Quesnel Pool Upgrades and Referendum

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Referendum Results

The ballots have been counted, and the referendum results are in – voters have turned down the Cariboo Regional District’s proposal to borrow $35 million for the proposed upgrades at the Quesnel and District Arts and Recreation Centre, with 1,085 “yes” votes and 1,664 "no" votes, with a minor increase in voter turnout.

In light of the outcome, the North Cariboo Joint Advisory Committee will review and consider options to address the future needs of the 40-year-old facility.

Read the full News Release here.


2023 Referendum

The Quesnel Arts and Recreation Centre (ARC) is more than a building in our community; it has been the core recreation and gathering space of our community for the last 40 years (1983).

The swimming pool at the ARC lacks certain amenities to reflect our growing and diverse population. A multi-million-dollar investment to make these improvements is required to ensure the facility meets the community’s current and future needs while extending its serviceable life.

Completing all the upgrades simultaneously reduces the financial cost of the upgrades and minimizes the service disruption and impact on facility users caused by construction.

The Cariboo Regional District and the City of Quesnel are proposing major upgrades for the swimming pool and the CRD is seeking authorization to borrow up to $35 million to finance the revitalization of this critical recreation amenity. Eligible voters are being asked to cast their ballot in a referendum on June 10, 2023 to determine whether or not to authorize this borrowing.

>> Project and referendum information <<


Background

In 2022, residents and property owners in the City and CRD participated in a Public Consultation Process for the Pool Upgrade Project.

The public consultation process for the pool upgrade project was active May 13, 2022 –July 31, 2022.

  • Three public open houses were held in June at the Arts and Recreation Centre, École Red Bluff Lhtako Elementary and Bouchie Lake Hall.

  • Participation via the online platform Let’s Connect Quesnel was very good with approximately 2,099 unique visitors accessing the site during the program.

  • People who chose not to participate online had the option of completing a hard copy of the survey. Surveys were available at the public open houses as well as at City Hall, the Arts and Recreation Centre, and the Quesnel CRD office.

  • 1,134 responses to the survey were completed (on-line and hard copies submitted).

  • The survey results indicate a strong preference for one of the three options:
  1. Option 3: Upgrades and expansion with a waterslide, estimated to cost $34.6 million, was the most popular choice with most respondents selected it as the preferred option (61.8%).
  2. Option 2: Upgrades with expansion, estimated to cost $30.7 million, was the second most popular choice (19.5%).
  3. Option 1: Upgrades with no expansion, estimated to cost $12.6 million, and “I Do Not Support Any Option” tied for the third most popular choice (9.3%).

Referendum Results

The ballots have been counted, and the referendum results are in – voters have turned down the Cariboo Regional District’s proposal to borrow $35 million for the proposed upgrades at the Quesnel and District Arts and Recreation Centre, with 1,085 “yes” votes and 1,664 "no" votes, with a minor increase in voter turnout.

In light of the outcome, the North Cariboo Joint Advisory Committee will review and consider options to address the future needs of the 40-year-old facility.

Read the full News Release here.


2023 Referendum

The Quesnel Arts and Recreation Centre (ARC) is more than a building in our community; it has been the core recreation and gathering space of our community for the last 40 years (1983).

The swimming pool at the ARC lacks certain amenities to reflect our growing and diverse population. A multi-million-dollar investment to make these improvements is required to ensure the facility meets the community’s current and future needs while extending its serviceable life.

Completing all the upgrades simultaneously reduces the financial cost of the upgrades and minimizes the service disruption and impact on facility users caused by construction.

The Cariboo Regional District and the City of Quesnel are proposing major upgrades for the swimming pool and the CRD is seeking authorization to borrow up to $35 million to finance the revitalization of this critical recreation amenity. Eligible voters are being asked to cast their ballot in a referendum on June 10, 2023 to determine whether or not to authorize this borrowing.

>> Project and referendum information <<


Background

In 2022, residents and property owners in the City and CRD participated in a Public Consultation Process for the Pool Upgrade Project.

