CFB Trenton Community Recreation Open to Public

CFB TRENTON FACILITIES

Community Recreation: Are Open to the Public

By: Jeff Gard Total Sports Media

There are lots of facilities at CFB Trenton to accommodate the intersection and base sports as well as recreational opportunities. Hockey and skating takes place at the RCAF Flyers Arena, swimming is available at the RecPlex with three pools (25-metre pool, a leisure pool and outdoor pool), the South Side Gym offers two basketball courts, three volleyball courts, nine badminton courts and three squash courts. There’s strength and conditioning equipment at the RecPlex and South Side Gym as well. There are also two ball diamonds and two soccer fields on base as well as the Roundel Glen Golf Course and CFB Trenton Yacht Club. “There’s so many opportunities in addition to sports as well. The key part about that is it’s so open to the community,” said military sports coordinator Ryan Meeks. “This isn’t just a military-only site.” Members of the public are also welcome to attend regional sports competitions hosted at CFB Trenton. “It’s definitely something that’s on my radar to promote and fill our stands for our tournaments and competitions and definitely something we want the community to know that they’re welcome on our base.” That includes taking part in the recreation opportunities available when there are no longer COVID-19 restrictions. Community Recreation passes are available for purchase and include access to the facilities, except the golf course and yacht club which are considered special interest activities and are run separately. Military bookings take precedence at all of the facilities, but once those times are slotted in, community options become available. There are different price options for memberships, including discounts for Canadian Forces members and their families. “When they get a membership, it allows them access to all those facilities,” said community recreation manager Caitlin Salisbury. “If we’re running an open skate, if you have a membership you would just show your membership and you would be able to come to the open skate. “Some of the members get it specifically to use the pool and we have passes just for that too if they don’t want the full membership. That would give them access to the pool and to the strength and conditioning room.”

Community recreation hasn’t been open in its usual way since before March 2020. The hope is it will be able to return to normal as 2021 continues.

Salisbury said the programs are well used by CAF members, their families, veterans, foreign military members working at Trenton, civilian employees and the general community. “We have quite a spread of membership and people that come and participate in the programs,” she said. Open swims and skates are examples of scheduled events that are included in the membership, but there are also opportunities for fitness classes and skating and swimming lessons and day camps that are not included.

“Separate programs that are instructor-led, those are at an additional cost,” Salisbury noted. Salisbury said it’s great to have civilian members from Trenton and area as recreation members and gives CAF members, especially those with children, the opportunity to meet new people in the community.

Keep watching www.cafconnection.ca/Trenton for more details about reopening of the facilities and community memberships. Without COVID-19 restrictions, “it’s very open to the community,” Salisbury said.

Photos By A/SLt Paul Green 8 Wing Public Affairs Officer /Canadian Armed Forces