An 11th hour agreement between the City of Coquitlam and School District 43 will ensure recreation programs will continue to run while the Centennial Activity Centre next to Centennial secondary school is renovated and expanded.
Slated for construction starting July 1, the CAC's gymnasiums and multipurpose room is home to dozens of children, teen and adult programs as well as high school activities, but despite ongoing work, all programs will be accommodated although some will move.
"If you are registering your child, your family member or yourself and the programs were formerly at the Centennial Activity Centre, pay special attention to the program guide to see where the program is at," said Mary Morrison-Clark, manager of community recreation and cultural services.
This summer’s day camps and gymnasium programs will be moved to Montgomery middle school, with fitness and other activities that typically use the multipurpose space being relocated to nearby city facilities with no impact to programming.
Morrison-Clark said staff will continue to work with School District 43 throughout the two-year closure to reduce the impact on the community. This includes providing programming at the CAC Blue Gym starting in September and relocating other early weekday programs to nearby Vanier elementary school.
The city had been concerned that the city and SD43 would be in competition for limited space once construction begins, resulting in a loss of programming and revenue.
But an agreement has been reached to minimize the impact on programs. Work will include demolition of the Red Gym, upgrades to the Blue Gym and washrooms in the multi-purpose room until a new Red Gym and neighborhood learning centre is complete in 2018 as part of a $50 million rebuild of Centennial secondary.
"Staff on site will let regulars know [about changes]," Morrison-Clark said, but she recommended people check the city's website and programming guides to alert themselves to changes.
