Making healthy food available to Stettler Recreational Centre patrons is an ongoing project for Lee Penner, Stettler’s Director of Parks and Leisure.
In Penner’s submitted report to town council at their Nov. 1 meeting, Penner updated council on the ‘Eat, Play, Live’ program, which is a Heart and Stroke Foundation (HSF) initiative in conjunction with Alberta Health and the University of Alberta.
In an interview, Penner stated vending machines have already been changed to include healthier snacks and the addition of a ‘cold table’ for the concession will give concession staff greater flexibility to provide fast, fresh, made to order food.
With a $1000 grant from HSF and another $2500 from Stettler Wellness Committee, Penner is researching tables and hopes to have one purchased and installed by January.
Holly Nelson, co- owner of ‘Nelson’s Penalty Box’, who has operated the concession since last year, says the cold table will be a time saver. Currently, staff store ingredients in containers that have to be taken in and out of a refrigerator constantly.
“It will keep our product at proper temperature,” stated Nelson, and also make for faster service for patrons.
“We put a lot of people through,” said Nelson about days when a lot is going on at SRC, “they don’t want to wait forever,” to get their food order.
Eat, Play, Live aims to promote healthier eating options in recreational facilities across Canada, according to the HSF website. A survey of what food options SRC patrons would like to see available at the rec centre is available on Stettler town’s website.
Great fundraiser turn out
The number of terrified patrons to Stettler Museum’s ‘Night of Terror at the Boo-seum’ nearly doubled to 528 up from 302 in 2015.
Coun. Sean Nolls reported to council that the museum fundraiser was a great success again this year owing to the efforts of museum curator Lindsay Dayman and approximately 30 volunteers.
Museum manager Karen Wahlund stated the evening is one of the museum’s major fundraisers, raising over $5000.
New data spurs count
Ongoing talks with Alberta Transportation about installing traffic lights or other highway improvements at the intersection of Highway 12 and 67 and 61 streets have resulted in Alberta Transportation committing to a traffic count along the route in 2017.
The idea of installing roundabouts had been floated as an option but there is insufficient land available for such a project.
The town has opted to delay road improvements until the count is completed.
