The Town of Bracebridge, the Bracebridge Public Library and the Provincial Ministry of Tourism and Recreation have forged a new partnership to create the new Bracebridge Sports and Recreation Resource Centre.

  Consisting of a permanent collection of books, videos and website links, the new venture is designed to support and encourage coaches, parents and volunteers involved in local sports.

  This new resource was officially announced April 10th at a ceremony at the Bracebridge Public Library, which included officials from both the town and the library, Larry Curley from the Ministry of Tourism and Recreation, and several children from local sports teams in Bracebridge.

  Two Olympic athletes -- Paralympian Jeff Adams, and Canadian Olympian Curt Harnett -- were both in attendance to show their support.

  Harnett mentioned how important such a resource centre was to a local community, citing his own experience as a former short-track cyclist. “You don’t achieve success alone,” Harnett stated, mentioning how his own endeavors were supported by coaches that had resources available to them locally. Harnett owns 3 Olympic medals and holds the world record in 200 metre sprint cycling. A motivational speaker and mentor, his motto is “Life is Passion with a Mission, to the power of Fun”, -- L = (p + m)f.

  Jeff Adams, a 4 times Paralympian, is good friends with Curt. A 6 times World Champion and prior World Record holder in the 1,500m men’s wheelchair event, Adams has many medals to his credit. Adams pointed out how sports helps break down barriers, and how important access to information is in this process. Jeff is on his way to the World Championships in Paris after qualifying in Switzerland.

  Another component of the new Bracebridge Resource Centre is the upcoming “Aiming Higher” seminar, to be held Saturday, May 3/03 at the Bracebridge Public Library. Designed for coaches, officials, volunteers and parents, the ½ day seminar is administered by the High Five team, of Parks and Recreation Ontario. They will be on hand to deliver a program aimed at helping “enhance and maintain high standards of quality in children’s sports and recreation programs.”

  “Bracebridge is the first municipality in the province to host this seminar,” Trish Conley-Knight, program coordinator for the Bracebridge Culture and Recreation department, stated.

  For more information, including information on the seminar, contact the Bracebridge Culture and Rec. dept. at 705.645.3037, or the Bracebridge Public Library at 705.645.4171.