The town of Altona is seeking the input of its residents.  

Eric Hildebrand, who serves as Recreation Manager, says that Altona is “embarking on an exciting journey . . . for all things recreation and active transportation.”  

Altona has partnered with a professional consulting agency, Urban Systems, to develop a plan for the community’s wishes concerning the recreation and transportation future of the town.  Urban Systems will put on an open house to inform residents of the purpose, process, and timeline of their development of Altona’s Recreation & Active Transportation Master Plan.  

“[I]f you're at all interested in the current recreation facilities . . . and active transportation and what the future should or could look like, then you should be attending this open house. It's a chance to take your thoughts and share them . . . and from there, we'll start to identify the different wants and needs that the community might have.” 

The open house event will take place at 6pm on Wednesday, June 19th, at the Rhineland Pioneer Centre in Altona. All residents of Altona are encouraged to attend. 

The event on Wednesday is the first of a few that will be put on by Altona and Urban Systems as they develop their master plan. The Recreation & Active Transportation Master Plan is not the first study of this nature for Altona.  

“[W]e can look back to the late 1990s when a similar study was done . . . . [T]hat study bore the projects such as the Millennium Exhibition Center, the Buffalo Creek Nature Park, the trails throughout the Centennial Park and other areas of the town, and of course, the Aquatic Center.” 

Hildebrand says that this plan will determine what the next 10-15 years of recreation and active transportation will look like for Altona.  

“I think it's very exciting. I really think that our mayor and council should be commended for taking on this type of a project so that we can look . . . at our current recreation facilities and amenities and active transportation and see how the needs are being met and what kind of needs . . . should be met moving forward.” 

Hildebrand notes that it’s important to hear residents’ wishes because different life circumstances will result in different priorities.  

“[F]or instance, if you ask . . . somebody in a young family situation, they might suggest that a splash pad would be a nice amenity to have in [Altona]. If you ask the next person, they might say, ‘I'd like to see more walking trails— extend the asphalt walking trails throughout the community’, and the next person might say, ‘I have several daughters who play softball and it would be nice to have more softball facilities, or soccer facilities, for that matter’. Everybody's going to have . . . different wants or needs, and this is a chance for those people to voice their thoughts and be heard.” 

There is also a survey that accompanies the open house event, which can be accessed at altona.ca. Hildebrand encourages all the members of each household to fill out the survey because it is essential in assessing the community’s wishes.   

“It's important that we hear from the residents, because without input, we could be missing some things or feel that maybe one project has more importance over another, and we don't want to miss out on what the public is thinking.” 

Hildebrand says that an advisory committee has been established to handle the steps after the initial information-gathering period. The committee is comprised of various stakeholders in the community, including members of local sports organizations. According to Hildebrand, the advisory committee will take the information from Urban Systems (including the results of the online survey) and decide on which projects Altona will undertake and how to go about the process.   

“[T]he advisory committee is going to work alongside some of the town managers that are involved in this project [and] with . . . Urban Systems. Together, we hope that there's going to be some strength in numbers.” 

Ultimately, the open house event and survey are opportunities for Altona residents to participate actively in their community's future.  

“I think it's kind of neat as a resident. You have a say here. . . . Perhaps you're part of an organization or a user group right now, and if you're involved in this process, you might have the chance to be part of a larger project that you can look back on one day and say, ‘I had a hand in that’.” 

To fill out the survey for the Recreation & Active Transportation Master Plan, see the link below.  

~With Files from Candace Derksen~ 

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