Membership Keeps Our Community Strong!
The Silverwood Heights Community Association (SHCA) is a non-profit organization run by volunteers in our neighbourhood, and was established for the benefit of Silverwood Heights residents and our overall community. The SHCA strives to encourage a sense of community and improve the quality of life for all residents within our neighbourhood.
For only $10/year, you and your family can become a member of the SHCA and begin supporting our community. Members are an integral part of our success and your support helps keep our community strong. We need the support of our members to help improve the education, safety, health and welfare of our neighbours and make Silverwood Heights a better place to live.
Are you curious how SHCA membership dollars are used? Please read further and take a look ‘behind the scenes’ of the SHCA volunteers.
Recreation Programming
Soccer, basketball, yoga, dance and more! The SHCA develops fun, low-cost arts, culture and recreation programs for all ages. We take pride in offering an average of 40-60 programs* each season, and are always working to secure certified instructors and speakers (such as Pharmacists who attend our Senior’s Hub Club) within the city to provide safe programming that promotes the health and well-being of our residents.
There are many costs associated with development of programming including instructor fees, equipment and equipment storage, and rental spaces with our schools and churches to host programs. As well, administration costs include bank fees, maintenance of our registration site, our Google Drive and email system, and communication costs including our newsletters, website, social media channel and email marketing software. The SHCA also purchases insurance to protect and provide peace of mind to participants in every program. Your membership dollars assist with all of the above and allow us to keep our class fees affordable.
*Prior to COVID-19.
Outdoor Rinks
The SHCA owns and operates three outdoor rinks in WJL Harvey Park, and we are one of only two Community Associations in Saskatoon that operate and maintain that many! These rinks provide an opportunity for residents to get outdoors and stay active over the winter months, and children attending our schools benefit from having close access. The best part? These rinks are absolutely FREE to use! Our community rinks are maintained by our Rink Coordinator along with volunteers in our area, and your membership dollars go towards the costs of flooding, regular cleaning and off-season maintenance (such as replacement of the boards) to keep them in top shape for the enjoyment of all.
Cross Country Ski Trail
Have you tried out our new cross country ski trail in WJL Harvey Park? We’ve been hearing great things from our community since the 1.5 km trail was added in 2021. Our volunteers work with the City of Saskatoon to regularly groom and maintain the trail, and your membership dollars assist with the cost of maintenance. Trail grooming costs approximately $60 each time it is required.
School Liaisons
The SHCA works closely with community elementary schools as well as Marion Graham Collegiate and Bishop James Mahoney High School, and has a board member assigned to sit on each individual school board. Did you know the SHCA regularly donates funds to assist our community schools? Your membership dollars assist with these donations for the benefit of children and youth in our community.
Community Events
Have you ever attended our annual Fun Day in the Park? Families from all over the community and beyond have come out to this FREE one-day event featuring face painting, clowns, games, bouncy castles, jousting, fireworks and more! We do secure sponsors for this event, but your membership dollars assist with payment of entertainers, equipment rentals, refreshments and fireworks. Also, sales from our concession are put right back into the community to fund our playgrounds and other amenities. We also support SUM Theatre in the Park. Each summer, this theatre company performs a play for all ages in our local park. Fun for all!
Playgrounds and Park Amenities
The SHCA regularly fundraises and applies for grants to provide improvements in our parks and assist our community schools. Some of the things we have funded in the past include playground upgrades and the Fitness Trail in WJL Harvey Park. There are administrative and communication costs involved in our fundraising efforts and your membership dollars greatly assist.
Keeping You Informed
We want you to be in the know about what’s happening in Silverwood Heights and our city. Our volunteers develop and distribute an electronic newsletter in spring and winter to subscribers, plus one printed newsletter is distributed to every household in Silverwood Heights in the fall. We post timely information on our social media channels as well as our website at silverwoodcommunity.org, and send regular email blasts out to our subscribers with information about programming, snow removal schedules and more. We’ll even help you get the word out about a lost pet or a missing bike if you ask us. Your membership dollars go towards software, maintenance of our website including purchase of our domain, signage outside community schools, and general advertising costs including printing and distribution of our printed newsletter.
Voice of the Community
Do you have a concern that you would like to bring forward? Do you have a great idea for an improvement to our community? Let us know! The SHCA meets regularly with the City of Saskatoon Community Coordinator assigned to our area. Some of the items we discuss include fundraising and City grants to bring great new amenities to our neighbourhood, ideas for new programs and classes for all ages, community concerns including crime, and more. Your membership dollars support the payment of rental space to allow us a place to meet and software to allow us to document and share ideas between our board, our community, as well as the City including our councillor, Randy Donauer. Community Association members are also encouraged to attend our Annual General Meeting held in December and are even allowed a vote. It is up to all of us to protect the interests of our community.
Won’t you be our neighbour?
Please consider purchasing a membership and help us make Silverwood Heights a better place to live.
An annual SHCA membership is just $10 per family. Purchase your membership online at registration.silverwoodcommunity.org (look for the SUPPORT THE SHCA button under the Sunday program options. Note: this option appears as $0 but will add the $10 fee upon checkout) or email Keri at programming@silverwoodcommunity.org for more information. Please note: our registration site is unavailable for brief times on occasion as our programming volunteers process their class registrations. Please check the site again later if you experience this.
Memberships expire on August 31. A valid membership is required to register for adult, children and youth recreation programming. The SHCA honours other Community Association memberships within Saskatoon.
Thank you for your support!