Marpole-Oakridge Community Association (MOCA)

By the time you are reading this, the civic election will be over and the capital plan plebiscite hopefully has been passed and we can start working on the renewal of our new community centre.

Marpole-Oakridge Community Centre AGM will also be over and a new board of directors will have been elected. If you wanted to join the board and missed out this year, there is always next year. So if you would like to help decide on how your community centre is being run, or would like to join any of our committees, please email ronaldly@hotmail.com or contact the community centre at 604-257-8180.

In the meantime, we continue to strive to be a vibrant community centre offering friendly and affordable programs for the whole family.

Enjoy your community centre!

Ronald Loui-Ying,
President, Marpole-Oakridge Community Association

Membership Info

The Marpole-Oakridge Community Association is a registered non-profit organization. For drop-in or non-registered programs, we have maintained a membership fee structure to provide an inventory of our patrons. The annual fees are Senior/Youth/Child $3; Adult $5; and Family $10.

About MOCA

Offer accessible and diverse leisure opportunities to enhance the well-being of individuals and strengthen a sense of community in a safe and welcoming environment.

Objectives

• TO assist, develop and to foster community spirit throughout the community;
• TO promote the educational, social, cultural and athletic endeavours of the community;
• TO assist any organization, group, company or individual whose sole aim is to promote the educational, social, cultural or athletic well-being of the people of the community;
• TO accept donations, or do such things as may be necessary to raise funds to carry out the objectives;
• TO carry on the operations of the Association principally in the Marpole Oakridge community
  

Board of Directors 2011-2012

Marpole-Oakridge Community Association Board meetings are held on the 3rd Tuesday of each month at 7:00 pm. All members are welcome. If you are interested in joining the Board or a Committee contact the Community Recreation Coordinator at 604-257-8177.

(Back row L-R): Jon Yee, Wayne Soon, Danny Yu, Ed Rothman, Wesley Bevan, Norm Zottenberg.
(Front row L-R): Lorna Brown, Wai Sin, Ron Loui-Ying, Dianne King, Sam Gopaul. Not pictured: Geof Stancombe.

Duties of the Board

• To Jointly operate the Community Centre with the Vancouver Park Board
• To identify needs of the community and act in the best interest of the community in fulfilling these needs
• To exercise the care, diligence and skill of a reasonably prudent person in exercising his/her powers and performing his/her function as a Director
• To direct the activities, participation and aims of the Society in conformity with its' Constitution & By-laws
• To determine the policy of the Society, both internally and in regard to its relationship with the Park Board staff
• To elect from among its' members each year the officers of the Society
• To attend meeting of the Board and meeting of such committees to which he/she may be appointed
• To discharge accepted responsibilities in accordance with the direction of the Board
• To work with the professional staff in determining the needs of the community, and support the staff in the undertakings of the Community Centre
• To accept from the membership at large complaints and suggestions and requests for programs; to study such complaints and suggestions and to pass them on to the professional staff
• To act as liaison between Park Board and Marpole-Oakridge community at large in relationship to park development and delivery of recreational services
• To liaison and cooperate with the other community agencies for betterment of the community

Meeting Minutes PDF's

Meetings
The Marpole Oakridge Community Association Board meetings are held on the 3rd Tuesday of each month at 7:30 PM. The address is 990 West 59th Avenue. All members of the Marpole Oakridge community are welcome to attend.

Commitees
All the Committee meetings are held at the Marpole Oakridge Community Centre located at 990 West 59th Avenue.

Executive
Second Thursday of every month at 7:00 PM

Program
Second Tuesday of every month at 7:00 PM

Building/Rental
First Thursday of every month at 7:00 PM

Youth
Last Thursday of every month at 7:00 PM (during Fall to Spring)


Board Development
As required.

NOTE: There are no committee meetings for the month of August.

JOA

The resources available on this page provide information about the scope of work undertaken in support of renewal of the partnership agreement between the Vancouver Park Board and local non-profit Community Association Societies.

The Joint Operating Agreement is intended to define the working partnership between the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation and each of 20 Community Associations developed to provide recreation and leisure opportunities and to facilitate provision of community services to the residents of each community.

The Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation and the Community Associations are seeking to renew and revitalize our partnership and update the master Joint Operating Agreement.

