UNITY – Summer is slowly fading away but the Unity Recreation Department was happy to report a successful season throughout the community and at the Unity Credit Union Aquatic Centre.
Director of the department, Lisa Feser, said the aquatic centre had a total of 11 guards working, which included four junior guards. Although the private bookings were slightly lower than previous years, the season and punch cards were a bigger hit from last year, possibly due to the new addition of a point-of-sale machine.
The POS system was installed this spring at the pool and Feser said the system allowed staff to be more accommodating to everyone, including out of town visitors attending events like the ball tournaments.
“We were also able to sell retail items such as sunscreen, goggles, nose plugs, little swimmers and towels,” said Feser.
Also new this year was online registration for swimming lessons. Despite a learning curve, the process was a huge success and many people appreciated the ease of registering online.
Staff at the UCUAC hosted several activities throughout the summer, including the annual Drowning Prevention Week. Proceeds from the week totalled more than $600, were donated to the Thompson family fund in memory of Porter Thompson.
“This idea was brought forward by our guards, who have connections to the family, and I am incredibly proud of their compassion and initiative,” said Feser.
In other recreation areas, the library organized a fun story walk through the Regional Park and the museum held the annual Canada Day celebration, along with other private events filling the grounds.
As the season slowly turns to autumn, some outdoor activities will continue as weather permits, such as pickleball and basketball at the Richardson Pioneer Outdoor Rec Park. Once the weather turns cooler, the outdoor rink will be put into place and campgrounds will close.
“We will be removing outdated playground equipment to meet new safety standards. We also installed cameras at the pool for nighttime security. We plan to monitor other areas like the Richardson Pioneer Outdoor Rec Park, other parks and campgrounds due to ongoing security and vandalism,” added Feser.
Feser reported the pool will remain open through the end of the September long weekend for those who want to get some last-minute swimming in and the arena is expected to have the ice ready by the third week of September.
