June 3, 2014
topJune eNews

June is Recreation and Parks Month and what better time to get out there and enjoy the beautiful parks and trails that St. Albert has to offer! This month, I encourage you to do something active with your family at one of our parks. 
 
One fun way to use our parks is by taking part in the Cruisin' Clubhouse program at playgrounds around the city this summer. 
 
We are happy to present the results of our customer satisfaction survey below. I'm pleased to see that we are still receiving a high satisfaction rating overall and that you expressed satisfaction with our staff, facility and the value of your membership. But we are always striving to improve your experience. That's why we take your feedback very seriously.
 
It's also why we decided to expand the child-minding hours for the month of July. After hearing feedback from our members, we responded by adding almost 50% more hours for July to meet demand and help us plan for August. 
 
With the end of school and making plans for the summer, June is always a busy month but I hope you take some time to enjoy our parks and stay active this month! 
 
                                                          ~ Jack Ballash,
                                                             Facility Manager 
Top Marks on Customer Satisfaction Survey
 
    

 

Recently, the City of St. Albert was named Canada's best city to live in. A major reason the City received such a distinction is the value that its citizens place on healthy living supported through parks, trails and recreational opportunities.

 

The 2014 Servus Credit Union Place Customer Satisfaction Survey reflects the fact that Servus Place continues to earn high satisfaction ratings from its customers. Overall satisfaction with Servus Place remains high, with 96 per cent of patrons expressing that they are either somewhat satisfied (11%), Satisfied (52%) or very satisfied (33%) with their experiences at the facility. This shows a slight improvement over the 2012 levels and has remained at a consistently high level, particularly for a public facility.

 

The real story behind the success of Servus Place is revealed in four themes. These include:

  1. Servus Pace is more than a recreation facility - Servus Place continues to serve as a community hub for St. Albert, where residents can gather and socialize with each other while investing in their health. 
  2. Staff are making a difference - Respondents indicated that Servus is adequately staffed and employees are helpful and courteous (97 per cent).
  3. Value - Respondents believe they are receiving excellent value for their money. For example, 94 per cent of patrons with annual memberships indicated that the value of their membership was either good, very good or excellent. 
  4. Available communication tools - Respondents are particularly impressed with the diversity of communication tools that Servus Place offers (96 per cent). The Servus Place eNews, website, program guide and in-facility bulletin have evolved to effectively meet the changing demands of patrons. 

"Servus Place is demonstrating that a publicly-funded recreation facility can meet the needs of an entire community," says Mayor Nolan Crouse. "The 2014 survey acknowledges that Servus Place is a community hub for St. Albert, a place where family and friends of all ages can get together and enjoy an active lifestyle."

 

According to the survey, the most common areas for improvement were change room cleanliness, fitness equipment availability and locker room space. The comments from patrons regarding fitness equipment availability and locker room space are symptoms of a heavily utilized fitness area. In response, Servus Place has developed "A Plan for the Future" to address space challenges in the facility.

 

The online survey, conducted by Banister Research and Consulting Inc., reached 846 customers of Servus Place and asked them for their perceptions and levels of satisfaction with the facility. The study provides a measurement of satisfaction and also a perceived value of the facility to its users. The final results reflect a margin of error no greater than � 3.5 per cent at the 95 per cent confidence level or 19 times out of 20. 

 

Meet our Youth Coordinator - Prambir Minhas

 

It's the last Youth Night of the year and kids are racing into the gym at Servus Place to take part in a fun night. 

 

There are two bouncy castles, sumo wrestling suits, table tennis, and giant board games. In other words, tonnes of fun activities for the 12-15 year olds that Youth Night attracts. 

 

Prambir Minhas watches over the kids with a smile on his face. As the Youth Coordinator for Servus Place, he has helped organize every youth night since it started two years ago. 

 

"We have really evolved youth night over the past two years," he explains. "When we started, we would organize games and activities that we assumed kids from ages 12-15 would like. We got it right a lot of the time but since we partnered with BAM, a local youth group, we get more input from the kids themselves. It's been great."

 

The concept for Youth Night is to provide a positive environment for young people to stay active and have fun.

