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| Councillor Tom Gill |
Seniors / Community (Enclosed Park Shelter) Room in North Surrey
In 2010, a request was brought forward to Council by the seniors’ group of North Surrey Community Park for the installation of a community room. Ranjit Singh, spoke on behalf of the seniors, and said it would be used as space for the seniors and the community to gather and socialize, similar to the Bear Creek Park Pavilion.
Surrey has a large population of seniors who use community rooms as a hub of lively interaction and socializing among neighbours, residents and a place to play cards and gather with friends and interact with their grandchildren, primarily during daylight hours. These community rooms are sometimes an integral part of a community’s social well-being and help encourage positive use of city parks.
Councillor Gill says, “It has been our focus, as a part of Council’s vision for Surrey that we want to foster a sense of belonging and community in North Surrey, build a truly vibrant neighbourhood and bring the community into the planning process so they can help shape their neighbourhood. We asked, “What is missing from your neighbourhood and how it can be improved?”
We knew the development of an outdoor, enclosed Community Room at North Surrey Community Park would address that vision as well as some of the concerns that the seniors have with protecting park patrons from rain, wind, snow and extreme heat. Basically, an enclosed shelter would allow the seniors to recreate without having to worry about the weather conditions.
This novel community room project is the first of its kind in North America with its innovative building design & structure, heating system, safety guards, BC building code, and it’s a made in Surrey solution which serves people in a way that meets their needs and works for everyone.
I am proud to have been a part in developing and participating in this leading edge, creative project and process in our great city. We will work diligently to find ways to make this project the success I know it will be. We respect our seniors and by providing them with decent premises where they can enjoy the friendship and company of others, and have productive pastimes that stimulate healthier living, they will experience a connection to their home and feel a sense of place and purpose.
Councillor Mary Martin, Chair of the Parks & Recreation Committee, and I recently attended the building’s opening ceremony tea and were very pleased to learn how much this building means to the seniors and how well it functions. I believe in creative and innovative solutions and our commitment to our community in establishing best practices and leading edge solutions to issues facing our residents today.”
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| Councillor Tom Gill with seniors |
