As we await more information from the Castlegar & District Recreation Commission on how the referendum regarding potential enhancements to the Castlegar & District Community Centre will proceed, we wanted to clear up some confusion on what the commission’s process has been so far.
The “Regional District of Central Kootenay: Castlegar and Area I & J Recreation & Culture Master Plan” was adopted in January 2016. (You can read it at rdck.ca/assets/Administration/Documents/2016-02-05%20Castlegar%20Master%20Plan%20FINAL.pdf.)
Creating the Master Plan involved both an initial public survey and in-person consultations with community sport and recreation groups.
The resulting Master Plan mentioned the possibility of replacing the sheet of ice at the Pioneer Arena, but only if there was public support.
“A future strategy for indoor ice facilities in the area is dependent upon political and public will to continue to provide two sheets of ice despite facilities only being utilized to 60 – 65% of capacity. Once this decision is made, it is clear that the Pioneer Arena is nearing the end of its useful life and should be decommissioned once it is deemed unsafe,” reads a statement in the section headed “Arenas and Leisure Ice.”
Under the section headed “Swimming Pools” is said that “Upgrades to the aquatics area were a number three community priority and 70% of survey respondents supported potential enhancements to it. Indoor aquatics was mentioned as a priority by 19% of groups and 37% of household survey respondents.”
In May of 2017, the recreation commission held an open house where seven different options were presented, based on the Master Plan.
Residents of Castlegar, Area I and Area J were invited to give feedback and rank the seven options, either at the open house or using a feedback form that was available both on the Regional District of Central Kootenay’s (RDCK) website and at the Castlegar & District Community Centre (CDCC).
READ MORE: RDCK shows off options for expanded Castlegar Complex
At that time, residents were also informed that in the event that the project required long-term borrowing, there would be a referendum.
The recreation commission launched its next survey in August, based on the feedback it received in May.
The survey was accompanied by an information packet regarding options A and B and asked respondents the following question:
“Which of the following options should the Recreation Commission pursue as it relates to potential enhancement of the Castlegar & District Community Complex? Select one of the following options: Option A; Option B (including the arena); No enhancements should be made to the Castlegar & District Community Complex.”
READ MORE: RDCK sending out Castlegar Complex upgrade surveys
The response to that survey showed that 67 per cent of respondents were in favour of either Option A (28 per cent) or Option B (39 per cent).
The recreation commission then sent out a third survey in December with information about Option B that asked respondents “Would you support the development of Option B (as described on the first page) if you were asked to in a referendum?” and gave them the option to answer yes or no.
READ MORE: Recreation Commission launches Castlegar Complex survey
Having received responses from over 500 households, the commission sent out a second notice for the third survey in January to get more households to participate.
READ MORE: Second chance for Castlegar Community Complex enhancement survey
Results from that survey showed that 62 per cent of all respondents would support Option B in a referendum and so the RDCK board of directors voted to proceed with a referendum.