• The Archie Browning Sports Centre hosted its first BC Men’s and Women’s Curling Championships from January 23 - January 28, 2024. The championships had over 1,000 attendees in our facilities. Curl BC, Esquimalt Curling Club and the recreation team worked with local schools to offer Try It Curling sessions to introduce children to curling.
• The Esquimalt Curling Club continued to operate with both men’s and women’s leagues. This year they ran 7 curling bonspiels that were well attended in both the arena and lounge.
• Our Learn to Skate program continues to grow with 75 participants, compared to 71 in the previous year.
• Each week we ran 10 public skating sessions, which includes drop in hockey, cougars pond hockey, adult skates, and public skates that follows the schedule from the previous year.
• The drop-in hockey programs including stick and puck continues to be well attended. The Friday drop-in hockey program continues to have a waitlist. Stick and Puck was introduced this year to capture youth who may not have access to a general hockey program.
• Shinny Hockey was at full capacity for Wednesdays and Fridays. Cougars pond hockey is also maintaining regional popularity with our partnership with the Cougars Junior ‘A’ team.
• Special events like the ‘Family Day’ and ‘Spring Thaw’ skates were well attended with over 100 participants.
• We continue to engage with the local schools in offering school skates 5 days a week.
• The Archie Browning Sports Centre hosted the Ken Gill and Forrest Owens Charity Hockey Tournament on April 5th. The event goal was to increase awareness of mental health and cancer incidences affecting members of the fire service and our communities at large. This event was well attended capturing a large attendance and raised over $8,000 for local charities.
• The curling arena hosted various events in early April that had 200 - 1,900 attendees. These bookings included the International Plastic Modelers Society which had 90 exhibitors and 330 models, SD61: Career Fair for Youth which had 93 booths to capture youth employment opportunities.
II. COMMITTEES
• The Environmental, Parks & Recreation Advisory Committee met on January 24, 2024 and March 27, 2024.