History

The Marpole-Oakridge Community Association was organized in 1944 and incorporated soon after. At that time, meetings were held in a borrowed church basement. In 1945, a family home on the edge of Oak Park came on the market. The Park Board bought the land and turned most of it over to the Association to operate as its headquarters.

In 1945, the City of Vancouver added a $200,000 by-law for the construction of 10 community centres to its ten year plan and this assured $20,000 towards building a community centre. The same year, the Marpole Rotary Club made the proposed centre a project which provided a tremendous financial boost.

In 1945, Marpole-Oakridge and Sunset Associations combined to place a $120,000 by-law before the local voters, which was passed.

Initial financing for the centre was $120,000:
$20,000 from the community centre by-law
$60,000 from the local improvement by-law
$40,000 raised locally by the Marpole Community Association

The facility, consisting of a gymnasium, lobby and second floor activity spaces on the west side of the gym, opened in December of 1949 - the first community centre built in Vancouver. A first and second floor activity wing was then added to the north side of the gym, and completed in 1952 along with a stage. The stage, on the east side of the building included a large 25’w x 14’h stage door that opened to the park on the east side. The stage area included a main stage level, a second level containing dressings rooms, and a third level for the fly space and storage. The upper two level rooms were blocked off during the 1983 additions, but are still there and are known to some as the “phantom rooms”.

In 1950, an outdoor swimming pool and pool house was built and remained open until 1997. In 1999, outdoor sport courts replaced the swimming pool.

In 1975, the daycare was built on the lower floor along 59th Avenue.

In 1977, City Council approved the initiation of a local area planning program in Marpole. This created the Marpole Citizens Planning Committee which worked on community issues such as traffic, residential uses, rapid transit, park deficiencies, and social needs. It was recommended in the Marpole Plan that existing recreation facilities be upgraded.

Supplementary capital funds in the amount of $250,000 and $125,000 from the Recreation Facilities Assistance Program were made available for improvements to the community centre. However, these improvements required more money and the $375,000 was increased to $1 million. This funding came from the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation through the City of Vancouver.

In 1980, architects Eng and Wright were commissioned for the Marpole-Oakridge Community Centre project and work started in October, 1982. A new weight room, whirlpool, racquet courts, change rooms, preschool, martial arts room and improved fire alarm and sprinkler system was complete June of 1983.
Additional funding of $214,000 was added for the centre and Phase II provided an elevator, parking lot, complete sprinkler system, new electrical room, storage room and refurbishing. Phase II and total renovations were complete in March, 1984.

Over the last twenty years the building has had several more upgrades including:

It is Time for Community Centre Renewal...

Marpole-Oakridge Community Centre is sixty-one years old and the first community centre built in Vancouver.  Despite the care and attention Marpole-Oakridge Community Centre has received, old age is setting in.  Its infrastructure is wearing and building codes have changed dramatically over the last six decades. 

In March of 2011 Patkau Architects, under the direction of the Vancouver Park Board, completed a Community Centre Feasibility Study Report.  Site selection, schematic plans and the functional/facility program may be viewed here.View Feasibility Study Report (PDF 4mb)This study was a first step towards renewal and replacement of the existing Marpole-Oakridge Community Centre.

Seventeen million ($17M) Park Board dollars was subsequently allocated in the 2012-2014 Capital Plan to contribute to an integrated services facility.  The site location and the nature of services to be integrated with the community centre are under discussion by the City and Park Board.  At the November 19th Civic election, we urge the public to vote “Yes” to the Capital Plan ballot question that refers to Park Board facility development. 

The Marpole-Oakridge Community Centre Association is continuing to advocate for a new energy efficient facility that will meet the needs of the growing community.  As well, Vancouver’s 23 Community Centre Associations - that jointly manage our Park Board community centres across the city - have banded together to promote a “responsible rotation of renewal” that proposes each neighbourhood, beginning with those most in need, takes its turn for capital funding.  Marpole-Oakridge’s need for a new facility is well recognized.

Renewal is a lengthy process.  In the mean time, Marpole-Oakridge Community Centre will continue to provide a clean, welcoming facility for the community to enjoy.  We invite you to drop by the fitness centre or participate in the health & wellness, sport, arts and craft, music or social programs offered.  

Revised August 8, 2011