I was disappointed that I wasn't able to attend the Hart Community discussion hosted by city council last Wednesday but I was exceptionally pleased to hear that over 150 of my fellow Hart people gave up their evening to talk about their community and neighbourhood.
Who says that community spirit is dead? Reports indicate that the crowd was engaged and thoughtful and everyone was interested in improving their neighbourhood. I am exceedingly interested in what will come of these neighbourhood discussions.
Because I am not one to let my opinion be silent about my neighbourhood or city, and I have a few column inches in which to do so, I am happy to give council my Hart Wish List which echoes many of the suggestions reported from the meeting.
1. Hart Community and Recreation Centre. I cannot stress enough that we need more facilities in Prince George. With the losses of so many of our schools, our neighbourhood gathering places have all but disappeared. We have isolated pockets with little gems scattered throughout the Hart but we do not have one big gathering place that is multifunctional. Within this community and recreation centre, I believe that there should be a gym, courts for indoor sports, pool and a banquet hall. The pool doesn't have to be huge but usable for aquafit, laps and playing with the kids. Having a single gathering place for exercise classes would make it easier for people to find the classes they are interested in and perhaps would make us a healthier neighbourhood. The Hart is a driving neighbourhood. If you want to go swimming, you go downtown. If you want to play handball or racquetball, you have to actually leave town (no courts in this city).
There are a few places that hold classes for exercising but they are independently run and the classes are sporadic. I would like to gather all of these wonderful activities and independently run classes and activities and pool them together in a community gathering place for health and fun.
2. Skateboard Park. Why not? I don't skateboard and never have but I remember growing up in the Hart and skateboarding was really big and we wanted a skateboard park then and didn't get it. Twenty years later, we still don't have one. It seems like a long time to be talking about something that hasn't happened that would provide a space for kids and teenagers to hang out and exercise. Before all of the naysayers jump down my throat for a skateboard park attracting the "bad sort of kid," I would like to mention that if there was one gathering place for teens, we would know where they were.
3. More restaurants.
4. Better transit.
5. A movie theatre. This is a wish list. I understand that this is unlikely and the Hart is proud to have the Park Drive-In theatre in our neck of the woods. However, I have small children and I find myself nodding off around 9:00pm so our trips to the drive-in are rare but cherished.
6. Community gardens in unused or abandoned lots.
7. The parking lot at the Hart Mall repaired. A sinkhole is eminent in front of the library.
That's my list for now. I look forward to see additional suggestions and of what happens with the feedback from the community discussions in the upcoming months.
