FRAA Board of Directors Meeting January 11, 2021

1. Programs 

  • HIIT continues virtually via Lake Louise Sport and Recreation Centre on Tuesday and Thursday evenings with Laura Penner at 7:00 pm. Please visit the LLSRC Facebook page for participation details. If you want to receive reminders, send a text to 250-344-8291 to be added to the contact list.
  • Yoga Flow With Julie on Thursday evenings at 7:00 pm at the Community Hall, admission by donation. Please wear a mask as you enter the hall, sanitize your hands (sanitizer is on the table at the entrance or wash your hands in the washroom) and proceed to set up your mat a minimum of 2.5 meters from other participants. You can remove your mask for the yoga session. Please put on your mask again and maintain the 2.5 meters distance recommended as you gather your mat, sanitize your hands, put on your coat and boots and exit the community hall. The hall can safely accommodate 10 participants. Residents from Lake Louise have expressed interest in attending. The Board feels that travelling to attend yoga is not considered essential travel, so we’ll keep it local.
  • The Ice Rink is flooded and in use! Well done Rink People! The change room remains locked. For night time skaters, the lights are set to be on from around 6 pm to 11 pm (it’s tough to get exact times on the timer so the lights may not be on at exactly 6 pm or go off at exactly 11 pm). There are benches outside to use for putting on skates/boots. You can also use the benches and chairs on the Community Hall porch. Please maintain a physical distance of 2.5 meters between yourself and other skaters outside your personal bubble. The change room door is locked from the inside. Entering through the windows for whatever reason is not good; please comply with the guidelines. 
  • Kicking Horse Ski Club www.khsc.ca is amazing! Tally-Ho Trail, Kicking Horse Trail, Tree Hugger Trail, Emerald Lake Alluvial Fan and Horse Trails, and the Yoho Valley Road have all been packed, groomed, trackset and skier tracked, and are in great shape. Right now the focus is on getting the Emerald Connector groomed and trackset. Visit the website for trail reports, membership information and club updates. This just in – QR code available at trailheads to make donations and memberships easier for skiers and snowshoers to make payments to the club.


2. Parks Canada Invoices and Honorarium

Washroom invoices for 2018, 2019 and 2020, plus the Honorarium for 2019/2020 have been accepted and entered for payment by Parks Canada on January 18, 2021. The FRAA will work with Parks Canada on submitting the Honorarium for 2020/2021 by the end of February 2021.

3. Insurance

The FRAA received the annual Notice to Renew from Johnson Meier in Golden, with a questionnaire to complete, indicating any changes in coverage. Sally to work with Johnson Meier to complete the paperwork so invoices can be issued. No change to coverage. FRAA insurance covers buildings and other assets, programs and director liability.

4. FFRD

The FRAA advises Parks Canada leadership to include Field Fire and Rescue members in the process to develop the Fire Services Coordinator position to ensure that creating and implementing this position will meet the needs of Field Fire and Rescue. 

5. St. Joseph Project

Engineers are working hard to complete engineered drawings for mechanical, electrical and structural elements of the renovation this week, with architectural review being done throughout the project. We will meet the January 15, 2021 deadline to pay for the work and submit the final report for the Community Initiatives grant. Once we have the engineered drawing in hand, the FRAA will put the project out to tender and continue applying for grants. Talking about potential fundraising options in 2021.

6. FUB Agenda for Meeting on January 20, 2021 

  • Quarterly Reports – Q1 – April, May, June and Q2 – July, August, September 2020 
  • Include FFRD input from members in development of Fire Services Coordinator position
  • License of Occupation for community use of school gym
  • Snow removal and snow storage discussion
  • Who is responsible for locking VRC washrooms when there is a power outage in Field?
  • Initial evaluation of traffic lights at Field intersection 
  • Contribution Agreement

7. Town Hall Meeting Agenda for Meeting on Monday, January 25, 2021

  • Zoom Meeting plus 15 in-person attendance, RSVP
  • FRAA Report
  • Treasurer’s Report
  • Parks Canada Reports
    • Townsites
    • Highways
    • Visitor Experience
    • Resource Conservation
    • Asset

8. Round Table

  • Weekends in Yoho National Park are very busy! Wapta Falls parking lot full with 14 vehicles parked on the highway shoulder on Saturday, January 9, 2021. 
  • Parks Canada has ploughed the Sherbrooke Lake parking lot to accommodate backcountry users in the Great Divide area (Sherbrooke Lake skiers and snow shoers, Wapta Traverse backcountry skiers).
  • Be vigilant and careful. Some businesses are open – follow Public Health Office guidelines and protocols specified by businesses to protect you and staff.

St. Joseph Project in Field Proceeds With Support from Columbia Basin Trust Community Initiatives Program

Built in 1908, St. Joseph’s Catholic Church has been important to the community of Field for more than a century. The building was decommissioned as an active religious facility in 2015 and sold to the Field Recreation Advisory Association (FRAA) in 2017. 

With conceptual plans, public consultation, and environmental assessments in hand, and $45,625 in funding from Columbia Basin Trust through the Community Initiatives Program to complete architectural review and engineered drawings, the FRAA is preparing the Parks Canada Development Permit application, tender packages to hire a contractor and more grant applications to move on to the construction phase. Renovations will be extensive and include a new foundation, washrooms, windows, insulation, electrical, plumbing and heating, to bring the building into the 21st century without sacrificing the beauty and charm of this beautiful early 20th century structure.

When complete, the building will be a multifunctional space to serve residents of Field and visitors to Yoho National Park for community events like music, theatre, education, art and craft classes, farmer’s market, yoga, book exchange, art gallery, and a space for quiet contemplation. Expenses to run the facility will be covered by its use as a wedding chapel.

The FRAA is very thankful for the support given to this project by the Community Initiatives Program of Columbia Basin Trust. There have been challenges that we have met and resolved, and anticipate there will be more challenges as the project moves on to the next stages. Patience and consultation have proven valuable tools. Without funding from Columbia Basin Trust, we wouldn’t have made it this far. Thank you to Columbia Basin Trust and Golden and Community Foundation for helping the community of Field revitalize a beautiful landmark in our village.