Verbal and physical abuse in City-owned facilities and properties are not to be tolerated.
And Monday Yorkton Council unanimously supported the creation of a new Prevention of Verbal and Physical Abuse in Recreation Facilities and Properties Policy.
“The City of Yorkton’s vision states “Working with our community, our committed and skilled Staff make Yorkton the friendliest, safest and most desirable city in which to live and grow”,” explained Darcy McLeod, Director Community Development, Parks & Recreation at the meeting as he backgrounded the new policy’s creation.
“Further to that, the City of Yorkton’s recreation facilities exist to provide residents with opportunities to participate in sport and recreational activities in a safe and positive environment. Yorkton’s children and youth are prominent among those residents that make use of these recreation facilities and spaces. It is critical for the City, through its Department of Community Development, Parks and Recreation, to do all things necessary to ensure that preventative measures are in place so that incidents of verbal and physical abuse do not occur in its recreational facilities or properties.
“The City needs to further ensure the most supportive climate possible for Yorkton children and youth, so that they can enjoy their sport or activity and learn about competition, teamwork, sportsmanship, respect and fair play.”
The policy is being established to provide a framework to help protect everyone involved.
“As with many Saskatchewan communities Yorkton’s recreation and sport delivery system is managed and operated primarily by volunteers. These community-minded citizens contribute in many ways to the success of recreation and sport in Yorkton. The City is committed to providing these organizations with a safe and positive environment. Included in this commitment is an understanding that organizations using City Recreation Facilities must accept and take primary responsibility for the behaviour of all those persons associated with them. All staff, spectators, athletes, coaches, team officials, board members and game officials are expected to exhibit the highest levels of sportsmanship and respect to role model positive behaviour for our youth,” said McLeod.
The Policy was created through consultation.
“To confirm the City’s commitment to these ideals, administration worked with local sports organizations and conducted research with the intent to develop a policy for the prevention of verbal and physical abuse in recreation facilities. Information was gathered from the Cities of Hamilton and Mitchell in Ontario; the Cities of Calgary and Edmonton in Alberta as well as Minor Hockey Associations in Lloydminster and Estevan.
“Administration received further input from local arena user groups at their annual fall meeting as well as from staff at both the Gallagher Centre and Kinsmen Arena. The R.C.M.P. was also consulted prior to moving forward with the approval process, as was the City’s Human Resources Department,” said McLeod.
“The resulting policy defines general behavior guidelines, expectations and responsibilities for the general public, facility users and City of Yorkton staff. The policy goes on to speak to consequences for those who fail to adhere to the guidelines established in the policy and outlines the procedure for volunteers and City staff to follow when dealing with abusive behaviour. Consequences for violations of this policy range from verbal warnings to termination of facility privileges, depending on the severity of the infraction, as determined by the Director of Community Development Parks and Recreation.
“The R.C.M.P.’s role to play in support of this policy is described specifically as it relates to vandalism of City property, responding to calls of criminal activity like physical or verbal abuse and in cases where someone feels unsafe or threatened in a City owned facility.”
And the new Policy will now be made quite public.
“This policy will be communicated to people using City facilities by two methods. The first is accepting the terms and conditions of this policy as a condition of renting or using City of Yorkton Recreation facilities as part of each rental or booking contract.
“Second, Administration will be implementing a signage program in spaces where the need for the awareness is highest. This includes messaging in dressing rooms, dugouts and common areas where parents congregate, as well as signs in the playing area of the two ice arenas aimed at spectators,” said McLeod.
The Community Development, Parks and Recreation Committee reviewed the policy at their Dec 1, meeting and supported moving it forward for submission as a City policy. The Gallagher Centre Management Board reviewed and subsequently approved this policy at their Dec 17, meeting.
