Town launches new user-friendly recreational portal

Miriam Ostermann
Times Associate Editor

 

With a noticeable growth in athletic events, participation, and recreational facilities – such as the newly constructed Lions Regional Outdoor Rink and the anticipated field house – the current method of keeping the public informed turned obsolescent, driving up demand for a new system and leading the town to launch a new recreational portal, concurrently with the start of REC the Streets.
The user-friendly multi-purpose portal went live on June 1, after years of feedback accentuated the need for a greater and more practical web presence for online registration, particular in relation to the Strathmore Aquatic Centre.
By taking into consideration Strathmore’s existing recreational amenities and increasing opportunities, such as the addition of the Palomino water polo team and the disc golf course, the town became proactive in providing the community with an accessible tool for Strathmore’s recreational activities.
“The main reason why we did it was we had to find a new provider for online registration so in that process of looking, we decided to take it to the next step and create the platform for it a little more intensely than just online registration,” said Tracy Simpson, community services coordinator for the Town of Strathmore.
“A couple of years ago there was a huge demand to push online registration for the pool. The software that we currently use to book the facilities is becoming obsolete so we had to find new ones, and we wanted to find one software that did it all; online registration, bookings, [and] a web presence.”
The portal contains information on the various facilities, schedules, maps, parks and pathways, and upcoming events.
In addition, the online tool allows for profile creation that can link to numerous accounts and keep family members up-to-date on personal schedules and events.
The planning stages of the project began in January, and while it’s only been a few days, the platform is already gaining traction.
“We’re starting to see people create accounts and getting ready for swimming registration and the more we get on here the more we are going to see the traffic,” said Simpson.
“We want people to check it out and let us know what they think. It’s a new website, so there’s going to be a few glitches here and there, so we want to know about it.”
Simpson encourages anyone with information on races, events, and tournaments to contact the town at 403-934-3133 or E-mail recreation@strathmore.ca. To check out the recreational portal, visit rec.strathmore.ca.