Some of the sting of Thornhill Jr. Secondary School’s closure last year is set to be soothed as sports groups who have used the gym in the past will be able to continue using it this fall.
An agreement between the school board, community user groups, and the city was quietly reached last month on the use of the Thornhill Jr. gym.
When the school closed at the end of last school year, groups were left wondering if they’d be able to continue using the gym, which some of them call the best facility in the area.
While the school board understood the gym was a benefit for the community and hoped a solution could be found, their stance from the get-go was that they were not willing to incur any extra costs to keep the gym open.
This meant it was up to user groups and the city to hash out a solution – which they did, with no extra cost to the school board.
“The district will continue to cover any costs we would have incurred if the building remained vacant (minimal heating and ventilation),” said Alanna Cameron, secretary-treasurer at the Coast Mountains school board. “The City of Terrace will cover anything over/above.”
User groups like the Terrace Women’s Soccer Association and the Badminton club have said the fees for the year will rise slightly.
The facility’s use is on a trial basis until Dec. 31 to start. “We have a three-month licence agreement with the City of Terrace – Parks and Rec Department,” said Cameron.
Only a portion of the school, including the gymnasium, will be open and using electricity, she said.
“The rest will remain ‘dark’,” she said.