In attendance: Councillors Damota, Wacko, Skehill, Zinck and Wall, and Mayor Ireland. Absent: Councillor Day

Department reports:

Community and Family Services (CFS), prepared by Kathleen Waxer, director of CFS and presented by Cristin Murphy, childcare services manager for the municipality.

Murphy presented the report, saying that CFS has been very busy recently.

Facilities:

•Eagerly awaiting completion of new daycare space, ordering furnishings, appliances and equipment.

Community Outreach Services (COS) / Parent Link:

Prenatal-preschool life stage:

•Over 20 families visiting Parent Link playroom daily.

•Parent Link playroom drop-in times and programming (i.e., Babies on the Move, Dramatic play, and Music and Movement) marketed widely.

Middle childhood life stage:

•Homework Help program for elementary school children ran Wednesdays after school.

•Breakfast for Learning program for elementary school children offered daily.

Youth/teen life stage:

•Two Roots of Empathy classes running for 2010-2011. The program will be wrapping up with baby celebrations in May.

•Grab and Go program Initiated at Jasper Jr./Sr. High School to provide access to healthy snacks for students at cost recovery.

•Youth/Teen Outreach Worker co-organized Youth Education Forum at JHS with 80 participants in attendance.

Young adult life stage:

•Young Adult Outreach expanded hours according to need. Current hours are 8:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday; and 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Wednesdays.

•Spaghetti Western Wednesdays, an evening program for young adults continued. A dinner/movie night, Noodle Nights, will be offered concurrently in Parent Link, in response to high demand from families.

Adult life stage:

•Adult Outreach Worker hosts weekly coffee hour with marginalized clients.

•Adult Outreach Worker holds weekly mental health and well-being support group.

Seniors life stage:

•Seniors Outreach Worker continued with volunteer program to assist seniors with daily chores and friendly visiting.

•LINKages, a program to link youth to seniors, offered by Seniors Outreach Worker in collaboration with Youth/Teen Outreach Worker and École Desrochers, hosted events at Alpine Summit Seniors Lodge and Pine Grove Manor.

Emergency Services report:

Fire Chief Greg Van Tighem reported that there have been a total of eight fire department responses since his Feb. 9 report: four fire command calls and four full fire department responses.

“This has been the lowest call volume period since my involvement with fire services,” said Van Tighem.

Culture and Recreation report by Christopher Read:

Phase one of the Activity Centre/Aquatic Centre:

Renovations: “The contractors are still working on the deficiencies we found,” reported Read. “Most of them should be completed by mid-April. The work on the fitness centre is progressing a little more quickly now.”

The fitness centre roofing is underway along with the exterior brick work. The entrance to the pool remains relocated to the side nearest the beach volleyball courts, this will continue as the entrance until there is heat in the foyer. 

Clarification on new fitness centre equipment:

“We have always stated that we are building the right size building now, and filling it with the right equipment as funds allow,” stated Read. 

Much of the equipment is still serviceable and therefore will be installed in the new fitness centre, but with the correct industry-standard spacing for safety and ease of use. Since the equipment is still in good repair, it makes environmental and cost-effective sense to keep using it and not replace it unnecessarily.

“We have a plan to replace much of the equipment in the near future, if the local fitness user group in partnership with the Jasper Fire Brigade society is successful in receiving a provincial grant, but we will not know this for some time yet,” said Read.

Request for decision:

Community Garden sites – 2011, prepared by George Krefting

Recommendation:

That spaces adequate to provide up to 50 community garden plots be made available on municipal lands to the Jasper Local Food Society (JLFS) in 2011. The lands to be used in 2011 are space to the north of the AMA building on the east side of Connaught Dr., and space adjacent to the Environmental Services Public Works building – which could be used to grow a potato patch.

Ursula Winkler, of the JLFS, was on hand to show council a map of the proposed site plan and said that if the AMA site is granted, it will need to be properly fenced.

“The fencing would be functional,” said Winkler. “The idea is to guard the mesh fencing with a wood fence to be aesthetically pleasing.”

A motion was made by Councillor Skehill, and carried by council, to bring the RFD back to council on May 3, with some more information on fencing and any land issues will be discussed.

Rick Hansen End of Day Community Celebration, prepared by Katie Murray:

Recommendation: 

That council endorse the hosting of the Rick Hansen 25th Anniversary Relay as an “End of Day Community” and appoint one member to an eight member community planning committee.

In comments to council, Municipal Manager George Krefting stated that the Rick Hansen Foundation has approached the Municipality of Jasper with an invitation to participate in the 2011 Anniversary Relay as an End of Day Community. 

“As an End of Day Community, Jasper would be able to plan an event, or a series of events, to whatever scale we choose,” stated Krefting. “Our event could entail anything from a large community gathering at Centennial Park or the activity centre, to a small dinner with local dignitaries and community volunteers.”

Councillor Zinck made the motion to endorse the celebration, with volunteer opportunities to be discussed at a later date. The motion was carried unanimously.

Economic Development Fund applications, prepared by Beryl Cahill:

Recommendation:

That council approve/not approve requests for funding from the following groups and individuals:

Jasper Heritage Rodeo - $1,500. 

Councillor Wall made the motion to approve the request form the Jasper Heritage Rodeo. It was carried unanimously.

lOTAD/Habitat for the Arts - $5,000. 

Councillor Damota made the motion to approve the request from IOTAD. The motion was carried unanimously.

Proclamation:

Ambassador Training Program:

Whereas, the town of Jasper is recognized as a world class destination, receiving in excess of one million, nine-hundred thousand visitors annually, and

Whereas, the residents of Jasper work cooperatively and collaboratively to welcome all visitors to the town, and

Whereas, the effort of business and residents alike reflects the hospitality of the town, and

Whereas, the Ambassador Program has been initiated to further the spirit of welcoming the world to the town by providing specific opportunities to develop skills directly affecting the view of the community and town to visitors;

Now, therefore, I, Richard Ireland, mayor of Jasper, do hereby proclaim May l to 7, as Ambassador Week, and urge my fellow citizens to recognize the importance of strengthening the welcoming nature of our community.