Roxanne Ziefflie has a vision for the 108 Mile Community Centre.
Ziefflie, the new president of the 108 Mile Ranch Community Association, said she is working towards not only revitalizing the current 108 Mile Community Centre but also turning the property into a recreation hub for the 108 Mile Ranch. In addition to the pickleball courts being built on the property by the South Cariboo Pickleball Association this spring, Ziefflie would like to see an outdoor enclosed recreational facility installed for year-round use.
"I sort of had a vision of 'let's make this a community hub' because in the 108 there really is nothing for sports or recreation other than if you ski or hike. We have lots of hiking and riding trails but for kids doing their sports we don't have anything," Ziefflie said. "Everyone has to come into 100 Mile and the 108 is much larger than 100 Mile, so the question is why don't we have these facilities? My vision is to make it that hub, what can we put on there that the whole community can use?"
Ziefflie has lived in the 108 Mile Ranch since 2008 and is primarily known for her work on the Cariboo Agility Team and as a dog trainer. However, she also volunteered with the 108 RCA for a few years and the 108 Mile Lions Club for several years up until 2020.
During the dispute between the Lions and the 108 RCA from late 2023 to early 2024, however, Ziefflie said she became interested in getting involved again. She joined the 108 RCA board in February of 2024 in part because she wanted to provide a direction and goal for the group to work towards.
"The one thing I had said when I got on the board is I have a vision and a goal and we're going to do something about this place. I know prior boards did identify a lot of things that need to be done so now it's up to us to get them done," Ziefflie said. "I'm trying to get things done and make this a bigger and a better place."
One of those goals was completing several projects started by the previous board that were delayed for various reasons. This includes replacing the siding of the 108 Mile Community Centre which began last week and installing a new gazebo outside the hall.
After the South Cariboo Pickleball Association approached them about building their courts last year and the RCA agreed to a lease, Ziefflie got to thinking. She said the 108 Community Centre sits on a parcel of land that is six acres that is largely unutilized.
"I'd come out of the building, look down and go we have six acres there and we've had that for 40 years or so and nothing has been done with it," Ziefflie remarked.
After coming up with the idea of turning the land into a community hub, Zieffllie said she put together a committee to explore ways to bring her vision to life. In addition to herself, she said the committee includes Jordan Pawloski, Lucille Armstrong and Deb Savoy. She noted they're always welcoming to anybody who wants to volunteer.
They've spent the past several months planning out what facility would work best and how best to fund the project with a mix of grants and donations. Ziefflie remarked taxes won't be going up to pay for this project.
First up is installing the gazebo beside the hall. Once it's in place, Ziefflie said the committee plans to install some seating, add in an outdoor barbecue and a table with a built-in checkerboard for those looking to play chess, checkers or other board games.
As for their new recreation facility, Ziefflie said they've already begun getting quotes and drawing up rough plans for what they want to build. It will require cement flooring topped with rubber sporting floors with lines for various games and a metal roof to protect it from the elements. Ziefflie said it will double as an outdoor ice rink during the winter.
"It can be used all year. It can be used if people want to do family reunions, for soccer or basketball or whatever sports kids do these days," Ziefflie said. "It would be open for use by anyone but if people want to actually reserve times, we'd rent it out that way."
Ziefflie said they're considering designing its roof so it can be used as an amphitheatre and they would like to add removable walls along the sides. The walls would be added after the construction of the main structure.
To raise money for this project, Ziefflie and other members of the committee are organizing the Girls Just Want to Have Fun fundraiser for March 15 at the 108 Mile Community Centre. She hopes that all the funds they raised from the night will be able to cover the costs of engineering for the project.
"We've had an engineer come but of course, there was snow on the ground so there wasn't much they could do. They are going to give us a proposal so we should have more information on that shortly," Ziefflie explained. "We have to have the soil tested and certain things done and that a facility will fit where we want to put it."
While there is still a lot of work to be done on this project including applying for grants, coming up with an engineering plan and hiring a contractor, Ziefflie said their goal is to get all the prep work on the land done this year. By the end of 2026, they plan to have the facility itself constructed and ready to use.
"With the pickleball association hopefully getting their project started this spring, some of the dirt coming out of there we could move over to wherever we're going to put our facility," Ziefflie remarked.
Outside of this major project, Ziefflie said there are several others ongoing at the hall including developing a new website for the 108 RCA, more improvements and repairs within the hall itself and creating more programs for the community to enjoy. In general, Ziefflie remarked they are all designed to enhance the reputation of the 108 Mile Community Centre and ensure it remains a meeting place for the community.
"The 108 itself is actually a recreational area. There's nothing there for the kids which is very disappointing when you think about it," Ziefflie remarked. "I would like to see it as a recreation site where there are lots of things going on at the same time. It can be a place where people can just come to meet with friends and you want a place where the kids can meet and come and play.
"This facility, for me, is something that can be used by so many different groups and we have to make sure we address that. It's for little kids all the way up to seniors and everyone can be involved."
Anyone looking to get involved with this project or join the board is invited to reach out to 108rca@gmail.com.