The public consultation process for the pool upgrade project was active May 13, 2022 –July 31, 2022.

  • Three public open houses were held in June at the Arts and Recreation Centre, École Red Bluff Lhtako Elementary and Bouchie Lake Hall.

  • Participation via the online platform Let’s Connect Quesnel was very good with approximately 2,099 unique visitors accessing the site during the program.

  • People who chose not to participate online had the option of completing a hard copy of the survey. Surveys were available at the public open houses as well as at City Hall, the Arts and Recreation Centre, and the Quesnel CRD office.

  • 1,134 responses to the survey were completed (on-line and hard copies submitted).

  • The survey results indicate a strong preference for one of the three options:
  1. Option 3: Upgrades and expansion with a waterslide, estimated to cost $34.6 million, was the most popular choice with most respondents selected it as the preferred option (61.8%).
  2. Option 2: Upgrades with expansion, estimated to cost $30.7 million, was the second most popular choice (19.5%).
  3. Option 1: Upgrades with no expansion, estimated to cost $12.6 million, and “I Do Not Support Any Option” tied for the third most popular choice (9.3%).

Questions

Ask a question about the Referendum!

Do you have questions about the pool renovation options, or about the referendum? Enter a question here, and we will respond within five business days. If we think your question may be of interest to others, we'll share your question and our response here.  

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    Given that property values increased significantly in both the CRD and the city this past year, does any of that tax windfall go to this project?

    Jason asked over 1 year ago

    Property taxes do not automatically go up because assessed values increase. Your property taxes are based on two factors:  the assessed value of your property and the tax rate set by the local government taxing authority.  The assessed value of your property is determined by BC Assessment.  The North Cariboo Recreation and Parks Service (NCRP), which includes the Arts and Recreation Centre, is a regional service.  The tax rate is set each year by the Cariboo Regional District (CRD).  Tax rates for the NCRP Service for the nine property classes are not fixed and are adjusted each year based on the budget set by the Regional District and the total assessed value of properties in the taxation area.  In 2022 the overall tax requisition for NCRP increased by 4% to support the budget approved by the CRD.  Because of the increase in assessed values, the  residential property tax rate decreased in 2022 (from 1.376350 to 1.23767), which resulted in most property owners experiencing an increase of approximately 4% in the their property taxes for the NCRP Service.  This increase was to support the budget approved for the Service.  

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    What is the timeframe for completion of any option?

    Redskywoman asked over 1 year ago

    The timeframe to proceed with any of the three options presented will require:

    1. Holding a referendum to authorize borrowing for the project:  The timeline to hold a referendum is typically 4-6 months.  Referendums are normally held in either the spring or the fall.  
    2. Completing the design and tendering:  The timeline to hire an architect and design team, complete detailed construction drawings and specifications, put the project out to bid and award a construction contract is approximately 8 – 12 months.  
    3. Construction: The construction period for Option 1 is expected to be 7 – 10 months.  The construction period for Options 2 & 3 are expected to be 12 – 14 months. 
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    I am not seeing any diving boards or a rope swing in the new plans. Are these items part of any renovations or will they cease to exist?

    Chrisz23 asked over 1 year ago

    No changes are planned for the diving board and rope swing.  They will remain where they are now.

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    Why are not able to secure any provincial or federal grants for upgrading? Why are we not able to request financial support from the mills in our community like West Fraser?

    Jenn22 asked over 1 year ago

    The City/CRD received a number of generous donations from community and corporate donors for the West Fraser Centre and both the City and CRD have been successful in obtaining grants for a wide range of projects.  The City and CRD intend to pursue opportunities to secure funding from external sources for this project as well however because external funding is uncertain, we have shown the impact on taxation for each option of this project, assuming no other funding is obtained.  

    Grant and/or community/corporate donation programs may help offset a portion of the project cost, if we are successful in securing funding, however, it is unlikely that it will significantly reduce the impact on taxation.  

