Planned protest becomes celebration when Chestermere rec centre saved

A would-be protest in Chestermere turned into a celebration on Fridaywhen a beloved recreation centre set to close indefinitely at 5 p.m. was granted a reprieve.

On Sept. 23, a structural analysis warned a portion of the facility's roof was at risk of collapsing if it was subjected to a heavy snowfall.

With snow expected to blanket Calgary by Monday, Rocky View County decidedthat the closure of the facility was the best course of action in order to ensure public safety.

However, an engineer told councillors at a special council meeting on Friday that as long as the snow was monitored and removed, the building was safe.

Marshall Chalmers, the mayor of Chestermere, said he wanted to reopen the conversation and was pleased by the outcome.

"The decision to have this meeting is something that I advocated for, on the grounds that all of the available information was not presented during the initial meeting," said Chalmers.

"I'm delighted the Rocky ViewCounty Council have decided to reopen the facility."

The rally that became more of a party wasintended to be show of support for the recreation centre's staff, said resident Melanie Miskulin.

"We need to show our appreciation for the staff that is going through this," Miskulin said. "It's nice to see everybody come here for them, and that was the focus."

'Our hearts are just really full'

Vanessa Bourgault, who has a child enrolled in the recreation centre's preschooland serves on its volunteer boardas president, said members were preparing to dismantle the recreation centre's treehouseafter the announcement of the closure.

According to Bourgault, they are now cherishing the preservation of its spaces, including thetreehouse, skating rink and gym.

"I think more than ever, we truly appreciate our space that we have," she said. "I think our hearts are just really full."

Ritesh Narayan, deputy mayor for the city, said this situation highlights what's important to the community but that soon, the centre has to be permanently fixed.

"I think a long-term plan is very important,"Narayansaid. "It's a great place, but it is getting old, and we just can't continue doing [patch-up] jobs."