The cities of Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam and Port Moody inked deals with School District 43 (SD43) this month on how to share facilities in the future.
The three municipalities renewed their master joint-use agreements with the school district — the third largest in B.C. — on how to move forward with facility, land and equipment use, as well as programs to benefit the community at 37 shared sites over the next five years.
For the City of Coquitlam, its document covers 22 park and/or school district locations (Pinetree Secondary has a separate agreement, and Douglas College is not included); however, there’s also a new provision giving the municipality access to offer after-school programming in elementary and middle schools.
In Port Coquitlam, the updated arrangement with SD43 is for six park and/or school district sites and also introduces possible after-school programming in elementary and middle schools. In addition, there will be more availability for the public to rent Terry Fox Theatre.
And for Port Moody, the agreement covers nine park/school spots and community use of city-maintained washrooms at schools. There’s also language to renew the tennis courts at Port Moody Secondary (there is a separate deal for Heritage Woods Secondary School/North Shore Community Park).
Julie Pavey-Tomlinson, Port Moody’s general manager of community services, told the Tri-City News the agreement “strengthens our partnership with SD43, ensuring that City of Port Moody and SD43 facilities are used efficiently, reducing duplication and maximizing benefits for our community.”
She also said the updated framework and GIS mapping will help Port Moody meet the residents’ needs for facility operations.
Port Coquitlam also said the collaboration will mean better efficiencies and cost savings. Its new deal will mean more public parking at Riverside Secondary after school hours, including on the weekends and stat holidays.
Port Coquitlam recently resurfaced two artificial turf fields at Gates Park, added new surfacing to the Gates Park and Terry Fox Secondary tennis courts and resurfaced Terry Fox Secondary and Minnekhada Middle sports courts.
At Terry Fox, the baseball dugouts were upgraded while new bleachers were installed, a city spokesperson said.
A request for comment from the City of Coquitlam was not returned.
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