For runners and walkers, closing the Barrhead Agrena interfered with their daily routines, but it turns out it was well worth the wait.
Since closing its doors several weeks ago, the agrena has received a face-lift, one that is slowly making its way outside of the facility.
The running track was the first to see a drop of paint, and the results altered the entire atmosphere of the track.
On Thursday, May 21, the agrena officially re-opened, and Town Mayor Gerry St. Pierre received a personal tour to catch a glimpse at where the town’s taxpayers hard earned dollars had gone, into a work of art.
Barrhead Mayor Gerry St. Pierre said it was simply stunning.
“It just demonstrates the pride that we have in our recreational facilities,” he said.
Town Coun. Leslie Penny agreed.
“I would second that,” she said.
Penny said when people enter a building that is attractive both inside and out it enhances the experience.
“It does, it makes everybody feel better about it,” St. Pierre said.
Barrhead Parks and Recreation Director Sue Keenan said the mural is something Barrhead can be proud of, both residents and staff members.
“It just enhances that pride, when you come into work every day and you see what you have been a part of,” Keenan said, adding the interior is just as important as exterior.
“The interior of the building, and what people refer to as cosmetics, still enhances the longevity of a facility,” Keenan said.
The design for the mural was one thing Keenan took credit for.
“That was my brainwave,” she said. “The runners and the walkers in this community, are the second largest user of this facility aside from ice hockey, so we have a huge population base that utilize the inside track year-round.”
Keenan said with those folks in mind, they designed a mural that would create an outside feel as runners and walkers came around the curve of the track.
“When you come into the curve, you actually feel like you’re outside on a pathway running,” she said, adding they also considered the colder months. “Winter, when it’s also darker and dreary, its just going to brighten up things for people who are inside doing their workout.”
The outside of the facility is also being upgraded, and is currently being repainted a light blue, a colour Keenan hopes will grab people’s attention.
Keenan said all totalled $250,000 worth of renovations and upgrades have been completed on the agrena, an amount that she was surprised to receive.
“Being a relatively new kid on the block as recreation director, I have been totally blown away and just so pleasantly surprised by the support of council, for providing the funds, and for recognizing these things need to be done, and we now have them done,” she said.
“We’ve recognized that recreation is no longer considered a soft service,” St. Pierre said. “It’s an essential service.”
In order to be considered proper recreation facilities, St. Pierre said, they need to be properly maintained.
“We neglected that for a few years, but now we are catching up,” he added.
Along with the mural the floors and stairs were also painted, using the best quality paint in order to ensure its longevity.
“It’s a new proxy-type paint, and it will do a couple of things. It will enhance the longevity, we won’t have the same scuffing problem we had with the old concrete paint, it should hold up quite a bit longer,” Keenan said. In choosing another colour, they considered what would suit the facility best. “Going with a bit of a lighter colour, it’s easier to know when the facility is clean as opposed to dirty.”
The playground located near the agrena has also been under construction, and has received a different kind of renovation.
“We’ve had an ongoing issue with playgrounds in this community, which has basically been sand based,” Keenan said, adding it’s because of these issues they decided to upgrade the base of their main playground with a material that comes as a surprise to some.
“We decided to use this as a pilot project and put in recycled tires,” Keenan said, adding they chose the playground that seems to get the most use. “This is our premier playground, so this is the one we have decided to do first.”
Keenan added she hopes to one day see it in all of the playgrounds in Barrhead.
“If I had my way I would put this product in every one of the playgrounds we have in town,” she said.
The project cost approximately $80,000, and with a $30,000 grant, Keenan couldn’t say no.
The flooring is made from recycled tires, is considered one of the best products on the market, and is expected to last 40 years.
“From a safety perspective, this is the number one ranked product in the country, in terms of preventing any major injuries from kids on the playground,” Keenan explained, adding she is excited to offer safe, environmentally friendly options.
“I think that’s the part that I am thrilled about the most, is that there are tires in landfills all across this country, piles of them, and there’s never really been a way to utilize it before, and this is an incredible opportunity, it’s an environmentally friendly opportunity, and it’s a safe opportunity for kids.”
Because of the dark material, the ground will become hotter than normal in the summer time, however that shouldn’t be a problem if kids are wearing proper footwear.
“I am going to tell people, it’s going to be hot. When its 30 degrees outside it’s going to be hot,” Keenan said. “You shouldn’t be on a playground without some kind of proper shoes anyway.”
They are also adding a small shed, which will be used to store paints, toys, sports equipment and games for the town’s summer programs.
“We are going to call it the Blue Shack. The kids will have the opportunity to paint it and put designs on it,” Keenan said. “It will hold everything that we need.”
The mini golf will be outside this year, due to repairs being done of the Barrhead Curling Rink.
Keenan said the mini golf should be outdoors anyway, and is happy to offer it to the community.
Keenan added with all of the additions the playground is somewhere for families to get together and enjoy an afternoon.
“This site should be hopping July and August,” Keenan said, adding she welcomes feedback from the community.
