The District of Summerland is kicking off a 10-week information sharing campaign for a referendum on the construction of a new Recreation Centre.
General Voting Day for the referendum is Saturday, November 4, 2023, with advance voting days on Wednesday October 25 and Tuesday October 31.
Eligible voters (Summerland residents and non-resident property owners) will be asked if they are in favour of the District borrowing up to $50 million for detailed design and construction of a new multi-purpose recreation facility that would include:
• a new aquatic centre featuring a 6-lane lap pool, leisure pool, hot tub, steam or sauna room
• a fitness centre
• a multi-purpose fitness room
• a multi-purpose family/youth room
• universal access and family change rooms
• lobby, pool viewing, reception, administration offices
• modern energy efficient building standards (minimum LEED Silver).
The proposed facility is intended to replace the Summerland Aquatic & Fitness Centre that was constructed in 1976 when Summerland’s population was approximately half of what it is today. The current facility is now at end-of-life and is experiencing significant and ongoing building and maintenance issues, as well as the consumption of approximately 86% more energy per unit of floor area than the average swimming pool.
“Council knows the proposed Summerland Recreation Centre is a significant project for our community and having a fulsome and open discussion about it is critical,” said Mayor Doug Holmes. “That’s why the District is fully committed to taking these next 10 weeks to go through detailed information about how we got here, what’s included in the facility, and how this type of investment would impact Summerland taxpayers.”
Between now and Voting Day, District staff will host a variety of in-person engagements such as public tours of the current facility, open houses, and pop-up booths at community events, as well as make presentations to local community groups. Additionally, there will be weekly media releases, information shared on the District Facebook page, information boards with frequently asked questions, and advertisements reminding residents and property owners of the advance and general voting days.