By Sylene Argent, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Essex Free Press
Over the past 26-years the Town of Essex has provided programs and activities at the Essex Recreation Complex, there has been significant growth.
Staff from the Community Services department updated Essex Council on the Recreation and Culture Division’s status, growth, and development at the November 18 meeting.
“It is a very busy facility,” Cynthia Cakebread, Manager of Recreation and Culture, told Essex Council of the Essex Recreation Complex.
“Activities are very large and continuing to grow,” Cakebread said, adding the summer day camp program has extensively grown. So much so, the groups are split between two facilities.
Summer, Christmas, and March break camp revenues have gone up 175%, comparing 2017 to 2024 to date, from $84,859 to $233,815. Programming through the Recreation Department is offered out of seven different locations throughout the municipality, she added.
In Harrow, programming is run through the arena and at St. Anthony’s school.
“We continue to struggle with the ongoing registration and not cancelling programs in Harrow. We have seen a little up tick,” Cakebread said.
Conversely, there has been “absolutely overwhelming significant growth in the use of the Maedel Community Centre, to the point right now our struggle is always going with quantity over quality. As much as we would like to continue to grow and keep growing those programs, we have to make sure we are able to maintain them in a quality-level that includes not just bringing in staff, but training them, mentoring them, and ongoing evaluation of those programs.”
Staff within the Community Services Department believe they have done a good job in using the facilities to which they have access. Another growing service includes the birthday party program. Some weekends, staff are hosting five or six parties, on top of the regular programming occurring.
In addition to staying current with core programs, staff are always looking for new, interesting, and engaging programs.
“Right now, our biggest thing is not getting in over our heads, so we are able to offer the top-level program,” Cakebread said.
In the report Zak Kolasa, Acting Assistant Manager of Programs, provided to Council, it notes there is an average of 75 part-time student staff members employed to instruct, lead, and monitor aquatics, programs, events, and facility rentals.
The report adds there was an 82% increase in revenue with the leadership programs comparing 2018 to the end of October of 2024.
Councillor Joe Garon asked about what was impacting Harrow program usage.
Cakebread believes location may be the issue. When looking at the Essex Centre facilities, they capture five different municipalities. There is a shrinkage in the number of the individuals in the Harrow area.
In answering Garon’s question if tracking where program registrants live is done, Cakebread noted just over 50% are non-residents of Essex for recreation programs.
Councillor Katie McGuire-Blais asked if increasing rates for non-residents has ever been considered.
Cakebread noted that would be hard to implement. It has been done in other municipalities, but a lot of time is spent on confirming addresses. That can also be a deterrent for people.
Jake Morassut, Director of Community Services, added there is an economic benefit to bringing people from other municipalities into Essex to use facilities, as they tend to visit local businesses.
Councillor Kim Verbeek knows several young individuals who work for the Town of Essex in the recreation department programming, and “they absolutely love working with your group. They are doing well and they are thriving and they are growing.”
As a local business owner, Deputy Mayor Rob Shepley confirmed the rec programs help draw families from outside of the municipality to local shops.
Councillor Jason Matyi said those who live far away from Essex Centre but still within the municipality could use a reduction in those fees.