It is no
doubt that the people of Chilliwack enjoy a variety of recreational activities
all year round - Sardis, Garrison, and Vedder are no exception. This
neighbourhood is a beacon of the recreational culture that is bursting through
the seams of the communities identity. Sardis, Garrison, and Vedder feature a
wide range of indoor activities nestled into the area such as the Twin Rinks
skating facility, the Cheam Leisure Centre, and the Sardis Public Library.
Outside there is even more points of interest from parks, to the Vedder Rotary
Trail for walking/biking, the Vedder River for angling, Vedder Park (an off
leash dog park,) a public tennis arena next to Garrison Crossing, soccer
fields, and a direct route to Cultus lake, Chilliwack lake, and some of British
Columbia’s finest hikes.
This
emphasis on recreational activities being a central role in the identity of the
community presents a clear perspective into what Knox and Pinch describe as the
culture of a community.
[10]
In the City of Chilliwack Final Report for the Parks Recreation and Culture
Strategic Plan 2014-2023 the analysis of behavioral trends suggests that “The
development of greenways, bikeways and pathway systems is a key priority for
community open spaces systems. These systems contribute to personal and environmental
health.”
[11]
This concern from the Parks Recreation department of Chilliwack suggests that
personal and environmental health is a growing concern for the residents. This
is undoubtedly a key factor in the decisions to create and develope such
recreational facilities/departments amidst such a booming residential core.
Which in turn these facilities and departments will promote the already steady
growth of new residents to the area. This same document also revealed that 83%
of the population that took part in the census participate in local
walking/cycling trials, 50% utilized playgrounds or spray parks, and 45% used
the sports playing fields.
[12]
This information shows that the recreational areas available inside of the
Sardis, Garrison, and Vedder neighborhood are some of the most used and desired
among Chilliwack citizens, making its recreational zone a very valuable entity
within it community.
The 2015
Recreation and Culture Third Quarter Report for Chilliwack section Recreation
and Culture Facility Revenue Report shows that the Twin Rinks facility in the
Sardis Neighbourhood has been ranked as the highest achieving public facility
in Chilliwack in terms of revenue from 2013-2015.
[13] The same report noted that
the Cheam Leisure Centre (located in the Sardis, Garrison, and Vedder
neighbourhood) was reported as having 897 participants in the learn-to swim
program in light of Landing Leisure Centre’s 672 participants. Also Cheam saw a
Daily Average attendance of 761 citizens served for a total of 70,101 citizens
during the quarter versus Landing’s 664 citizens served for a total of 61,132.
[14]
The report also indicates, in the graphs on page 11, that, in 2015, the Sardis
Public Library had the highest level of participants for program attendance out
of the 3 public libraries in Chilliwack.
[15] These numbers show the
increasing interest in the recreational facilities in the Sardis, Garrison, and
Vedder community. This is a fantastic indicator of the cultural values and
identity of the residents living in the area. Not only does this area have a
lot of recreational institutions and activities available but the people in
this area are actually utilizing them.
This is key
to the interpretation of space and how it is used. In understanding the use of
the space that is available to the people in an area there can then be an
inference made on the general sense of identity and culture being formed in
that area. Residents in the Sardis, Garrison, and Vedder community value having
and utilizing indoor and outdoor recreational facilities and so are probably
prone to healthier lifestyles, value in their community, interested in
developing social cultures and sense of place around their home. In this effort
to achieve a sense of place within the community the space around and inside of
Sardis, Garrison, and Vedder has been established to provide a unique and
fundamental recreational opportunity to continue in creating and building that
community.
[10] Knox and Pinch. "Urban Social Geography." P. 41
[11] Consultants, Professional Environmental
Recreation. “Chilliwack Final Report for the Parks Recreation and Culture
Strategic Plan 2014-2023.” Professional
Environmental Recreation Consultants Ltd. P.75
[13] “Third Quarter Report for Chilliwack, 2015.” Recreation and Culture. 2015. p.4
