Wednesday, 1 May 2013

City distributes Rec & Leisure Guide


Directory magazine is a keeper
By Mark Schadenberg
The City of Woodstock offers many activities and programs, and even though there are 10 issues annually of the What’s On Woodstock magazine, it still became apparent that a more permanent directory of groups and associations was necessary.
With the City completing a strategic master plan (Community Strategic Plan And Integrated Community Sustainability Plan) (http://www.city.woodstock.on.ca/images/stories/pdfs/strategic_plan/final_woodstock_strategic_plan_2013.pdf), one of the outcomes from this new ‘guidebook’ researched and written by DPRA Consultants, is that the City’s communications with citizens could improve.
The brand new – it hits the mailboxes this week – Woodstock Recreation and Leisure Guide is more than just a directory of local activities such as sports and service clubs, but also in some cases is an in-depth depiction of some local programming such as swimming lessons at Southside Aquatic Centre or a profile on the Woodstock Art Gallery.
The DPRA report for The Friendly City used the slogan: ‘Our Community, Your Ideas, Our Future.’
As I’m the current chair of the Woodstock Recreation Advisory Committee (WRAC), our group knows all about contacting groups for participation in the annual Rec & Leisure Fair, which is the first Sunday in March at Cowan Park.
If you thumb through the new guide upon its arrival and realize a certain group you’re involved with is not listed, contact Glynis Hill (ghill@city.woodstock.on.ca) at the community services department.
The interesting notation here is that several groups were contacted about their participation in the guide, but if no info was received by the city, nothing was posted about that particular group because of today’s (strict) privacy laws requiring permission to promote anyone’s email address or phone number. 
After perusing the new municipal publication, I think it’s a great start to an on-going and evolving directory. Even though there’s no listing of takeout pizza places (yellow pages), I believe it’s an effective booklet that all Woodstock folks should keep on their telephone table or in a newspaper rack.
Information is readily available on the city website or by typing an organization’s name into your computer, but it’s great to see a ton of contact information in one handbook.


Mark Schadenberg
Sales Representative
Royal LePage Triland Realty
757 Dundas St, Woodstock
(519) 537-1553, cell or text
Email: mschadenberg@rogers.com
Twitter: markroyallepage
Discussion . . . Direction . . . Determination . . . Destination

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