Chris June: CK Election and Sports Interview
Below is Chris June, Ward 6 Council Candidate’s answers to our CK Election and Sports Survey. Remember to vote on October 22.
Name: Chris June
Hometown and Ward: Hometown – Chatham, Ward 6
What’s your sports/recreation background? I grew up in Chatham-Kent playing all types of sports as both a child and teen. Whether it was on elementry school teams or highschool teams; from Track & Field to football and everything in-between. If it was competitive, I was involved. I have been fortunate to play in summer basketball leagues as a youth and am happy to know that summer camps like these continue to be held today. I have volunteered as a coach while my oldest daughter played house league soccer and as a parent today I still get to enjoy our youngest daughter play in her second year of soccer in Chatham-Kent.
What are your thoughts, or what value do you place in sports and recreation for the citizens of Chatham-Kent overall, and/or when showcasing Chatham-Kent to newcomers?
For me personally, Sports have always had a special place in my heart. I was a very competitive sports enthusiast growing up in Chatham-Kent and made a number of friends along the way through my involvement in sporting activities. Chatham-Kent has a vast history of supporting its local teams such as our Junior B & C hockey teams, other minor hockey programs both competitively and house league teams to recreational pick-up games. We support both Mens and Womens Rugby teams, recreational Flag Football and the Chatham-Kent Cougars Football organization. Our High Schools have developed so many talented athletes where parents, grandparents and siblings often come out in high numbers to support not only the youth or teen playing but the leagues themselves. It doesn’t matter if it’s soccer, baseball or basketball, summer camps and leagues are always full. It goes to show the tremendously high level of engagement that Chatham-Kent has. Sports are also a part of a thriving, active and healthy community that brings people together. What is more exciting than having Grandparents, parents, aunts and uncles cheering on from the sidelines when your team makes a great play? Sports are such a core fabric of our community and that will only continue to bond and bring us together.
As a declared “open and welcoming” community the number of different sporting activities is a vital element of showcasing all that Chatham-Kent has to offer. Sports can breakdown language barriers and other social barriers offering opportunities for families and childern to play together and to interact together. It teaches patience, cooperation and teamwork which helps all of us integrate better.
One of the hot topics leading up to the election, and over the past decade has been a new twin pad arena for Chatham-Kent. Where do you stand on this? What thoughts do you have?
First of all I fully support current council in its decision to continue to explore the options, with the key word being “explore”. It gives everyone the chance to get more information, to be more informed. As some may know, the proposal is not new. It was a recommendation from parks and recreation, as noted from the Council meeting on May 28th, the idea had been “kicked around” for many years. So personally I don’t feel the timing is suspect at all.
It deals with ongoing concerns with operating cost and facilties management of very old building at Erickson arena and Memorial arena. Buildings that continue to cost more and more to operate and safely keep open. Overhead cost will not decease as the life cycle of these aging buildings draws nearer. A new combined , shared facility will easily accomodate the needs of the community, reduce redundancies in operation expenses making it far more cost effective in the long term, which was a very common theme discussed by many current councillors. So there is a sense that this is a great opportunity for our community.
My concern – if any – is location and having surrounding infastruture. While talk of using the Navistar site has merrit, ultimately it may not be the best place for such an investment. My chief concern certainly is the potential of negative environmental impact and possible remediation of that location and the associated costs we might incure. Again, I do recognize that in the report from Municipal Administration multiple locations are being reviewed and considered, and that is important for everyone in CK to understand. Important considerations in my view are proximity to other amenities such as lodging, dinning and accessiblity to major highways and as councillor Trevor Thompson noted – “what is the exit strategy for the Memorial and Erickson Arenas?”
This is one of a few opportunities for CK to highlight our municipality to surrounding communities like London, Windsor and Sarnia, and puts Chatham-Kent on stage Provincially as a prime destination point. Both councillors Derek Robertson and Darrin Cannif correctly identified in my opinion that “We need to be ready for a potential shovel in the ground project”. And I strongly agree that we need to be in a state of readiness. If we can compliment a new twin pad proposal, at the same time addressing transportation access barriers along with other amenties that include the addition of ball diamonds or soccer fields as an example you have created a destination point that draws on over half a million people in Southwestern Ontario alone. That has exponential long term positive financial impact to many of the service and retail providers in our Municipality. The attraction opportunites become limitless.
Do you have any other ideas or plans that would impact health, wellness, sports, or recreation in Chatham-Kent, and specifically in your Ward?
In particular I want to first highlight the amount of existing activities, events and amenities within Chatham Kent. Be it nature trails in Blenheim and Erieau, the Cycling Club, or the many splashpads that have been built for families in the last 4 to 5 years, Chatham-Kent has a lot to offer. There are many health benefits to having the ability to access these spaces at low cost to local residents and visitors . Anytime you can make an investment towards beautification it helps to encourage people to get out, step away from their electronic devices and enjoy a nature walk or a bike ride or watch friends play a game at a sporting event.
Local governments face growing pressure with respect to encouraging or maintaining quality of life, addressing social issues and ensuring recreation and leisure services remain a fundamental service for all residents, businesses and visitors. There are economic benefits from providing recreation and leisure services; just as infrastructure and taxes hold a competitive advantage for industrial development, quality of place and lifestyle amenities are destinctive competitive advantages that encourages local economic development. Leisure activities, parks and green spaces are essential to our physical, intellectual, social and individual wellbeing that impacts our quality of life, our environment and our economic sustainability.
One of the key ingredients to creating healthy active communities are well designed, safe, functional, inviting (recreation and sport) facilities, parks and trails. In most communities like Chatham Kent, primary attractions are often sports tournaments, festivals, parks, and major recreation facilities. Sport can make us healthier; help put our children on a positive life course and equip them to meet future challenges; it strengthen our communities by bringing people together and building trust and inclusion; fosters economic development, attracts tourism, and makes communities more attractive.
Anything else you’d like to tell our readers and voters?
Every area of CK has something unique and special to offer. It includes the rich and diverse history of our Aboriginal First Nations people. Moravian Town and Walpole have so many facinating stories to tell and share with us; North and South Buxton and Dresden continue to showcase their place in Black History; and Dutch immigrant farmers that helped to build up our vast agriculture community to name only a few. We belong to such a diverse history that has helped mold and shape so many important historical events, that we need to continue to look for ways to share our story beyond our individual towns and city. Sports and Recreation, Age Friendly, an Open and Welcoming Community, it is there for everyone to celebrate. Competing needs and conflicting priorities for limited resources is often felt in a reduction of access to the benefits to physical health, social development, community well-being and ultimately economic vibrancy.
As part of your Chatham-Kent council, I will fully support the continuation of Chatham-Kent’s current recreation activities and spaces and would work hard to ensure council makes a responsible financial decision about future projects. I believe these decisions are critical and have potential outcomes that will help to increase tourism and immigration, making CK a premier choice destination. Creating a centralized focal point or “Hub” that we can be proud of may be just one of those opportunities. It helps to solve questions surrounding population growth and attraction, active and healthy community, economic growth and sustainability along with a more diverse social infastructure.