Swim coach Barry Healey believes the time is right for local sport and culture organizations to pool resources towards a collective voice.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Shuswap Selkirks Swim Club coach was advocating for a sports council that would be formed by, and a voice for, the various sport organizations in the Shuswap.

鈥淭he whole goal of that is to try and bring all the sports groups under one umbrella,鈥� Healey told the Observer at that time. 鈥淲e all have the same problems in small communities. At the moment every group is working on their own, but collectively that group has a bigger voice together 鈥� it鈥檚 massive.鈥�

While pandemic stifled momentum on the initiative, recent and ongoing concerns around a pair of municipal facilities have helped rekindle Healey鈥檚 interest in creating a collective body, though the scope of representation has expanded to include arts and culture, with an overarching goal in promoting a vibrant, healthy community.

鈥淚t could be a mega destination for children and adults, but it鈥檚 harder to do if it鈥檚 just one person like myself selling that pitch,鈥� said Healey in a recent interview. 鈥淵ou need everybody together saying what can we do with this thing, because you need volunteers, you need officials, you need sponsors, and bringing us all together would give us the power to make those statements to all levels of government, saying, 鈥榟ey, this is the ideal place to come.鈥欌��

The facilities of concern include Salmon Arm鈥檚 swimming pool and the SASCU Indoor Memorial Sports Complex, the latter being closed last winter for structural concerns. A recent engineering report recommended the sports complex, used by soccer, archery and other sports groups, as well as the Shuswap Agricultural Association for the annual Salmon Arm Fair, be replaced.

鈥淚f we look what鈥檚 just happening with facilities, with the swimming pool in dire need, the soccer centre/indoor centre collapsing, if you bring all the people that deal with sport and leisure鈥� bring them all together, then we would have a better idea and we鈥檇 have more power about what do we need for the area,鈥� said Healey. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not who shouts the loudest, it鈥檚 we really need a swimming pool鈥� we really do need some indoor training facilities for all the sports to be able to go. Not just can we get a high school for the night. You can鈥檛 do that on your own, you have to do that collectively.鈥�

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With the indoor arena situation, Healey has gained an ally in Salmon Arm Fair manager Jim McEwan, who believes a council for sport and culture would give smaller groups a greater voice, particularly when it comes to expressing needs.

鈥淚t鈥檚 much like the OCP (official community plan), let鈥檚 look at what does the next 15 years look like鈥� what are our priorities around facilities and why?鈥� said McEwan, noting such a council is something that鈥檚 been in the works for a while, and made a greater priority with the arena鈥檚 closure.

鈥淚 think the pool is also one of those facilities that is a priority, it鈥檚 important,鈥� said McEwan. 鈥淭he other side of that is you want to make sure you do it right, and that鈥檚 why you definitely want to have your user groups onboard and involved in those consultations to make sure we do it right right out of the gate, so five years down the road you鈥檙e not going boy, I wish we added those two lanes or I wish we added this. We all know costs keep increasing and you don鈥檛 want to have to go back in or have missed the boat on an opportunity.鈥�

McEwan said a model for what he and Healey envision already exists.

鈥淭he model that I foresee is one that came out of the 2012 BC Winter Games that we held in Vernon,鈥� said McEwan. 鈥淲e used some of the legacy funds to start a sport and culture council and that鈥檚 still going strong. It supports all organizations in bidding for events and it also makes sure the facilities needed are at least put on a planning stage.鈥�

Another reason the timing is right for the creation of a sport and culture council, said Healey, has to do with the growing population, with more people looking at what Salmon Arm and area have to offer.

鈥淭his is a great time to go, everybody is listening,鈥� said Healey. 鈥淲e鈥檝e had a massive influx of young people鈥� who need facilities for their children, and that鈥檚 why some of the companies have come here, because they think it鈥檚 a beautiful place to live. People don鈥檛 come to place where there鈥檚 nothing but 鈥榟ey, let鈥檚 go sit on the beach.鈥欌��

Anyone interested in forming a sport and cultural council may contact Healey at 780-605-1052, or McEwan at 250-832-0442.