 

Prambir sees the positive aspects first hand. "It's great for kids to be able to come out and explore a new activity and to engage in unstructured play. Organized sports are wonderful, but kids also need to be able to try things out for themselves and youth night offers them that opportunity."

 

And they definitely get up to some different things! With the input from BAM, kids at youth night have tried Quidditch Broomball, Mission Impossible Obstacle Courses, Dodgeball and Survivor Games to name a few. 

 

As the final youth night of the year comes to an end, Prambir is looking forward to spending more time with kids this summer as one of our Summer Camp Leaders. He is coming back for a third year and loves the variety that he experiences as a Summer Camp Leader. 

 

"There are so many different camps offered through Servus Place," he says. "As a camp leader, I get to try a new thing each week and meet new kids. It keeps it fun and interesting." 

 

Pramhir will graduate with an Education degree next year and with all his experience creating memorable youth nights at Servus Place, his future students are lucky indeed!

 

July Child-minding Hours Increasing! 

 
You asked for it and we heard you! 

 

We recently conducted a survey regarding our summer hours and we heard your concerns and are happy to announce that we will be increasing our hours by over 50% for the month of July.  

 

We are adding Monday and Wednesday evening hours as well as a Saturday morning.  The new hours will be a trial period for the month of July.  We will be closely monitoring our user numbers and will make the appropriate changes to the hours for August.   

 

Our summer hours starting July 2nd  will be as follows:

 

Monday:       9 am - noon                   5:30 pm - 7:30 pm

Tuesday:      9 am - noon

Wednesday: 9 am - noon                   5:30 pm - 7:30 pm

Thursday:     9 am - noon

Friday:          9 am - noon

Saturday:      8 am - 11:15am

Sunday: Closed

 

We appreciate your feedback. If you have any questions or comments, please contact the Child-minding Programmer at 780-418-6072.

 

June is Recreation & Parks Month! 

 
The month of June is Recreation and Parks month and a great opportunity for us to get out there and enjoy our beautiful parks and trails! 
 

The benefits of recreation and outdoor activity are well documented. They have a positive impact on everything from children's social development, to improved performance in school, to reduced medical issues and costs, to reductions in crime rates. 

 

It is also a chance for children, families, organizations, schools and communities to celebrate the wonderful benefits that recreation and parks provide. So let's get out there St. Albert!


Need some inspiration? 
  • Pack a picnic and find a spot along the Sturgeon River 
  • Check out a park in a neighbourhood you've never been to
  • Change your running route to include a new trail or park
  • Try the new adult outdoor fitness equipment at Lion's Park
  • Play frisbee with friends
  • Take the kids to the Woodlands Water Spray Park
  • Go long boarding, rollerblading or biking on our trails
  • Take a book, find a quiet bench and relax
The Alberta Recreation and Parks Association has come up with a great 30 Day Family Challenge  to get your family out there and enjoying our beautiful parks! 

 

Ask Bryce!

 

My kids are pretty active through school activities and soccer but I'm worried about them staying active this summer. What can I do to make sure they are getting enough physical activity? 

 

What a great question. Many of us assume that our kids are active enough but a recent study by ParticipACTION shows that 63% of Canadian kids free time after school and on weekends is spent being sedentary.

 

So making plans to keep your kids active and healthy over the summer is great. One idea is to enrol them in a summer camp that will help keep them active. Servus Place offers many different summer camps and all have a physical activity component. You can also encourage your kids to ride their bikes to the Cruisin' Clubhouse programs at parks around the city. 

 

Swimming lessons are another great way to keep them active or you may consider purchasing a Servus Place youth membership, depending on their age. This would get them access to all the facilities at Servus Place as well as Fountain Park Rec Centre and the Grosvenor Outdoor Pool! 

 

However, staying active can also be as simple as having the tools on hand to prevent them from falling back on the television or video games to fill time. So dig out the street hockey gear, dust off the Frisbee and fill up the wading pool - a summer of fun awaits! 

 

Bryce McLeod is the Fitness and Wellness Coordinator at Servus Place. If you have a question for Bryce, email us at [email protected]

 

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Summer Berry Trifle

 

Prep time: 10 min   Total time:  30 min Serves: 10

  

This beautiful trifle from Sobeys is perfect for Fathers' Day!

