Al Shermack, the newly elected president of the Sundre Aquatic Society, says he has lots of plans for 2011, including getting more of the community at large involved in the AquaPlex.
“I feel there is lots of enthusiasm,” said Shermack, who has been involved with the society for three years. “From the comments I've heard, people care about the AquaPlex and I am certainly going to try to involve everyone who I can in helping to run the facility and to keep us on track financially.”
About 30 people attended the society's annual general meeting at the AquaPlex on Wednesday. The society oversees the operations of the pool and the weight room.
According to the statement of revenues and expenditures for 2010 presented during last week's AGM, total receipts for the facility were $409,528 last year, compared with $571,691 in 2009.
Operating income in 2010 was $204,801, compared to $225,010 in 2009.
Total disbursements in 2010 were $452,439, giving a deficiency of $42,911.
The Town of Sundre has agreed to bring forward $80,000 of the town and county's 2011 contribution to the AquaPlex to help deal with that deficiency.
“We have to come forth and start doing more fundraisers and also getting more members of the community at large involved,” he said. “We also have to work with the management and the staff. We are going to have people working on new ideas.”
Sundre Mayor Annette Clews, who attended last week's AGM, said she is encouraged to hear the society plans to continue to work with the community at large.
“The AquaPlex is good for the community because all facilities that encourage physical activity and good health are good for Sundre,” said Clews.
The town will continue to support the AquaPlex in years to come, she said.
“We recognize how important the facility is to our community,” she said.
In other recreation facility news, town councillors will be meeting with Jungle Jim Hunter on April 16 to further discuss Hunter's proposal to create a multi-use recreation institute in town.
The meeting, which will be held in-camera, was called during last week's special council meeting after the town's facilities committee recently reviewed a number of proposals for a new arena in town.
Hunter is proposing the construction of what he is calling a National Athletic Training Centre (NATC) for Sundre.
That centre would include two ice arenas under one structure, a field house with indoor track, climbing wall, team building area, fitness training area, and a teaching facility with state-of-the art video and computer technology, he told councillors in February.
