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MERRITT HERALD FREE
TUESDAY, JANUARY 26, 2016 • MERRITT NEWSPAPERS
SHARING RESOURCES
HEALTH CARE
Talks of joint-use agreement resurrected Another family doc
closing practice
SD 58 and City of Merritt take steps towards sharing facilities Michael Potestio THE MERRITT HERALD
The City of Merritt and School District 58 have reignited talks of a formal joint-use agreement of each others facilities. The school district and the previous city council discussed the issue a few years ago, but never materialized any sort of written agreement. At a committee of the whole meeting last on Jan.14, the first steps towards such a contract were taken again. The two parities agreed to have SD 58 secretary treasurer Kevin Black and City of Merritt chief administrative officer (CAO) Shawn Boven compile an inventory of facilities between the two groups and determine how they may be utilized jointly. SD 58 board chair Gordon Comeau told the Herald the purpose of implementing a jointuse agreement is to encourage greater use of school and city facilities. "We've just approved a hockey academy for Merritt, so the arena will get more use as the result of that," Comeau said. Currently, when either the city or the school district uses the others' facilities, each will pay a rate, but no formal, writ-
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Michael Potestio THE MERRITT HERALD
And then there were five.
(Left to right) School District 58 vice chair Gordon Swan and chair Gordon Comeau speak with city council at a committee of the whole meeting on Jan. 14, as city councillors Linda Brown and Mike Goetz look on. Michael Potestio/Herald
ten agreement outlining specific parameters and rules exists — which is a goal for SD 58 in this process. He said the current rates each party pays are nominal and wouldn't be a sticking point in developing a formal agreement. Boven said that he and Black have not met, but do intend to. "I like the idea of the shared inventory — who has what, when's it being used, when is it not being used," Boven said. Comeau said he wants both sides to get an idea of how these facilities could be used
to provide to students and the broader community alike access to services. An example of this would be the possibility of SD 58 opening up a shop class for public use, Comeau said at the meeting. Coun. Mike Goetz then pointed to the city's lawn bowling facility — which council is considering optional uses for — as a facility SD 58 in turn could utilize. "That's a perfect example of where the city can facilitate the school district," Goetz said, noting it could be used as part of a
‘We’ve just approved a hockey academy in Merritt, so the arena will get more use as the result of that.’ — GORDON COMEAU, SD 58 BOARD CHAIR
physical education program. Vice school board chairman Gordon Swan advised that the agreement be looked at from an economic development point of view as well, saying that both parties are able to offer services cheaper than the same services in bigger cities. SD 58 superintendent Steve McNiven said that the facility sharing relationship between the school district and the city is already well developed. "We're very appreciative of being able to use the ice rinks and the swimming pool, and yes we got the community band in Merritt Secondary School, so there's some very good things happening," McNiven said. "It is a good time to revisit it and see what the agreement actually looks like and formalize that and expand."
Yet another doctor’s office will close in 2016, as Andries Smit is closing his practise at the end of April. Speaking on behalf of the Merritt physician of 17 years, his wife Twiny said Andries is retiring. For more than two years Smit had been searching for a replacement to take over his practice at 2035 Charters St., but has been unsuccessful in finding one. At the time, Twiny told the Herald that although their departure was inevitable, they wanted to reassure their patients they
won’t be deserted or left stranded. “We advertised and we were talking around, and [made] it known that we [were] looking,” Twiny said in a phone interview with the Herald Monday. She said it didn’t seem as though they were going to find a replacement after searching for years. They spoke with a bunch of potential candidates, but upon hearing the practise was a busy one located in a small town, it became difficult to convince those candidates to make the move.
See ‘Dr. Smit’ Page 9
Dr. Andries Smit’s practice at 2035 Charters St. Herald file photo
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