18.6 Exploratory analysis

EDA begins with validation of keys, date ranges, categorical levels, missingness, and the relationship among tables. It then moves from individual variables to comparisons that answer the project questions.

Recorded visits increased from 13,244 in 2023 to 20,645 in 2024 and 24,767 in 2025. These totals are not, by themselves, evidence of same-member behavioural growth because the number of active members also changed. The next comparison should use visits per active member-period and should separate new members from continuing members.

Facility totals are also uneven. Downtown recorded 8,725 visits in 2025, Lakeside 6,566, Westbrook 5,558, and North Ridge 3,918. Capacity, membership counts, facility size, service mix, and operating hours must be considered before treating these totals as performance rankings.

Retention provides a more directly comparable measure when the denominator is defined consistently:

Home facility	Eligible members	Retained members	Retention rate
Downtown Centre	396	291	73.5%
Lakeside Centre	269	215	79.9%
North Ridge Centre	213	148	69.5%
Westbrook Centre	273	207	75.8%

The North Ridge result is operationally important, but the facility should not be labelled ineffective without further evidence. Membership mix, accessibility, program availability, and local population may explain part of the difference.

Program registrations average approximately 83 percent of capacity. Twenty-five offerings are at least 95 percent full, while five are below 60 percent. The distribution supports a program-level capacity review. An overall average alone would hide both unmet demand and underused offerings.