Information Freely Flows...Like Water at AFLC

People send me all kinds of info in response to my posts. One  wrote this week that some  students with mobility problems have problems opening an elevator. So, my idea of giving keys to people using the elevator at the Aurora Family Leisure complex  would not necessarily  be a solution for them.

That's true. I didn't  think of that. .It also means spending several hundred  thousand dollars for a full scale elevator to carry them up half a level one way or the other at the family leisure complex would not solve their problem  either. They would still need assistance.

The  contention  of the  accessibility committee is facilities should be provided that allow them to make their way anywhere without depending on anyone  for anything. That's a worthy objective . But I don't think it can  happen overnight and consideration has to be given to  means available.

We had the discussion again on Monday about the amount of water used daily for ice-making  at the Aurora Family Leisure Complex . We learned it is not metered. We were told it uses water for  ice making  but  while the amount was  "unknown" it was downplayed.

I have a  clear recollection of the issue being raised at a public meeting during a severe drought in 2002. I raised it.  I was not a Councillor. The response  was  water use to create ice  is less since  a new  fully insulated roof was installed.  The place had been a hot box. The new and improved water consumption was still  a hundred thousand gallons a day..

We were informed  on Monday, it's not metered so .its probably factored into our water rates as  water loss. We also pay the region's  rates for clean  warm water wasting into the sewer..

We  learned the ice created by the system is soft. Bad for hockey. Good for figure skating . So the figure skating club effectively  has their own town operated  arena.

Figure skating is a very expensive sport. A limited number of skaters can be accommodated on a rink. They need patches. Coaches. Expensive skates that need to be replaced regularly. Costumes. :Like  competitive swimmers and hockey players.  They skate early morning and evenings.

You might say its an elite sport. Few can afford it. We have had a club in Aurora for all the years of my involvement. But they  never had their own arena before. Wow!!!!

Hundreds of hours of ice time and pool time  are idle within various facilities. No revenue. Facilities open   Staff on duty and equipment humming along. Does down time get factored into user fees, I wonder. Or into tax rates.

How much idle time is prime time. I do not know. I have not asked that question. I do know business evaporated from the community centre skate shop when the Stronach Centre opened.

We are having to replace windows in the swimming area at the Aurora Family Complex. Condensation.

No doubt from the open system of ice making  using all that water. Not a closed system with glycol.

HMMMMMMM.... Information overload

We will have to talk, you and I,  about the Town's Ten Year Capital Forecast . Colleagues are  thrilled about it.

Fulsome appreciation  was expressed on Monday

Me.................not so much.

It's interesting to hear people  talking about how wonderful everything is, when  nothing in their experience allows them to compare ..