Growing up

PEFAC celebrates fifth anniversary

It has now been five years since the Prince Edward Fitness and Aquatic Centre (PEFAC) came into being. From the loud voices and noisy controversy into which it was born out of the vestiges of the RecPlex, PEFAC has emerged as a self-assured, yet modest, organization.

It still leans heavily on municipal funding (about $85,000 per year—$60,000 for operating expenses and $25,000 for capital expenses) and serves a relatively small and localized core of County residents; but the resistance to the pool and fitness facility has morphed over five years into a grudging respect and admiration for the volunteers who have managed to keep the doors open through some lean years.

On a shoestring budget and often with paintbrush in hand, PEFAC volunteers have weathered several crises that have cropped up in operating a pool facility housed in a converted bus station.

But while they have been able to stabilize operations and scrounge enough resources for critical capital repairs to its rented facilities, PEFAC has not yet been able to define a future for itself beyond the hand-to-mouth existence it endures now.

Since it was born PEFAC was meant to be a stopgap measure, or—as it was then described—a bridge to a permanent health and fitness facility. But the pugnacious voices of its early days have long since disappeared, leaving a core of volunteers struggling first to pay the bills and keep the doors open, and then to take on modest repairs.

Now, five years on, PEFAC wants to get serious about its future.

To do so will require more money.

A feasibility study must be done to determine the market demand and facility requirements. The estimated cost of such study is thought be about $35,000. A committee of PEFAC folks and other volunteers has been formed to find the funds needed to conduct the study.

Councillor Monica Alyea said $10,000 should be taken from the County’s pool reserve fund to kick start the money raising. “When I went door-to-door across the County, maybe 20 people complained about PEFAC,” reported Alyea. “When I explained that our contribution amounts to about $7 per household, it wasn’t such an issue.”

But Councillor Ray Best, while supportive of PEFAC, didn’t want to raid the pool reserve fund. “The Dolphins swim team use the interest from that fund to help pay for equipment and supplies for their programs,” explained Best. “This is pretty important when you consider that a $200 swimsuit can last about three weeks on a competitive swimmer.”

Councillor Keith MacDonald urged caution.

“There are lots of good thoughts going around this table,” said MacDonald, “but any study will need to answer a bigger question than ‘do we need it’ and this is ‘where will we get the money?’

“Personally I believe we get the County back to basics before we begin spending again. Let’s coast awhile and get taxes back in line.”

Mayor-elect Peter Mertens refused to consider Alyea’s request until the next council was formed and the budget deliberations were underway.

Alyea said her intent was merely to recommend the use of the pool reserve, not to spend it immediately. “It’s a waste of time to sit on this committee if we don’t have a long-term plan,” said Alyea. “I’ll come back and stand right there and tell you why we need the funds.”

MacDonald took another tack—he wanted to know why $35,000 would have to be spent on consultants to produce the feasibility study.

“All I heard during the campaign is that we use too many consultants, everything is study, study, study,” said MacDonald. “We have lots of talented people here; let’s tap this resource.” Alyea explained that senior levels of government require third-party consultants.

“It’s part of the game,” said Alyea.

Chief Administrative Officer Dick Shannon added that it was outside the capability of the municipality to prepare the kinds of reports and research needed by funding agencies. “We don’t have the in-house resources to do market surveys,” said Shannon. “While it may be distasteful, they (consultants) may be better equipped.”

It will be up to the next council to figure out the municipality’s role in defining the future of a permanent pool and fitness facility in the County.