 

Ingredients

 

3 tbsp custard powder 45 mL

1/4 cup + 1 tbsp sugar, divided 60 mL

2 1/2 cups skim milk 625 mL

3/4 cup fat-free vanilla yogourt 175 mL

1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract 5 mL

2 cups hulled and sliced strawberries 500 mL

� Angel Food Cake, cut into 3/4-in. (2 cm) cubes

2 tbsp orange-flavoured liqueur (optional) 30 mL

1 cup each raspberries, blueberries and blackberries 250 mL

1/4 cup Sliced Natural Almonds 60 mL

3/4 cup whipping cream 175 mL

 

Directions

  1. In a medium saucepan, stir together the custard powder and 1/4 cup (60 mL) sugar. Slowly add milk, whisking to prevent lumps. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring frequently.
  2. Transfer the custard to a heatproof bowl and set it in a larger bowl of ice, stirring occasionally until completely cooled, about 10 min. Mix in the yogourt and vanilla.
  3. To assemble the trifle, spread 1/2 cup (125 mL) of the custard in the bottom of a 3 to 4 L glass bowl. Stand some of the sliced strawberries in a ring against the sides of the bowl. Add half of the cake cubes. Drizzle 1 tbsp (15 mL) liqueur, if using, over the cake. Add half the berries and half the remaining custard. Repeat layers. Recipe can be made ahead up to this point. Cover and chill in the refrigerator overnight.
  4. To finish, lightly toast almonds in a skillet over medium-low heat until golden. Cool to room temperature. Using an electric mixer, whip the cream to stiff peaks, gradually beating in remaining sugar. Spread the whipped cream on top of the trifle, sprinkle with toasted almonds and serve.

Nutritional Info 

Per 1/10 of recipe

 

Calories 220

Fat 8 g

Saturated fat 4.5 g

Carbs 32 g

Protein 5 g

Cholesterol 25 mg

Fibre 3 g

Sodium 170 mg

Potassium 0 mg 
 
June Workshops

 

June 7 -  Viva de Tour Spin Workshop  12 - 1:30 PM 27786 $17

June 14 - Cirque du Servus  12 - 1:30 PM 27789 $17

June 15 - Stress Release and Relaxation (Tea Meditation) Yoga  6:30 - 8:30 PM 28285 $22

June 20 - Zumba Party Workshop  7:15 - 8:15 PM 27791 $14

June 21 - Spartan Up Workshop 12 - 1:30 PM 27790 $17

 

Upcoming Events
See what is happening around Servus Place in June!

June 6-8 - Baggataway Lacrosse Tournament - Sarasota North Fieldhouse, Tudor Glen Fieldhouse, Northstar Arena, and Akinsdale & Kinex Arenas

Salute to Sponsors
Thank you sponsors! Link

In This Issue
Stay Connected
  
Rock n' August Concert Pre-Sale!
 
Kim Mitchell, Kenny Shields and Streetheart, and Prism will be rocking the Northstar Hyundai Arena on Friday, August 15!
 
Servus Place members will get a chance at pre-sale tickets for the 2014 Rock n' August concert! 
 
Pre-sale tickets will go on sale on June 4 at 10 a.m. until June 5 at 10 p.m. 
 
The public sale will begin Friday morning, June 6 at 10 a.m. 
 
Pre-sale ticket code: rna2014.

 

Prices are $39.95 (+ fees and taxes) for reserved bowl seats and $49.95 (+ fees and taxes) for GA floor seats.

 

Please visit the Rock n' August website for more information. 

 

Inflatables at Leisure Ice

 

The inflatables will be up from June 9th and available for the rest of the summer! 

 

Come in on Tuesdays and Thursdays from NOON -1:30 p.m. and Saturdays from 10:30 a.m. - 12 p.m. 

Grosvenor Pool

Did you know that you can use your Servus Place membership to access Grosvenor Outdoor Pool? 

Just another awesome way have fun and stay fit with your Servus Place membership!  
Servus Place App

Download our app for up-to-date access to our drop in schedule and much more! Look for it in the iTunes store or on your Android device. 
Servus Credit Union Place | [email protected] | www.servusplace.ca
400 Campbell Road | St. Albert, T8N 0R8
See more news at servusplace.ca

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