Current Status
What is happening now?
Updated June 27, 2018: The official results of the June 23 referendum have been confirmed, and the referendum has been declared unsuccessful. The official results can be found here. The Recreation Commission will be meeting on July 3 to consider next steps.
Updated June 25, 2018: Thank you to everyone who voted in the June 23 referendum. The unofficial results can be viewed here. The official results will be available once the RDCK Chief Elections Officer has verified the results and submitted them to the Board of Directors.
Past updates
Updated May 24, 2018: Public notice is hereby given to the electors within the City of Castlegar, Electoral Area I and Electoral Area J of the Regional District of Central Kootenay (RDCK) that “Assent Voting” is necessary to determine if the electors are in favour of the Regional District of Central Kootenay Board adopting: “Castlegar and District Regional Facilities, Recreation, Parks and Leisure Service Establishment Bylaw No. 2597, 2018.” and “Castlegar and District Regional Facilities, Recreation, Parks and Leisure Service Loan Authorization Bylaw No. 2598, 2018.” Read more here.
A schedule of open houses/presentations can be found on the Overview page, along with a taxation summary, past presentations and past media releases.
Updated March 2018: At its meeting on March 15, 2018, the Board of Directors for the Regional District of Central Kootenay (RDCK) approved a recommendation from the Castlegar & District Recreation Commission to reduce the amount of borrowing on the Castlegar & District Community Complex Facility Enhancement project to $22,000,000 from $32,370,000. The additional funding of $10,370,000.00 would have to be secured through grants and other sources before the project can commence.
Voter approval to move forward will be sought by assent voting (referendum) on June 23, 2018, on an area-by-area basis within the proposed service area. This means that in order for the referendum to be approved, 50% + 1 of the voters who voted must approve the question; and this must be the case in each of the separate votes, i.e. City of Castlegar, Electoral Area I and Electoral Area J.
Learn more about the June 23 referendum, read the public notices and review the draft bylaws on the RDCK website. In the meantime, RDCK staff are working to update the information on this website and provide other opportunities for voters to inform themselves about the project before June 23.
Updated February 2018: In December 2017, residents from Area I, Area J and Castlegar were invited to complete a survey to provide further information about potential enhancements to the Castlegar & District Community Complex. This survey asked residents whether or not they would support Option B if asked in a referendum. The Recreation Commission focused on Option B because it received stronger support in the previous questionnaire.
Results from the survey indicated that almost two-thirds of the community would support the full package of enhancements that were previously presented as part of the consultation process. Out of almost 1,200 households that completed the survey, 62% said they would support Option B, and 38% said they would not. These findings are considered reliable and representative of residents in the area.
|
Would support Option B |
Would not support Option B |
|
| Castlegar residents
(67% of survey respondents) |
63% |
37% |
| Area I residents
(11% of survey respondents) |
49% |
51% |
| Area J residents
(22% of survey respondents) |
67% |
33% |
| TOTAL: |
62% |
38% |
The Recreation Commission reviewed the results and discussed next steps. At its meeting on February 15, 2018, the RDCK Board of Directors considered two bylaws pertaining to the proposed “Option B” enhancements. The bylaws were prepared to establish a new recreation service to replace the two existing services and encompass the proposed facility enhancements, and to start the process to authorize the borrowing of $32,370,000 in building costs.
Both bylaws passed third reading, which means they can proceed to provincial approval prior to a public process to seek voter approval by means of assent voting, or referendum. The RDCK Board resolved that the referendum be decided on an area by area basis within the proposed service area. Timing of the referendum is still being determined, although it is projected to be held prior to summer 2018. Residents of Castlegar and Areas I and J who are eligible to vote will be advised of the timing and the process soon.
Updated December 2017: Based on public feedback, the potential enhancements to the CDCC that were presented at the May 2, 2017, public open house were narrowed into two bundled options for consideration: Option A and Option B. A survey issued in summer 2017 asked respondents which of the two options they preferred. Learn more about Option A and Option B below.
The survey found that two-thirds (67%) of respondents are in favour of a major enhancement to the CDCC, with twenty-eight percent (28%) favouring Option A and thirty-nine percent (39%) favouring Option B. Therefore, no single preferred option received majority approval.
About Option A and Option B
Option A included necessary improvements to arena storage and change rooms; social hub-lobby and office expansion; fitness area expansion; and a new leisure pool.
Option B included all of Option A plus a 2nd ice sheet at the complex–teams rooms and lobby extension. Option B received stronger support than Option A in a previous survey, and a follow-up survey showed that 62% of respondents would support Option B. Option B is the package of enhancements being put forward for voter assent in the upcoming referendum. Visit the Proposed Enhancements page to learn more.