The Killarney Shamrock Centre welcomed a new member to their team last week, specifically in the Recreation Department.

Carly Waters hails from St. Catherines, Ontario, and has embraced her new role as Rec Director for Killarney-Turtle Mountain.

From an early age, Waters wanted to work with individuals with special needs and was first introduced to this career path through a program in her high school in St. Catherines.  After graduation she attended college for Developmental Services Worker which led to a position providing recreational opportunities for individuals with special needs. 

After 20 years in this profession, Waters went back to school for Administration and stepped into the medical field as a hospital clerk at a hospital in St. Catherines. 

She says she loved both jobs immensely, and now as the new Rec Director at the Shamrock she can use these skills that she's acquired over her two careers in this new position.

"Through my jobs I've been able to be very involved with the community," says Waters.  "There's a lot of administration when it comes to this job in the Rec Director role. So, coupling my job experience with the individuals with special needs and recreation, and the administrative side of things that I've been doing for the last 10 years, it's utilizing all of my skills."

"I'm very much a people person and this position is very forward facing with the community, and I'll be very much involved," she adds.

Thus far, stepping into her new role, Waters appreciates all the programming that is already in place at the Shamrock. 

"Killarney already has a very well-established recreation program here and very much open to all the different types of activities. We're looking at more programs that are more accessible to seniors," she shares. "I do know that Killarney has a large senior population and I do know that they have a drop-in center. But we're looking at different ways to sort of fill in the gaps for that population."

Waters says they are still looking at all the options and possibilities to provide these kinds of additions to their current programs; things like game nights and tailoring fitness programs for folks with lower-impact exercise for those with limited mobility.

For being in the community for only a few weeks Carly Waters says she's already been enjoying her transition from Ontario.  

"I'm very happy to be a part of this community and I look forward to meeting more and more of the people in this community and seeing what we can put out to serve the needs of all the individuals within the community!"

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