Despite a major water leak at the Bragg Creek Community Centre, the facility’s programming will continue thanks to the support of surrounding facilities and businesses within Bragg Creek and Redwood Meadows.
“The Community Centre is kind of a vital hub for our rural community,” said Mike Medwid, president of the Bragg Creek Community Association. “It’s the place where people go to connect and access programs for wellness, education, and leisure.”
The facility experienced the leak on the evening of Jan. 14, during a meeting of the Ladies’ Auxiliary Group who were forced to evacuate. According to Medwid, the flooding came from a leak in the centre’s water suppression system in the main gym area, which affected the gym, the stage, the meeting rooms and flooded the inside of the facility.
“We will be shut down for several months, but thanks to the support of the facilities and businesses nearby, we will be able to continue with all of our programming at alternate locations,” Medwid said. “We’ve had to reassign seven or eight weddings, and we have a number of events coming up that will need to be relocated like Taste of Bragg Creek, Bragg Creek Days, and Camp in the Creek. These events will be going on somewhere around the Bragg Creek area.”
Medwid said while the facility managed to survive the 2013 flood relatively unharmed, they are now facing extensive renovations to the inside of the building. Insurance adjustors are currently assessing the damage, but Medwid estimated the amount would be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.
“It’s hard to judge on our own, but there is a significant amount of damage – as you can imagine, whenever you have lots of water inside of a building,” he said. “We don’t want to give a firm date as to when we will be reopening, but we are working hard to get it done as soon as possible. However, we also want to make sure it’s done right.”
According to Medwid, plans were underway for a revitalization of the facility – starting with the construction of a new playground in the lot just outside of the centre, to address damage from the 2013 flooding. Funding for the playground is already in place, but Medwid said they will be looking at fundraising opportunities to repair the community centre.
“We are trying to make this community a better place to live, and we know this community centre serves as an important gathering place for the people who live here and for the families who come here for recreation,” he said. “A strong community needs a facility like this, so we want to use this opportunity to make this building even better than it was before.”
For information on alternate program locations and for updates on facility renovations, visit braggcreekca.com
