Youth get involved at Whyte Ridge CC

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This article was published 23/04/2019 (2603 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

In a diverse suburb in the southwest corner of Winnipeg, Whyte Ridge Community
Centre is connecting neighbours and building familiarity.

Community centre president Curtis Rossow said the centre has recently created the position of “director of diversity” on the board in an effort to better meet community needs.

“It’s someone who’s been in Whyte Ridge for a number of years now,” Rossow said. “But they were a newcomer, so hopefully with that new person on the board we can come up with some ideas.
“There’s lots of families in Whyte Ridge,” he added. “There seems to be lots of newcomers and immigrants that are here now.”

In 1992, Whyte Ridge CC was incorporated as a satellite location of the Westridge

Community Centre and in 1996 the main building and west hockey rink were constructed. In January 2008, Whyte Ridge separated from Westridge and developed its own constitution.

Whyte Ridge primarily offers youth soccer and basketball, Rossow said, and around 600 kids will register for soccer annually.

“That’s been fairly consistent in the 13 and under soccer, and then into the older ages it drops off a little bit,” he said.

Although basketball is popular at Whyte Ridge, the centre doesn’t have a gym to offer the program close to home.

“That’s something that’s been worked on before I was on the board, but funding for that is very difficult. The Winnipeg Minor Basketball Association does all the basketball scheduling at various gyms across the city. We could be in the North End playing or we could be in Linden Woods playing,” he said.

Whyte Ridge also offers community programming at the Fleetwood Road facility, including summer camps, yoga, zumba, movie nights, weight training, and now pickleball. The centre recently had three courts painted at its space.  

“We’re looking to get more involved with pickleball this year, and make it potentially a seniors’ thing in the morning over the summer and then hopefully a family event in the evening,” Rossow said.
A new outdoor calisthenics park is also expected to open to the community in June.

The community centre’s annual operating budget for 2019 is $208,000 and includes a $46,000 operating grant from the City of Winnipeg. Rentals of the club’s multipurpose room bolsters the coffers and popular winter and summer carnivals, plus private sponsorship helps make up the difference. The community centre also accesses renovation grants from the City of Winnipeg, community incentive and land dedication grants, as well as federal and provincial funding.

One of the biggest challenges for the club is getting volunteers and board members, Rossow said. There are seven vacancies on the board, according to the centre’s website.

“Outside of trying to raise money or get funding to have a gymnasium put on… overall it’s getting more of the community volunteering and involved directly with the club,” Rossow said.
Rossow said he’s unsure why people are not more keen to volunteer.

“When we have our carnivals we get great attendance from the community for things like that, so it’s a little surprising that more people don’t get involved in the board,” he said.

The centre, however, recently established a junior board, which involves youth from the community in the centre’s operations and events, which has been successful in supporting the club, he added.