CARP – The Carp Health Access (CHA) annual general meeting held Tuesday, Dec. 3 was a year-end wrap-up and a time of growth as the board added three new members to its roster.

“We had a full table,” CHA board director Tara Azulay told West Carleton Online the day after the meeting (Dec. 4). “We gave some history on the foundation and brought the new people up to speed.”

Along with Azulay, the board includes Lisa Dickson, Lisa Kyte, Greg LeBlanc and Randy Meltzer. Kyte has decided to step down from the CHA board, but the board was able to add three new members.

New board members include Kathy Fisher, Tracey Zoobkoff and Robin Morash “and we’re looking for more,” Azulay added. “We’re always looking for more. So, it was a good year and we’re alive and kicking.”

The big news for 2019 was the success of the Carp Fitness Park. The CHA achieved its fundraising goals and the project is moving forward and expected to be operational by spring.

“It’s being tendered right now by the city,” Azulay said.

The contract should be awarded around mid to end February and Azulay expects there will be roughly 10 weeks of construction.

“we’re looking at the end of June for completion,” she said.

The AGM was also a time to look ahead. The board and those in attendance held a conversation on what sort of projects CHA should tackle next. And it circled around to the Carp Fitness Park.

“We’re considering another element to the fitness park,” Azulay said.

And that element would be a climbing wall.

“We were able to tell the city to leave room for that,” Azulay said.

The CHA has done a little bit of research on the project and estimates the addition to the fitness park would come in around $20,000 to $25,000 and would be the only element at the park that would not be fully accessible.

“It almost looks like a helix with netting on each side that can be climbed,” Azulay said. “We might look at a fundraiser in the new year.”

Another project CHA discussed at the AGM would have a dual purpose, a health and wellness fair.

“Maybe we set up a kind of trade show in the agriculture hall,” Azulay said. “We’re kicking that idea around and I really like it. We have so many small businesses that offer related services in that field. It would help local businesses and meet our mandate.”