The Kitsilano War Memorial Community Centre was founded in 1951 as part of a grassroots movement to offer public recreation services to the residents of Kitsilano. The Kitsilano Community Centre is an inclusive, service-oriented community organization which strives to provide innovative, creative programs and services that have a positive impact on our diverse community. PHILISOPHY Presently, leisure and recreation are defined, not in terms of time and activity, but as the feeling one experiences as the result of an activity. As such, it is not the activity (recreation) or the time it happens (leisure) which is important. It is what happens to the people involved in the activity. The activity is the medium, not the message. Recreation is now defined as an emotional condition within an individual that results from a feeling of self-worth and satisfaction. It can be characterized by feelings of achievement, excitement, acceptance, mastery, success, personal worth and pleasure. Recreation reinforces a positive self-image and can result from achieving personal goals, responding to esthetic experiences or positive feedback from others. Recreation is independent of activity, programs or social acceptance. Defined as such, recreation promotes individual need fulfillment and personal development by increasing understanding and awareness. It stimulates appreciation, encourages self-discovery and enlarges one’s source of enjoyment. It helps give meaning to live. Thus, recreation aids in the development of the individual and individuals interacting together help improve the quality of human and community life. Therefore, the primary purpose of any public leisure service system is individual and community development through leisure and recreation experiences; the product is self-satisfaction and quality of community life.