Editor:
We moved to Williams Lake three years ago, a decision based on a desire to raise a family in a small town.
There are lots of small towns in B.C. so why Williams Lake?
We saw that there was a great rec centre with a pool, fitness centre and classes ranging from dance to cooking for kids and yummy mommy.
There was a rink, public parks and baseball diamonds, making Williams Lake seem like the ideal place to raise a family; so here we are. We are a middle-income family of three with one more on the way, trying to budget to make ends meet and to balance that with a real desire to live healthy, active lives. Concrete Fitness was not a deciding factor!
How would Concrete Fitness meet my needs as a middle-income mother with little free time and even less disposable income? A monthly membership cost and commitment means no flexibility based on affordability; classes are extra. No daycare, no classes incorporating children, no inexpensive drop-in, no pool.
It has nothing to offer to me or the majority of seniors, low-income people, or those who are just new to fitness, all of whom rely on the affordability and flexibility of the rec centre to remain active as a whole family. The injustice of this request, should it succeed, would be a stinging slap in the face to those who most often never get a chance to speak for themselves because they are working, raising kids, trying to make ends meet and lead healthy lifestyles. Please don’t let them be pushed aside by those who already have and can afford to waste time and money making these groundless claims.
Please let Concrete Fitness know that having an engaged, active and educated community is vital to crime reduction. This isn’t new information; it’s Sociology 101. When families are active and engaged, they are not sitting in parking lots looking for trouble.
While cancelling rec subsidies may seem a reduction to that tax line, we would end up spending more on crime prevention in the end.
Rebecca Fox
Williams Lake