How many sea-cans is too many?
Salmon Arm council considered this question, faced with a request from Shuswap Youth Soccer Association to put a sea-can storage container at the Little Mountain fields.
The request came because the city requested user groups no longer use the change rooms in the Little Mountain Field House.
Chad Forman, operations manager with youth soccer, wrote to council, stating that as the room is no longer available, “we will need a year-round storage container to store soccer equipment, first aid supplies, and emergency contact information for the over 450 players who use this venue weekly. With the addition of this storage container, we will also be able to store our field line painting equipment, which we use to provide a field line painting service to all the City of Salmon Ann field users.”
Forman also asked to once again put a sea-can in the parking lot between 3rd Street SW and the downtown soccer fields for the 500-plus kids who use them. Both requests were approved.
Rob Niewenhuizen, the city’s director of engineering and public works, said the city would like to regain use of the change rooms so asked youth soccer not to use the room for storage, just as it asked the football club.
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He said a few years ago the city put an asphalt pad off to the east side of the parking lot which was designated for additional storage containers. He said soccer nets and other equipment are being stored there temporarily. Staff have no problem with the soccer association bringing in another container, he said, and the city will have an agreement with them to keep it looking good.
“At some point in the future we would like to propose a capital improvement at Little Mountain which actually has a structurally built storage unit for multiple user groups; then we could remove those sea-cans.
Coun. Kevin Flynn agreed a permanent solution would be needed so all user groups can have their own storage areas within a facility.
“Obviously it will come with a cost. I think too many sea-cans might be too many sea-cans,” he quipped.
Mayor Alan Harrison asked if more clubs might be wanting them at Little Mountain.
Niewenhuizen said he’s not sure, but soccer, football and lacrosse who use the fields all have them – although rugby and others don’t. Harrison said it should be okay given that rugby doesn’t use much equipment.
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