DIDSBURY - Any plans to add lawn bowling to the Memorial Complex grounds project will have to wait after council tied votes twice, thus defeating two separate motions.
A motion to accept as information a letter from the 5-0 Club regarding community interest in lawn bowling and a second motion to review the Memorial Complex Outlying Plan area for potential lawn bowling grounds and building opportunities, were defeated by a vote of 3-3 recently. Tied votes equate to a defeated motion.
Council recently asked the 5-0 Club, which operates the current lawn bowling green, to conduct a survey of its membership and community members to determine interest in the once-popular sport in Didsbury.
The 5-0 Club responded in a letter saying the majority of seniors in Didsbury are not interested in reviving lawn bowling. The letter said one member was excited about the possibility while everyone else had varying degree of comments, all meaning "no" interest.
5-0 Club member Kevin Bentley says he was "likely the member who has expressed an interest in this facility."
"The 5-0 Club did not formally canvas its entire membership nor did the 5-0 Club undertake a process of canvassing the entire community, which was requested by the town in its letter to the 5-0 Club," wrote Bentley in a letter to council.
Bentley says the 5-0 Club's letter to council, "identifies ëresentment expressed about lawn bowlingÖ' This resentment is based upon the historical requirement the 5-0 Club pay for water etc. The response of 5-0 Club members I have talked to is quite different when asked their interest without having to consider a cost burden."
Bentley wrote that he is not convinced that enough research had been undertaken.
"The existing lawn bowling infrastructure (building and greens) offers an opportunity that should be fully researched," he said. "The rhetoric suggesting the demise of lawn bowling is overstated. I offer to counter the naysayers the cover of the June 2017 issue of the ëThe Senior Paper,' which has a full-page picture of lawn bowlers."
Coun. Joyce McCoy said she wanted to see the original motion defeated.
"Once you table an agenda item like that letter from the 5-0 Club that we requested we can come back to it," said McCoy. "If we receive it as information the subject can't come back for six months."
McCoy said that all of council and administration received the letter from Bentley the same day and she thought it was important to hear from him.
"If we received it as information we couldn't deal with Kevin's response either," she said. "I'm not saying it has to be lawn bowling. I'm saying that we need to look at that facility as a community facility not owned by a small minority that are members of the 5-0 Club."
McCoy said that she has read that lawn bowling has been growing and could be an opportunity to bring people from Calgary or Edmonton here to play in tournaments.
McCoy added she would like to see the club open up their facilities to more people.
"If it became like the arena and open to anyone, then we could justify funding the water and the cost of keeping those greens green," she told the Gazette.
McCoy said that it could be a few years but she feels lawn bowling could be successful in Didsbury.
"I think it's something you build capacity for whether it's lawn bowling or bocce ball," she said. "You walk by it at night and you see a bunch of people playing and laughing and say ëgeez, I might try that.'"
Christofer Atchison, manager of legislative and development services for Didsbury, said plans for the complex ground will continue to be reviewed each budget season to determine the funds available for development of the plan.
"Currently, there is a request for proposals that has been advertised to begin design work for the skateboard park component of the plan," said Atchison.
Atchison said that lawn bowling was left off the original questionnaire put out by the town regarding the outlying plan because the town had heard that the facility was no longer required and that other activities may be better supported.
I think it's something you build capacity for whether it's lawn bowling or bocce ball," she said. "You walk by it at night and you see a bunch of people playing and laughing and say 'geez, I might try that.'"Joyce McCoycouncillor
