Dear Community,

The Bragg Creek Community Centre has been an established hub for community gatherings and programs since the BCCA was formed in 1958 and our first Centre was built in 1968.

This current version of our building (fire and floods have impacted the Centre over the years!) is now just over 20 years old. We have recently had a Lifecycle audit done by Stephenson Engineering (provided by Rockyview County). The report has found that the Centre is in poor condition and it requires Capital upgrades to ensure the viability of the Centre as it ages.

The report concluded that the building and grounds rate a ‘poor’ on the FCI index at 28.04%. The FCI index is a measure of the relative condition index of a building or group of buildings. As the FCI % gets higher, the assets are expected to have an increased risk of component failure, Increased maintenance and operating costs, and greater negative impacts to staff and residents.

We are currently running the Centre on one full-time and three part-time staff. Four years ago, there were three full time staff and fourteen part time and occasional staff hired at the centre.

Covid-19 has meant either the closure of the Centre to the Community (March to June 2020) or significant restrictions to the programs we can run. As I write this, we are limited again by closure for programs in Yoga, Pickle Ball and Dance for the next two weeks.

We are unable to host our larger community-based fundraisers, nor host the events for our partners that generate revenue for the centre. We have seen a decrease in our RVC funding, however the Centre’s expenses in Insurance, utilities and maintenance remain.

When the BCCA Board reviews the status of the Centre and our finances and projects our future; the reality we must face is that the Centre’s future is not good. As our memberships continue to decline and we continue to use our reserves to maintain the centre, we must ask you – our Community- if you wish for the Centre to continue operating in Bragg Creek.

It is time for us to ask, and for you to speak up, about what
you wish to see for the Centre.

The BCCA is formed to represent the Community and the Centre is an element of the Bragg Creek Community Association. At our recent AGM, we barely exceeded the quota required for Quorum of 25 Community Members. Our current membership list is 2% of the Budgeted amount for the year. In 2019-2020 we sold $3215.00 in memberships to the community (equivalent to 80 Family Memberships). While memberships alone don’t offset the costs of operating the Centre, they are a reflection of the importance to the Community members.

If you wish to see the Community Centre continue to operate in Bragg Creek, we need you to:

Purchase your family or single membership
Consider donating, either in your time or in money to help the Centre operate
If you feel it is time to consider other options for the building other than a Community Centre, please send us your thoughts and comments to info@braggcreekca.com

As always, community members are welcome at our Board Meetings, and the next one is November 25th 2020 at 6:30 pm. We adhere to Covid distancing protocols and masks are required.

“There is no power of change greater than a community discovering what it cares about”
– Margaret J. Wheatley.

Sincerely,
Alannah Turner, Board President
Bragg Creek Community Association