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Mayor's Task Force members revealed

Council briefs: Library, community centre soft reopening planned for July 2
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Pemberton Mayor Mike Richman. File photo by Joel Barde

Village of Pemberton (VOP) Mayor Mike Richman is excited to see what the members of his Mayor's Task Force on COVID-19 Response and Recovery bring to the table over the next several months.

Richman revealed the members of the council committee at the VOP's regular council meeting, held via Zoom, on June 16.

In addition to Richman and Councillor Ryan Zant, who was previously voted by council as its representative, the task force includes: Meredith Kemp of the Pemberton & District Chamber of Commerce; Mark Mendonca of Tourism Pemberton; Jaye Russell of Sea to Sky Community Services; Natalie Szewczyk of WorkBC; financial planning professional Stuart McConnachie; mental health professional Erin Johnson; and community members at large Rodney Payne, Judith Walton and Jacqueline Smith. The group will meet virtually for the first time on June 18 with an eye on tackling issues ranging from financial challenges to mental health.

Some of the members were appointed specifically by their organizations, while others applied to represent their respective sectors or for an at-large position and were chosen in-camera by council on June 9.

"We had a whole host and variety of people that stepped up for this, and we're really grateful for that," Richman said. "It did make for some pretty tough decision-making."

"At this point, even a committee of 11 is a big number to manage, especially as we start this process on virtual meetings.

"The selection was based on a body of experience and based on trying to strike a balance demographically, [with] experience, [by] sector."

Richman explained that the group will work together to regularly bring recommendations to council, taking advantage of Pemberton's strong social fabric while capitalizing on opportunities that may arise.

"I feel that through our discussions and our work, there will be actions that come out and directions for some of these community organizations and non-profits," he said.

Johnson, a trauma specialist who runs a private counselling practice in town, has clearly seen the pandemic's effects and is eager to help the task force address them.

"We've seen a surge of individuals with unresolved trauma that has been triggered by this collective trauma that we are all currently experiencing," she said. "I'm having some clients come to me and say, 'I should have dealt with this a long time ago.' It's this time that's spent being alone and getting caught up in our thoughts, it's really exacerbated by that loneliness and everyday trauma that we are all dealing with."

With the task force, Johnson hopes to provide insight into helping people increase resilience while navigating the ongoing trauma, which includes disruptions to regular life.

"I would love to see what strategies we can put in place as a community, whether it's outdoor yoga, or a mental-escape, stress-reduction program offered through Zoom," she said. "[It's about] really trying to get creative in how we can support and build resiliency and help individuals develop a toolbox to cope with this."

Johnson added that another important facet of the task force will be to identify and address systemic challenges to accessing support, whether it's waitlists or financial challenges.

As an at-large member of the group, Payne brings a global tourism perspective as the CEO of marketing agency Destination Think, which is helping locales across the globe mitigate the pandemic's effects.

"In regards to the pandemic, and both the public health situation and the economic impacts, the experience of every place is unfolding in a really unique way. Everyone's on their own journey and grappling with their own community's attitudes towards how to handle things and I think there's a lot that can be learned by watching other people's experiences and other communities' experiences that we can hopefully apply here," he said, citing New Zealand as a strong example.

That said, Payne said that the most important lesson the task force should take is to learn to the community and consider the needs of all as the response progresses.

Community centre, library soft opening pitched for July 2

Recreation Services Manager Christine Burns is set to report on the department's return-to-play plans. In line with the province's four-phase plan, outdoor options have reopened, with playgrounds and the skate park starting up May 18 and the nature playground and spray park following suit on June 1.

As for indoor spaces such as the Pemberton & District Community Centre and Pemberton & District Public Library, residents can expect a soft opening on July 2, provided that the centre's documentation is in order and staff is trained on new processes and procedures. Burns explained that space must be booked in advance, with staff currently testing Perfectmind software to facilitate that process. No drop-ins will be allowed.

"It's not recommended in any way, shape or form that we allow random drop-ins for programs or services at this time," she said. "We are confident that through a booking process, people with memberships will be able to book one of five timeslots for an hour."

Proposed hours of operation are 2 to 8 p.m. for the existing passholders and 10 a.m. to noon for immune-compromised individuals.

Burns noted that the department is currently developing waivers so that visitors understand their risks, while contractors are similarly being presented with new contracts.

Burns added that children's recreational and adult fitness programming will be offered for registration starting on Thursday, June 18.