The City of New West has launched their initial public engagement phase for the planning of the renewal of Canada Games Pool and Centennial Community Centre. hcma has created an identity for the engagement process and is working closely with the City to encourage greater public participation.
Offering a variety of fitness, community, and aquatic programs, the Canada Games Pool and Centennial Community Centre are among New Westminster’s oldest recreation and aquatic facilities. Both buildings have undergone extensive assessment and feasibility studies and have been identified as being in a state of decline. To ensure that these facilities continue to service New West's current and future community, the City Council has decided to move forward with the consultation process.
In collaboration with New West, our +Design team have created a vibrant identity to reflect and engage with the City's diverse community. Our team incorporated New West's established brand guidelines to deliver something that is contemporary, yet familiar to residents. We've made use of readily available and affordable materials at every stage of the project to meet the City's deadline and budget. These cost-effective materials include a table and vision tree made from plywood and colored paper for stakeholders to write and draw on. Our hope is that by utilizing these unpolished, handcrafted elements we are making ourselves more approachable and providing a comfortable space for New West residents to share their ideas.
The engagement process includes an online survey, open house, engagement opportunities at local community events and a variety of stakeholder meetings that consult a cross section of New West residents. Recently we held a meeting for New West's senior citizens and received some positive feedback from attendees:
We all arrived as grumpy old individuals, but left with a sense of real community.
We have been thoughtful in organizing these meetings, often mixing two groups from the community who wouldn't normally connect. So far this approach has been successful, promoting greater public participation and interesting results.
Dean Gibson, Director of Parks and Recreation has outlined the project phases below:
“As part of this first phase of consultation, we want to ensure that the renewal of Canada Games Pool and Centennial Community Centre reflects the values, needs, and identity of our community,”
“We want to hear from all members of the community, both users and non-users, to share their feedback and help form a vision for the future of these facilities.”
Join the Your Active New West mailing list to receive project updates and have your say at the following events:
June 18 - Queensborough Children's Festival from 1:00 - 4:00 pm
June 19 - Pier 2 Landing from 11:00 am - 2:00 pm near the Eats at the Pier concession
June 24 - River Market from 1:00 - 4:00 pm
June 23 - Centennial Community Centre Community Open House from 3:00 - 7:00 pm. Drop-in and learn more about the project. A brief presentation and Q&A session will be held at 3:00 pm and 6:00pm.
See you there!