The Terwillegar Riverbend Advisory Council (TRAC) was formed in June of 2002 to act as a unified voice representing the interests of the residents of the Greater Riverbend/Terwillegar Area. Its mission statement is:
“To enhance the quality of life through neighbourhood representation with a unified voice speaking to the common interests of home, school, recreation and assembly by creating a towne within a city.”
One of the key motivating factors driving the creation of TRAC was the lack of facilities fulfilling the mission statement within the Terwillegar Riverbend area. Although this area is large, over 40,000 people strong, no major recreational facility exists west of Whitemud Creek. The need for facilities of this type was identified by the City of Edmonton in its Recreational Facilities Master Plan, a blueprint that will guide city planning for the next ten years. The Recreation Facility Master Plan will be presented to City Council early this summer for approval. Establishing a major recreational/multipurpose facility in the Greater Riverbend/Terwillegar area is the number one goal of TRAC.
The type of complex that we envision must be comprehensive enough to meet the diverse needs of the community. In order to ensure that these needs are met, a Needs Assessment will be conducted. This will occur if City Council approves the Recreation Facilities Master Plan and if the Terwillegar / Riverbend site is approved as the first implementation priority. A private company will likely be contracted to design and conduct the study, as well as to analyze and tabulate the results. If approved, the assessment will most likely go ahead in September of 2004.
The Community Services Department has requested nearly $29 million from the City of Edmonton’s Debt Financing Program. No funding has yet been approved for this project and the submission will be reviewed by City Council during the budget approval process in December of this year. The TRAC fundraising committee will be launching initiatives to raise the remainder of the funds soon. Preliminary discussions have taken place as to the possible location and costs of building a leisure and recreation centre in the Riverbend/Terwillegar area. The land at Terwillegar Drive and 23rd Avenue is being considered as a prime location because of its transportation links and central location.
Become a member of TRAC and learn more about the initiatives to better our community. Email tracvip@telus.net to have your name added to the TRAC mailing list. The TRAC website is currently in progress with plans to be up and running soon.
For more information on TRAC or the recreational complex, please contact your neighbourhood TRAC ambassador.