Quesnel City Council, with the back of the North Cariboo Joint Planning Committee, will make two 6 million dollar applications to the Federal Strategic Priorities Fund.
The first application, as City Manager Byron Johnson explains, is to do a major renovation at the Rec Centre but doesn’t include a new leisure pool or water slide…
“This project substantially takes those components from the 80’s, which have aged but are well maintained, and does a significant upgrade and prepares an area where the facility isn’t ready for an expansion. For example, the electrical and some of the other major systems aren’t ready for expansion so this work get its ready for a future expansion.”
The existing pool was built in the early 80’s.
A new pool and water slide is estimated to cost about 12.75 million dollars but can’t be done until this first phase is complete.
Besides electrical, other changes would include an upgrade to the family change room facilities, retiling the pool decks, constructing a new viewing deck in the pool area and installing a new climbing wall.
The second 6 million dollar project that Council will apply for is a new 20,000 square foot gymnastics facility that would be connected to the soccer complex in West Quesnel.
City Councillor Ron Paull, while supporting both applications, was concerned that one application could cancel out the other and wondered if they should indicate a preference.
Mayor Bob Simpson noted that by doing that they could get shut out completely.
He suggested that both projects are important and Simpson didn’t want to give the Union of BC Municipalities, who will be making the decisions, an out from funding both.