Dragon's Den meets Prince Rupert Council with Swingsmith Cages pitch made for use of Canfisco Warehouse location
Prince Rupert council received a presentation on Monday evening that provided a glimpse at what could be a new recreation option for the community
Kerrianne Smith stepped up to the plate at City Council on Monday evening and from the reaction of City Council member she put one over the wall, with a Home Run delivery for her pitch for a spot in the City operated Canfisco Warehouse location.
As part of her presentation from Monday evening, she observed how the location at the Canfisco Warehouse, a facility that the city took on in January of 2020, was one that offered the community a new recreation option and for her a good opportunity for success, located in a high traffic area for Sports fisherman and Cruise Ship passengers and an area easily accessible for local residents.
Ms. Smith observed as to how the size of space she hopes to set up in at the facility would allow for her proposal to offer another community activity for youth and those adults who play softball and baseball in the region.
Her proposal also included the inclusion of a pro shop which would sell baseball and softball equipment as well as an area which would offer customers pizza by the slice. She also highlighted some of the special events and opportunities that she hoped to offer to the community.
A participant in the Indigenous Ace Business program, she outlined for Council how her experience from that program has assisted her in preparing her business plan to launch the venture.
Towards financing she is anticipating the majority of her start up funding of 180,000 dollars to come through TriCorp and believes that her proposal would build towards the creation of a Multiplex Sports Complex use for the Warehouse location.
As part of her enthusiastic presentation for the council members she noted that she is a coach with the Prince Rupert Gymnastics Association and that with their operation now in place at the city operated leased Canfisco facility, her proposal would make for a good fit to compliment the emphasis on community that it has brought.
With a nod to the Quality of Life principle of the City's Rupert 2030 Vision plan, Ms. Smith also outlined how her proposal fits into the kind of social developments that the city seems to be seeking to set up in the community.
All images above from Monday's presentation to Council
The presentation, which was a text book lesson in how to make a submission to Council, was well received by the Council Dragons, with Mayor Brain and Councillors Cunningham, Niesh, Randhawa and Adey all finding much to like from her overview of the proposed development.
Mayor Brain opened up the question session. by asking about the status of her funding and if she had approached Paul Venditelli the city's Economic Development Manager towards her proposal.
An inquiry that provided a bit of a snapshot into how civic bureaucracy moves and how she views her proposal preferable to any current plans that the city may have to use the facility as a storage area.
"I have, and he's been helpful, but he hasn't been able to give me any direct answers. I do know that it's on hold right now for some storage options ... I don't really feel like store is the best viable thing for the community and I'm just kind of pleading my case as to why I think a batting cage would be best for that"-- Kerrianne Smith, Swingsmith cages
As for the council members, their commentary should make for a positive push for her proposed venture.
"Very impressive presentation and I've always maintained that we need more indoor athletic facilities I used to take a Minor hockey team down south and laser tag ant that was one that they zoomed into it all the time... and I agree with you storage is not the best use of that, if we could get a multi use athletic situation going there" -- Councillor Barry Cunningham
"The notion of a sort of a multi-sports indoor facility is you now I think that's the first time I've seen that put together conceptually, in quite that way and it's certainly worth thinking about" -- Councillor Nick Adey
The Mayor concluded the presentation by noting that Council and staff would explore it further; along with his hopes of getting a jersey at some point should the operation open.
"I think your case has been made and I think we'll be having a chat with staff and uh, when your loans and things like that come together I think there's a chance for some more conversation for sure. So it would be I think a great thing for the community there's no doubt about that"
You can review her presentation from the City's Video Archive starting at the 35 minute mark.
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