The drive to change the cinder track at Ballenas Secondary to a rubberized surface has gained some traction.
The Regional District of Nanaimo’s committee of the whole last week endorsed the plan for the board’s approval to allow RDN staff to start collaborating with School District 69, the City of Parksville and Town of Qualicum Beach for a rubberized track of up to eight lanes.
Construction and operation of a rubberized Ballenas track is one of the priorities identified in the recreation master plan for District 69 that was completed in June. They also include construction of an artificial turf field and expansion of Ravensong Aquatic Centre.
The Ballenas track and field is a well-used facility. Different sports from Ballenas and Kwalikum and the community use it along with School District 69, which stages the elementary track and field meet there every year. The Oceanside Track and Field Club has called for the different local governments to work together toward improving the facility and making it safer.
Electoral Area F (Coombs, Hilliers, Errington) director Julian Fell has acknowledged the importance of the Ballenas track and is supporting it. At a meeting Sept. 4, Fell asked staff whether construction of an athletic park for general public use is eligible for Community Works Funds (CWF).
General manager of recreation and parks Tom Osborne said that “recreational parks are typically available for Community Works Funds but I have to verify that.”
Fell pointed out there is a strong desire for a rubberized track at Ballenas high school and would like to get funds rolling now.
“I would be very happy to contribute generously from our Community Works Funds,” said Fell.” And if my colleagues from District 69 would do likewise, we might be able to raise enough money to bypass the need of having to put it in the budget and tax for it, which means it could take two years to get it done. If we can do it through the Community Works Funds we can do it fairly quickly.”
Fell added that they can also look at borrowing from the CWF and pay it back later through municipal taxes.
Electoral Area H (Shaw Hill, Qualicum Bay, Deep Bay, Bowser, Spider Lake and Horne Lake) director Bill Veenhof would like to contribute to it but their CWF is already committed to other projects.
The projected CWF for the regional district for 2018-19 is just more than $1.75M.
