ATHABASCA – The Athabasca Regional Multiplex Society (ARMS) and Aspen View Public Schools (AVPS) are hoping to reach some new agreements that benefit both parties, after fresh eyes on both sides of the table noticed tenants of the relationship they felt could be improved on.
ARMS invited AVPS superintendent. Constantine Kastrinos and EPC principal Stacey Mabey to its Feb. 26 meeting to help improve the relationship between the two institutions — Aspen View is one of the largest user bases of the facility, alongside minor hockey.
Both parties say they came away with new knowledge. Mabey and Kastrinos are both new to the community and since ARMS members can rotate yearly after municipal organizational meetings, information can sometimes get lost over time.
“It was good to share information and get on the same page,” said Kastrinos.
Ashtin Anderson, ARMS’s chairwoman, agreed with the assessment. The Athabasca County councilwoman said the meeting was a great “building block” to constructing a better relationship with Aspen View.
AVPS brought three main concerns to the table: a school rate for booking multiplex spaces, increased cooperation when it comes to maintenance or snow removal, and student supervision in the multiplex.
While AVPS has a joint use planning agreement with both Athabasca County and the Town of Athabasca, the two municipalities that oversee the multiplex, it isn’t listed as a shared space on either agreement.
Part of Aspen View's concern stems from planning decisions made back in the 2010s, when the blueprints for the school were being drawn up. The two buildings were originally going to be attached, but the multiplex’s foundation wasn’t built with that in mind. After the split, some facilities, including a weight room, were intentionally left out of EPC due to the proximity to the rec centre.
“There’s a significant amount of money that goes into (the multiplex), and we don’t want to keep passing those costs along to parents,” said Kastrinos. According to a document brought along by Mabey, EPC spent just over $38,000 at the facility over the previous which accounts for about 10 per cent of the school’s budget. While the school is on track to spend less money in 2024, it still eats up a large portion of the funding AVPS receives from the provincial government.
Currently ARMS offers a discounted membership rate for Aspen View students. A year-long membership costs $360, compared to the $432 for other students, or $570 for adults.
In an ideal world, Kastrinos said AVPS is hoping to set up a system similar to what he and Mabey said existed at the Edmonton Public School Board, where the school year usage was booked as early as August.
“When we do ask for space there, or time in the pool or ice, it’s during the day, which is typically a lower use point,” said Kastrinos. “We’re contributing in a positive way by offering income that may not be there during the day. A schedule would also make it easier for other members to identify when the high school is around — if I’m working out, I probably would pick a different time than when the high schoolers are there.”
Behaviour issues
With the increase in student usage came an increase in behavioural concerns — AVPS and ARMS have had a tough time making sure adequate supervision is in place, particularly during the lunch hour.
“It’s not about blaming Aspen View for the conduct of the students either, we’ve taken steps to make sure all users are welcome and safe at our facility,” said Anderson. “Whether that means hosting different courses to encourage youth to learn to access the fitness centre, or when we have concerns about safety calling the peace officers to make rotations through.”
Anderson said ARMS doesn’t want the students to feel unwelcome in the facility, but they do want to make sure they were safe while they were using it.
“We understand that Aspen View can’t have eyes everywhere, there are limitations to how many people they have,” she said. “We appreciate the partnership that exists between the multiplex and Aspen View, and we hope to continue to expand it.”
