HAY RIVER - Kim Tybring likes to have a job that keeps him busy.

Kim Tybring: helping to create a healthier Hay River through recreation. - Paul Bickford/NNSL photo

And he has found one as facility supervisor with the Town of Hay River's department of recreation.

"I thrive on that," he said. "At my initial job interview they asked, 'What's your one weakness?' I said, "I bore quickly."

However, he said he doesn't bore as a facility supervisor.

"I really look forward to coming to work in the morning, because I know that there are going to be some new challenges," he said. "There's going to be something fun to do. There's going to be something exciting that I'm going to be able to do that I wasn't quite sure I could do yesterday."

The 51-year-old has been facility supervisor for about two and a half years, and has been with the recreation department for seven years, beginning as a facility maintainer.

Tybring and his crew of workers are responsible for the Don Stewart Recreation Centre, which includes the arena, swimming pool and community centre, plus they take care of ball fields, the cemetery, green spaces and playgrounds.

"But apart from that, nothing. It's easy," joked Tybring, a native of London, Ont., who has lived in Hay River for 30 years.

In particular, he oversees the operation and maintenance of all machinery in the Rec Centre.

"I'm responsible to make sure that the building basically meets or exceeds the public's expectations on a daily basis," he explained.

Tybring has taken numerous courses over the years to learn the skills needed for the job.

"For the first few years that I worked here, I made it my business that every time I found a course I would make sure I was out on it," he said.

Tybring said he has probably taken 20 courses over the years, ranging from a few days to a year, often over the Internet.

Those courses have given him a working knowledge of such things as refrigeration, electricity and various mechanical equipment.

"We're got a lot of expensive equipment," he said of the Rec Centre. "This is the single largest asset that the town owns."

In particular, he oversees the installation of ice at the arena and curling rink each fall.

His crew consists of five workers in the winter and about 14 in the summer.

Tybring said he was pretty handy with machinery before being hired by the recreation department.

"I was a commercial fisherman for many years," he said, adding he fished on Great Slave Lake for 15 years. "Fishermen do it all."

Over the last few years, he has also had to learn more computer skills as the Rec Centre's systems have become more computerized.

"This was intimidating to learn just because I did not have a ton of experience in dealing with computerized systems," he said. "I mean I could e-mail and stuff, and make a sign that said 'Wet Paint' or whatever."

Now, he can sit at a computer and check whether the building's systems, such as heating, are working properly and he can make adjustments.

As a facility supervisor, Tybring said he loves helping to create a healthier Hay River through recreation.

We welcome your opinions. Click here to e-mail a letter to the editor.