Westdale offers a safe environment
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This article was published 23/04/2019 (2328 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Per its tagline, Westdale Community Centre is a place “where everyone is welcome.”
The centre, located at 550 Dale Blvd., serves a diverse section of the Charleswood community with programming for kids, young families, new Canadians and seniors.
“You get a good mix of people coming in,” facility manager Gary Pacholuk said. “We provide somewhere for the kids to go where they can get involved in a safe environment… the people who do use the facility appreciate it.”
Throughout the week, Westdale runs an infant and toddler playgroup, pickleball, Kids in the Kitchen and a popular Friday night drop-in for youth aged six to 12, which regularly sees between 50 and 60 kids. The Karen Luba School of Dance runs classes out of the club’s renovated second floor. In the last five years, the community centre has also been able to update its flooring, interior paint, lighting and bathrooms thanks to grants.
However, Pacholuk adds that “there’s always a project on the horizon.”
In addition to its annual operating grant, Westdale brings in income from hall rentals, canteen sales, sports fees and its annual Warrior Challenge hockey tournament. The Warriors field youth softball and hockey teams — the latter holds practices at the outdoor rinks on Dale Boulevard and at the Pembina Trails Community Club (6363 Rannock Ave.), which is managed by Westdale.
The community centre has a 13-member board and three part-time staff. Like many community centres, Westdale’s biggest challenges are finances and recruiting volunteers.
“You’re dependent on grants, so each year can change quite a bit,” Pacholuk said. “We’re also volunteer driven, we’ve been fortunate that we have quite a good board and they’ve been involved in doing things, but on any given year when you have your AGM you can get a new board in and who knows what happens.”
He adds that the club is careful to not overuse the dedicated volunteers they do have.
“Finding the manpower at times can be challenging,” Pacholuk said, adding that the Warrior Challenge requires 40 to 50 volunteers to run smoothly. “We definitely appreciate our volunteers.”