There is growing pressure for a new track and field facility in Greater Vernon. Brent Helland, a local businessman and former runner, has launched a petition demanding that the current track in Polson Park be replaced with a larger facility. “It’s not a standard, professional track. There’s nothing there,” he said of Polson Park. “We need to give something to our citizens and athletes. Kids have no place to train.” Helland recalls going to Kelowna to train as a youth, and he says that situation hasn’t changed. “So many athletes are travelling to Kelowna or Kamloops for training. Kids are going to the valleys and provincials (tournaments) and without the proper facilities, they’re left in the dust,” he said. Helland isn’t convinced there is sufficient space in Polson Park for a proper track and he believes other options need to be considered such as Marshall Fields or Fulton school. “We have existing sites we can build on,” he said. Helland hopes a regulation-size track would not only encourage physical fitness, but give youth some direction in their lives.
“They can get away from the negative things (drugs) because there’s nothing for them to do right now,” he said. The petition is available at the Store It Place, and 200 signatures have been collected since Monday. “I’m getting an overwhelming response,” said Helland. The Vernon AAA Track and Field Club has been pushing for a new facility for some time. “You look at the other cities of the same size and they all have facilities,” said president Brian Lemercier.
Lemercier is convinced a new track and field area would benefit track athletes, as well as all local schools and local residents wanting to get into shape. He also envisions an economic impact because Vernon could host large track and field events. “It would bring more people to the city and give the city a bigger name for itself,” he said.
Greater Vernon Services Committee officials are aware of the limitations at Polson Park.“The track has a different shape compared to most tracks and there’s not sufficient space for other (field) events,” said Al McNiven, parks and recreation administrator. He added that sanctioned events require an all-weather surface and that is missing at Polson Park. GVSC has considered a new track and field facility as part of a proposed sports complex. But there is no timeline for such a complex. “That won’t happen until land is secured and there’s a plan to develop the site,” said McNiven.
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Feb 02 2007 Track push picks up speed EDITORIAL http://www.vernonmorningstar.com/
Vernon is being left behind in the starting blocks when it comes to developing track athletes and the reason is extremely simple: We don’t have a proper facility to develop and train potential track stars. The oval at Polson Park has long outworn its effectiveness. Some people still run around the track, or what’s left of it after last summer’s fire burned down the grandstand. Some people still walk around it. But a new, professional state-of-the-art track is certainly warranted. As it stands now, anybody seriously interested in track (or field for that matter) has to look at travelling to and from Kelowna or Kamloops to use modern facilities, which come complete with change rooms and showers. Added travel means added costs for athletes and/or parents.
Vernon is being left behind in the starting blocks when it comes to developing track athletes and the reason is extremely simple: We don’t have a proper facility to develop and train potential track stars. The oval at Polson Park has long outworn its effectiveness. Some people still run around the track, or what’s left of it after last summer’s fire burned down the grandstand. Some people still walk around it. But a new, professional state-of-the-art track is certainly warranted. As it stands now, anybody seriously interested in track (or field for that matter) has to look at travelling to and from Kelowna or Kamloops to use modern facilities, which come complete with change rooms and showers. Added travel means added costs for athletes and/or parents. Schools in the North Okanagan have produced only a handful of provincial-calibre track athletes in the last decade, thanks in part to practising on grass tracks, a substantial difference when it comes time to competing at places where a regulation track is used. However, the overall benefit to the community is the most important aspect of a new facility. A new track can be used by everyone; for leisurely strolls to hard walks for workouts, from sprinters to long-distance runners. A new track would benefit the community’s economic development by hosting track meets, thus bringing in competitors and their families. Kudos to the groups pushing for a new track facility, whether it’s at Polson Park or whether it’s located somewhere else in the community. It’s a facility long overdue and sorely needed.
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Don Quixote Note: Grant Money Deadline Feb 17 - POSSIBILITY FOR Polsen Park ? Is GVSV or Vernon or Coldstream Applying ?
In the above posting is a possibility of applying for grant money for:
The province is providing $20 million to create or improve outdoor public meeting and celebration spaces, such as traditional town squares or community commons. Generally projects will be outdoors, accessible to the community and near other public sites, such as parks. Project criteria include:spaces with flexible and multiple uses;accessibility for persons with disabilities;multi-cultural linkages;community partnerships; andartistic and structural design attributes.
Municipalities and regional districts can apply for B.C. Spirit Squares, based on a 50/50 provincial/local government cost-sharing basis with a maximum provincial contribution of $500,000. Registered non-profit societies can also apply with an endorsement from their local government council or board.
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