TIGNISH - An active volunteer at the Tignish Credit Union Arena and at Tignish Recreation Department activities, Tina Richard is the town’s new recreation director.
Since taking on the position on Sept. 24 Richard has helped launch an Up West Cycle Club, a Fall Zombie Fest and a hockey equipment exchange.
The cycle club and Zombie Fest are joint activities with the Alberton and O’Leary Recreation Departments and West Prince Sports Council.
“I just thought this was cool,” Richard said in explaining why she decided to apply for the recreation director’s position.
She had considered it before but, now that her children are older – her two sons and two daughters range in age from seven to 15 – she felt the time was right.
The hockey gear drive was a big success, said Richard, indicating between 20 and 30 people dropped off used equipment and a similar number was able to obtain equipment, some outfitted from head to toe.
Of the approximately 150 pieces of donated equipment, Richard said about 30 pieces are still available at the recreation office. “Why not get it recycled?” she reasons.
Richard said she’s hoping to organize activities for a broad spectrum of the population and feels activities for the very young and for seniors have been lacking.
She’s already reactivated the seniors activity program. She moves the activity program to a different seniors facility every Monday and encourages residents of the four facilities to get together to learn a new card game or to try a new activity.
Mayor Allan McInnis has praise for the new recreation director.
“She’s impressed me about 10 times already,” he said.
Richard is encouraged by the interest shown from all over West Prince for the Up West Cycle Club.
As a wrap up to the abbreviated first season, she’s organizing a Marjolaine Ward Memorial Bike Race for Oct. 21.
Marjolaine Ward was a teacher at Ecole Pierre Chiasson. She lost her life after being struck by a vehicle while cycling near Kildare Capes in August.
There are 8 a.m., 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. start times in Tignish for the 25-, 50- and 100-kilometre races, while a 10-kilometre race will leave from the French school in Deblois at 11:30 a.m.
A five-kilometres race starts at noon and 1 p.m. and two-kilometre races start at 12:30 p.m. All races will finish at the Tignish Bicentennial Park between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.
Participants can register for the races by contacting the Tignish Recreation Department at 902-882-2476, Tina Richard at 902-853-6532 or by email at [email protected].
