The Basilica Recreation Centre —— Before arml After

I don’t think these people ever got enough thanks or recognition for their unselfish devotion. When you realize that some parents would drop off their children at the centre and pick them up several hours later, you can imagine the patience the staff needed to be able to keep them active, and, in many cases, to listen to the personal problems they were having at home.

The first 15 years of the centre were active and productive, in spite of growing pains. There was at this time a slow but very significant change taking place in the demographics of the parish population. A new parish in Stratford, followed by another parish in Parkdale and yet another in Cornwall, meant that the Basilica parish was losing a substantial number of parishioners. Most of these new parishes included young families, which meant that the Basilica was left for the most part with an aging population and less financial means to support

the parish.

The other trend that began during this period was the decrease in the size of the family. I can recall when living on the corner of Grafton and Weymouth streets that by five minutes after supper, we would have at least 20 kids ready to play street hockey. Every house seemed to have three to eight children, but all that has changed. Two children with both parents working has become the norm. We have seen the implications of this with the closing of the schools

in the downtown core of the city and a different need and requirement for facilities such as the Basilica Recreation Centre and the YMCA.

With smaller families and both parents working, it was harder to get volunteers who had the time or interest to participate in many of the former parish organizations. The other influencing factor was the fact that all new schools had auditoriums. The city had an expanded recreation program, and the Rec Centre and the Y had to compete with private and public facilities such as the Spa, the Atlantic Fitness Centre, and the facilities at UPEI.

Additionally, when the drinking age was lowered from 21 to 18, many people as young as 16 started going to the licensed clubs that were opening up in the Charlottetown area rather than to the Rec Centre. The drinking age was later

raised to 19.

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