One of Powell River’s busiest residents thought she would be retiring to the community rather than from a job here, but at the end of seven years, Patti Coburn is happy to call the Upper Sunshine Coast her home.
Coburn, recreation coordinator for the City of Powell River, was due to finish her job at the end of April, but now will stay on until the middle of May while recreation management fills her position.
“Then I’ll become a great ambassador for Powell River,” she said, explaining she is so happy to have spent the last years of her career here and she values all the friendships she has made over that time.
She and her husband Shaun have recently completed their retirement home, which, she said, will continue to keep her busy.
Coburn has worked for the city in the recreation department since February 2008 and has made a career from promoting community, recreation and “old-fashioned fun.”
She has deep roots in this community. Her grandfather, Bert Pritchard, head electrician for the Powell River Company, saw the first roll of paper come out of the mill in 1912. Later her father, Ken, was born in Powell River on what is now Maple Avenue. Ken worked in the Alberta oil industry throughout his career, so Coburn grew up in Calgary but every summer would return to Powell River to visit and spend time salmon fishing and exploring Donkersley Beach. “So I grew up with Powell River culture,” said Coburn. “Then when I had a family we continued to come out.”
After her father died, Coburn inherited property at the beach where she spent summers and planned to build her retirement home.
When the position in Powell River became available, she and her husband were ready for a change, so she applied, one of 35 applicants for the job.
“We hadn’t planned to come to Powell River quite so soon, but maybe this was a good fit,” she said. “Then they called me in for an interview and, low and behold, I got it.”
Over the past seven years the amount of programming has increased. Now, instead of producing two activity guides per year, the department publishes three.
“Right now is a good time to step away,” she said. “I love what I do. I don’t think I could have picked a better career than recreation.”
Going back to paid employment after raising her children, she worked as the recreation director in Lake Chaparral, a community of between 14,000 to 15,000 people in Calgary, Alberta.
Her time in Powell River has whirled past with blistering speed for Coburn who said she has liked the pace and amount of community engagement the posting has provided.
Thinking about the highlights of her time at the recreation complex, her fondest memories centre around the special events that she helped organize, like the annual Easter Egg Hunt. She was responsible for dividing the children up by age and giving them a separate space to hunt for eggs as well as bringing in the idea of treat bags to make the event more fair. Coburn said, like many things she has done in her job, without the volunteers to help out, much would not have been possible.
“Yoga really wasn’t happening in the complex before I came,” she said. She worked hard to develop the program and find good instructors.
Another sport which has become increasingly popular in Powell River is pickle ball, a sport that combines tennis, badminton and Ping Pong. Coburn said when she saw it being played she knew it would be great for all ages and seniors in particular. With help from Vivian Thicket inside courts have been set up for weekly play as well as tournaments organized. She has also facilitated the purchase of Ping Pong tables which have been very well used.
Throughout that time, Coburn created programming for all ages of residents and special events and many of those ideas have become annual community events, like the creative approach she always tried to bring to celebrating Canada Day.
Coburn was the first to create the laser light skate which has now become a regular annual event.
Ray Boogaards, director of parks, recreation and culture, said Coburn will certainly be missed by staff at the complex. “Patti is a great recreation professional and also a great friend,” he said, adding that everyone in the department is wishing Coburn “a fantastic retirement.”
She worked as the department’s sole recreation programmer for the first six years of her job here, then last year the department brought in Christine Parsons to work alongside her. “It was absolutely wonderful,” Coburn said. “Now, with the new management, they are seeing that there is so much more we can do, so they are growing the department.”
Recently the department created a health and fitness coordinator position, which Parsons has taken on. The recreation program coordinator job, therefore, will be altered slightly and focus on promoting community recreation programs.
“I love what I’m doing, but I’m looking forward to taking part in these things I’ve assisted in getting going at the recreation complex,” Coburn said. She has been interested in yoga for years and would like to have the time to enjoy the pool, go for hikes and learn about things like oyster harvesting and gardening. “I don’t think I’m the kind of person who will have a hard time trying to find something to do. I believe in lifelong learning.”