    Major recreation infrastructure grant programs, when they become available, are often over-subscribed and underfunded.  These types of programs can take months, or in some cases - years, before confirmation of a successful application is obtained.  In some instances, the grant amount received is less than the cost escalation that occurred while waiting for confirmation of the grant. 

    The figures presented represent the impact of taxation for the full cost of each option.  External funding from grants, donations, or other sources will be pursued and, if we are successful, could be used to reduce the amount of borrowing required. 

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    Will the new swirl pool be for all ages or be for 13+ like the hot tub currently is? I am hoping it will be for all ages as is the norm at most swimming pools.

    RCS asked almost 2 years ago

    Age restriction rules regarding the use of hot tubs (or swirl pools) vary from community to community.  The age restriction of 13 years to access the hot tub at the Arts and Recreation Centre is a rule that has been in place for many years and is completely independent of any proposed renovation to the facility.  Whether or not we construct a new hot tub won’t have any direct bearing on potential changes to this facility rule, but it is something that we are committed to looking into and reassessing.   We plan to review this rule over the coming months to determine whether or not it should be amended, taking into consideration health and safety factors, the needs of facility users, and the best practices at other similar facilities.  

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    How long will each option take? How long will closures/downtime for each option take?

    SW asked almost 2 years ago

    The construction period for Option 1 is expected to be 7 – 10 months.  The construction period for Options 2 & 3 are expected to be 12 – 14 months.  The pools are expected to be closed to the public throughout the construction period for all three of the options.  

    Periodic closures may be required for other areas of the building as well.  The gym is expected to remain open throughout the construction period however access to the change rooms may be impacted from time to time.  Most programs, rentals, and other services are expected to continue with minimal disruptions.

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    will there be a "NO" option to any of these upgrades on the referendum?

    Sam asked almost 2 years ago

    If a referendum is held for the project, voters will have the option of voting no. 

    It should be noted that the current public consultation process is not a referendum.  The intent of the public consultation process is to provide residents with an opportunity to share their opinions regarding a variety of options to address the aging infrastructure at the Arts and Recreation Centre.  A survey is a key component of the public consultation process.  In the survey, respondents are asked to indicate which of the options they prefer.  The respondent has the option of indicating that they are not in favour of any of the options presented when completing the survey.

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    Why was the Building Envelope NOT included in the Basic Option #1?

    Barb Bachmeier asked almost 2 years ago

    The scope of work for Option 1 (and the other options) includes some building envelope upgrades, most notably replacement of the building exterior cedar siding.  In addition to this work, however, the architect also proposed a more extensive building envelope upgrade beyond what had been previously considered as part of the scope of work.  Since these upgrades were more extensive than originally contemplated (they include, for example, a complete removal and rebuild of the roofing structure and the addition of new insulation in the roof) they were considered optional and were not included in the base price for each option.  A separate price for this work is included for information.  

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    Will there also be updates to the old gym and old equipment ?

    jan asked almost 2 years ago

    A renovation of the gym is not included in the proposed scope of work to upgrade the pool at the Arts and Recreation Centre.  The City/CRD however does provide regular funding in the capital plan to replace equipment in the gym as needed.  The current North Cariboo Recreation and Parks five-year financial plan includes allocations in 2023 and 2026, totaling $40,000, to replace and update gym equipment.  

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    In the expansion plans (option 2 or 3,) will the open pool for lane swimming have lanes that are the same length as the current 25m lap pool? If not, what would be the difference?

    Adam asked almost 2 years ago

    Thank you for your question! The lanes in the new leisure pool will not be the same length as the lanes in the lap pool (25 metres).  The lanes shown in the leisure pool concept drawings are approximately ½ the length of the lanes in the lap pool (12.5 metres). The exact length will be finalized later during the detailed design process. The intent of the space is to provide an opportunity for casual swimmers to swim laps in a warm pool.  The space will also be suitable for children in lessons to learn to swim, for low-intensity water aerobics, and for general leisure swimming.  Swimmers who want to swim full lengths will continue to use the lap pool.  

Page last updated: 23 Jun 2023, 11:32 AM