Reduced rec centre hours concern McBride doctor
By Andrea Arnold
Dr. Jessica Burian was among the residents of McBride who were unhappy when the Regional District of Fraser-Fort George announced that the hours of the Robson Valley Recreation Centre would be adjusted for the summer, effective at the start of May.
According to Dannielle Alan, RDFFG Area H Director, the hours, Monday to Friday 6 am to 2 pm and Tuesday and Thursday 6 pm to 9:30 pm, were decided on as a way to lessen the operating costs over the summer months.
Local doctor Dr. Burian was on maternity leave when the announcement was made, and was surprised to learn of it upon her return.
“This change affects many people, especially working families, youth, and seniors,” she said. “I felt it was important to give the community a voice and create a way for residents to demonstrate their support collectively.”
Dr. Burian created a petition to show the Regional District of Fraser-Fort George that a significant portion of our community truly values the recreation centre and wants to maintain—and ideally restore—its operating hours. As of May 22nd, over 250 individuals had signed the petition.
From her perspective as a medical professional, Dr. Burian believes that facilities like the rec centre are essential to both physical and mental health—especially in rural communities.
“Exercise helps manage chronic conditions like diabetes, heart disease, and arthritis,” she said. “Just as importantly, it supports mental health, reduces isolation, and offers people a sense of structure and routine.”
She also sees how the facility supports both preventative care and rehabilitation. In the past, McBride’s visiting physiotherapist used the gym to teach her patients exercises. She can no longer do this under the current schedule, which limits the quality of care residents receive.
In recent years, the facility and the community centre next door have been used as refuge in the instance of heat domes, and as Dr. Burian pointed out locations that provide options during smokey conditions during wildfire season.
“Making both facilities critical parts of our public health infrastructure,” she said.
Alan said that in this year’s budget there is a fund set aside to allow the facilities to be opened in case of emergency like a heat dome, wildfire, or evacuees.
“The money will allow us to act quickly without having to wait for funding approval,” she said.
Dr. Burian has e-mailed the RDFFG with her initial concerns. She plans to follow up with them including the results of the petition and detailed feedback from residents. She met with the local Community Consultation Committee as well to provide them with the information she has gathered.
“The goal is to advocate for more equitable access to recreation services in McBride,” she said.
According to Kenna Jonkman, General Manager of Community and Development Services for the Regional District, the daily cost to operate and maintain the Robson Valley Recreation Centre are funded by local taxes and the Regional District along with the Community Consultation Committee adjusted the operating schedule for summer months to respond to increased costs of operating the facility.
Jonkman referred to the Open House that was held on October 2nd, 2024 where approximately 100 people attended, and subsequently, 280 surveys were completed. The survey asked the public to provide feedback on the importance of the service to the community, usage of the facility, how to best fund the service, requisition, level of service, user fees, and ideas for new programming.
“At this open house, Regional District Administration presented information related to historic service establishment, recent and future investments required/ proposed, operating budget, requisition and 5-year financial planning, facility assessments completed and in progress, and next steps,” said Jonkman.
Following the survey, the RD worked with the Community Consultation Committee to develop a financial strategy that takes into consideration requisition rates, the level of service for winter and summer months and user fees.
Alan, also a member of the CCC, said that in making the decision, they overlooked the fact that for many Robson Valley residents, summer schedules don’t begin until July. She said there will be adjustments for June.
When asked if there was room for change, and how the RDFFG hopes to increase usage and income if the doors are closed during the time of day when usage would be at its greatest, Jonkman responded that the RD is open to feedback on the current hours and any suggestions residents may have on improving access for all different users during the summer months. She said that feedback can be provided through emailing [email protected] or filling out a comment card available at the Robson Valley Recreation Centre.
“Comments and suggestions will be considered when planning future operating hours for summer months,”she said.
When asked if there was a possibility that the facility could be open full days, select days of the week, Jonkman replied that the Regional District will consider all scenarios when considering future operating hours for summer months.
She was unable to provide The Goat with an estimated date for a return to regular hours outside of ice season.
“The Regional District budgets annually for the Robson Valley Recreation Centre service and will continue to work actively with the Community Consultation Committee to determine the level of service desired by the community and how to balance that with the annual operating costs,” she said.
Alan says that the challenge for the rec center is that for the past several years they’ve been dipping into reserve funds to help fund operating expenses.
“That is not sustainable,” she said. “In previous years, we’ve shut down entirely for a month or two in the summertime, this year we focussed on full hours during the winter season and reduced hours during the summer. Our mistake was not accounting for the amount of use during the shoulder season – May through the end of June.”
Dr. Burian attended the most recent Community Consultation Committee (CCC) meeting on May 28, attended by CCC board and staff from the Fraser-Fort George Regional District. She said that the meeting focused on the current situation at the Robson Valley Recreation Centre, particularly around reduced hours this summer.
A few points were brought forward that Dr. Burian thought were important to bring to public attention. The recreation centre is fully funded by local taxes, user fees, rentals, and grants. When applying for grants, many applications require matching funds, which is something that is becoming more difficult for the rec centre.
Although the budget is set preventing major changes, Dr. Burian is hopeful that some adjustments to the facility’s hours can still be made to improve accessibility. With schedule changes come staffing adjustments and this is a complex issue due to union agreements and employment standards.
As a result of the meeting, Alan reported that Jonkman, along with the CCC, will rework hours so that more people can be accommodated within the limited budget that they have during this time, and the facility will be returning to full operating hours in the fall when the ice is in.
“Last year we increased our budget by four per cent, and are still dipping into reserves and are not putting enough money away to fund future capital needs,” she said. “We will need to see an increase next year, and if the community wants full-time hours in the summer, that increase will be around significant.”
Alan stated that there is no plan to ever shut the recreation centre down, and they are fully aware of how important the recreation centre is to the community. She would like to see larger groups like CN or Emil Anderson step up with sponsorships to help keep the facility open and affordable.
“There will be community engagement sessions and an open house to get community feedback on what is truly important to them next September as we will start working on the 2026 budget.
“Last year we heard loud and clear that the community wanted full hours during ice time, so we did our best to accommodate that,” said Alan. “We need to hear more from people about their needs during the off-ice season.”
There will be another open house held in the fall where residents will be asked for more information and feedback. Both Alan and Dr. Burian hope people attend and share ideas that will allow accessible services for residents.
