The City of Chestermere could become the owner of the Chestermere Regional Recreation Centre (CRRC) lands after a Nov. 5 council resolution to explore options for their purchase.
“The City of Chestermere sees significant benefits in owning these lands in order to facilitate effective long-range planning for recreation amenities, and to develop recreation opportunities in our community,” said Mayor Marshall Chalmers.
Currently, the recreation centre is operated by the Chestermere Regional Community Association (CRCA), but the facility and lands are owned by Rocky View County (RVC) despite sitting well within the City’s boundaries. The centre is Chestermere’s primary recreation facility.
The current arrangement, according to Chalmers, presents challenges to the City when it comes to recreation planning, and owning the land would simplify the municipality’s ability to provide recreation opportunities.
These challenges were highlighted in late September, when RVC council voted to close the rec centre indefinitely due to structural concerns about the facility’s roof and the possible safety implications. The decision was reversed days later at a special meeting of the council.
“Chestermere City council and staff [have] been in constant communication with CRCA and RVC regarding the need to, first of all…remediate the structural issues related to the beams and columns in the Red Rink, and together, we’re working on an action plan that includes Chestermere possibly becoming the owners of this land,” Chalmers said.
Owning the land would allow Chestermere to “control [its] destiny” when it comes to recreation, he added.
Chalmers said attempts have been made in the past to come to an agreement between the two municipalities regarding the land, but those have not come to fruition.
“Recognizing that I obviously wasn’t there…as in anything, there always has to be a willing buyer and a willing seller,” Chalmers said. “At the end of the day, if they can’t come to an agreement, then it doesn’t work. I don’t know all the details as to why it didn’t, but typically, I think that, like anything else, it probably comes down to dollars and cents.”
Regardless, Chalmers said, there is a desire on the part of both the community and the council to “solidify ownership” of the lands, and Chalmers pointed to a Sept. 24 RVC council resolution as a reason for optimism that, this time, the sale could proceed. After voting for the facility’s closure, council voted unanimously to direct County administration to explore the sale of the land or the remediation of the facility.
“Publicly, we’re saying we’re going to put together what we believe is a fair offer,” he said. “We’ll be presenting that to RVC.”
Chalmers said the City is ready to move forward as soon as the offer is prepared, but did not provide a timeline.
Reeve Greg Boehlke, who was out of the office, did not respond to a request for comment, nor did County administration.
