Prairie West Recreation, formed in 1977, is celebrating 40 years in the area. “Forty Years of service to the district is a great milestone and something that all the previous Rec. Directors and Board Members are very proud of,” says Garth Mitchell, Secretary /Treasurer for PWR since 1985.
Laurel Lamb, the Recreation Director, stays busy stimulating and supporting a variety of recreational activities within the district. She also provides resources to access and maximize funding for programs.
PWR is currently funded by the Town of Virden, and the RM of Wallace-Woodworth, including the Village of Elkhorn.
Courses and workshops are offered to train people to become instructors, coaches, and officials to raise up leaders of programs. PWR promotes high standards of leadership in the district to keep these programs going.
PWR encourages the development of programs. Educating the public on the benefits of recreation and a healthy lifestyle is important to PWR.
The types of programs have changed over the years; some went on to be stand-alone programs. Current programs include, SW Judo, dance lessons, youth soccer, tumblers gymnastics, and Westman Wolverines Rec. hockey.
Shirley Kennedy co-instructs dance lessons with Morris Clarke through PWR in Virden and Elkhorn. Kennedy and Clarke teach how to dance as a couple doing one-step, two-step, foxtrot, waltz, polka, cha-cha, and jive. On Thursdays Clarke teaches pattern dancing.
Fall sessions run in Elkhorn on Wednesdays, and in Virden on Thursdays. Winter sessions run January to March, with both nights at the Legion in Virden.
She says that PWR assists with promoting and advertising their dance lessons on the PWR website. PWR also finds the location for the dance lessons, deals with the rent, takes in registrations, gives out receipts and updates. “They organize everything!” says Kennedy.
Dance lessons were started in Virden about seven years ago with eight to 10 couples. “We now have 20 plus couples; enjoying one night a week… having fun, and making new friends,” says Kennedy. She adds, “Dancing is a sport that can be continues even after you can’t go on walks.”
SW Judo, taught by Chief Instructor Sensie, Mike Bergman, got its start with PWR in 2005. Bergman says when he moved to Virden in 2004 he had been teaching Judo for 18 years in Winnipeg. He didn’t know a lot of people and PWR was a great support network, with contacts for his Judo program.
Currently the SW Judo program has 28 students training from ages five and a half years old up to 60 years old. “Judo is a sport for all ages and body types,” says Bergman. SW Judo is offered in Virden on Tuesdays and Thursdays. New students can register in September through the PWR Registration Night.
In 2006 SW Judo became so successful it grew beyond the PWR mandate, and became an independent program. Bergman says, “SW Judo is one of PWRs success stories.”
