Recreation Program Development and Coordination

The development and coordination of community recreation programs was a prime focus of the Recreation Division in this quarter

Aquatic Programs

The aquatic programs offered by the City at the Kinsmen Sportsplex range from general public swimming to specialized aquatic and first aid classes.  Over 21,417 patrons visited the Kinsmen Sportsplex to participate in the various public swim programs including noon hour swim and adult swims. Swim times are distributed throughout the day to ensure that there are a variety of programs accessible to everyone. The public can access the pool beginning at 6:00 am weekday mornings through to 10:00 pm.  Weekend swimming is available from 12:00 noon to 9:00 pm.  Extended hours of public swimming were offered for the summer months.

The learn-to-swim program attracted more than 1,195 enrollees. The Red Cross Swim Kids program was offered to both the general public and the local school boards. Advanced classes in lifesaving, lifeguarding, first aid, and aqua fit were available.   The regular summer program provides six two-week sessions of swimming lessons.  The first summer session took place at the Phyllis Dewar Outdoor Pool during the annual three week shut down of the Kinsmen Sportsplex. Swim sessions two through six were held at the Kinsmen Sportsplex and in addition, private organizations and users rented the pool to conduct their own programs.  The fall Learn-to-Swim season began September 5th.

In total, over 31,161 patrons attended the programs offered at the Sportsplex in the third quarter of the year. The value of this participation to the community cannot be over emphasized.  Stress reduction, community development, increased levels of fitness, and safety awareness are a few of the benefits that programs of this nature provide.

Community Recreation Programs

The community programs offered by the Parks and Recreation Department continue to be a popular leisure service.  Over 989 participants were registered in the 51 programs that were offered. By working with the four Community Associations in the city, the Recreation Division has been able to develop a variety of programs that are available to children, adults and families within the community.  Some of these programs include:  Exploring the Wild Animal Park, Beginner no hit hockey, Women’s Volleyball, Kickboxing, Badminton and a host of other varied activities. 

Utilizing school gymnasiums, the Community Associations offered the eighth season of Moose Jaw Minor Basketball.  This program meets the need of a basketball program for youth.  Two Hundred and Eight (208) youth aged 7 – 15 are currently participating in this community program.

Athletic Fields

The Department continued to work with Senior Ladies Fastball, Minor Girls Fastball, Moose Jaw Touch Football, Moose Jaw Minor Football, Little League and Moose Jaw Soccer throughout their seasons. Scheduling, communications, and special event planning were key areas of focus. Smith Park, VLA, 1996 Summer Games and Sunningdale Fields were also used for Holy Trinity Catholic School Football and Prairie South High School Soccer.

Moose Jaw Soccer had a total of 1081 participants; Moose Jaw Little League had a total of 362 participants; Moose Jaw Minor Girls Fastball had a total of 323 participants and Moose Jaw Lawn Bowling had a total of 25 participants.

Indoor Arenas

A significant portion of the Department’s responsibilities includes coordinating the use of the various City-owned and operated facilities.   The focus this quarter was on scheduling the use of the four indoor ice surfaces for Community Organizations for the upcoming fall and winter season.

Total quarterly ice use at the Civic Centre totaled 485.75 hours with attendance of 5,752.  This total includes Summer Ice use at the Civic Centre, which totaled 228.25 hours and 2,177 users.

The Parks and Recreation Department worked with all the organizations to book their ongoing ice time, coordinate special events, and develop policies that are receptive to the needs of the users.

Indoor Arena Non-Ice continued to be programmed at the Kinsmen Arena for Lacrosse and Inline Hockey, as well as private bookings.  7.5 hours were utilized, with a total quarterly attendance of 73 for these programs.

The Multipurpose Skate Park proved to be a very popular facility for the youth of Moose Jaw for yet another season.  The skate park was busy seven days a week with the lights staying on until 10:00pm daily.  Three students were hired to supervise the skate park from June 15th to August 28th.