Editor:
For 25 years as a resident of New Westminster, I have enjoyed the fitness classes at the Centennial Community Centre and felt thankful and very lucky that the centre was so convenient and attracted talented instructors.
Good Instructors are hard to find. Those classes have been with me through the good times in my life but more importantly through the rough times. There was always a smiling face and the feeling of camaraderie that brightened my day.
A shock wave went through the class the other day when we heard that the equipment from the pool building was to be moved into our gym – the only building in New West suitable in size and with a decent sound system to run classes such as ours.
And what about the pickleball group and a myriad of other activities that take place in the gym?
Our current mayor and council have made many poor decisions during their tenure – particularly putting smaller gyms in the new facility – however I have learned to live with these mistakes. But now I am very angry with this latest plan to disrupt our classes for the sake of another group, and want answers.
Who made the decision to move the equipment into the Centennial gym and why? Could it be because the majority of gym users are male while the majority of fitness attendees are women and less resistance was expected?
What other locations were considered?
Why not move it to Queensborough – their upstairs gym is virtually empty on a regular basis? Put the equipment in their gym and have one large equipment centre.
What about putting it in the old high school gyms?
What about putting it in an unused storage facility?
What about putting the equipment into storage until the new facility is finished. Who in the community was consulted on this plan and who put the approval stamp on it?
The community needs and deserves answers. The plan to have two groups of people disrupted for the benefit of one is not right.
An expedient reply would be much appreciated.
Anne Smith, New Westminster
