Quesnel Pool Upgrades

Monitor equipment, assess their condition and keep the facility in good working order. This minimizes lost inventory, equipment failures and downtime, and improves the facility’s lifetime value.

Architectural, mechanical, and electrical issues

Repairing the ARC’s architectural, mechanical, and electrical issues will ensure the swimming pool is efficient, and accessible while also improving the ARC’s lifespan.  

Energy efficiency upgrades

Increasing the energy efficiency of the ARC will lower our greenhouse gas emissions, decrease water use and lower utility and operating costs.

Building code upgrades

Upgrading the facility to the current BC Building Code will improve the accessibility, fire and structural protection of the building and energy and water efficiency.

Accessibility standards

An accessible aquatic centre has benefits for all. It is safer, healthier, more comfortable and easily adapted to changing needs. 

Community needs are gaps between what services currently exist in a community and what should exist based on user feedback and what similar-sized communities offer.

Multi-Use leisure pool

A larger leisure pool will provide additional program space to accommodate lessons, fitness classes, and length swimming. There will be a place for patrons who need a warm pool for hydrotherapy and exercise.

Accessible leisure pool

A new leisure pool is fully accessible to accommodate the needs of people with a disability and families with small children. An upgraded universal change room will provide privacy and space for people who need assistance.

Seniors

Ramp access to a new leisure pool will provide a safe entry and exit for seniors with disabilities or mobility challenges. There will be multiple opportunities to stay fit and complete hydrotherapy in warm water.

Families

A wide range of pool amenities will include a waterslide and a new leisure pool featuring a lazy river and an interactive bubble floor – perfect for all ages.

Economic Development is based on programs, policies or activities that seek to improve the economic well-being and quality of life for a community. Communities with strong infrastructure and modern recreation facilities have a proven advantage in attracting new investment, potential workers, and retirees.

Attracting and retaining residents

Although the ARC has served the community well for so long, it now lags significantly in what other similar communities offer their citizens. Modern amenities like a waterslide, tots pool, large leisure pool, lazy river, swirl pool, saunas and accessible entrances are crucial to attracting and retaining families and a skilled workforce.

Surrounding communities

• Williams Lake - West Fraser Aquatic Centre - Renovation in 2017
• Prince George - Canfor Leisure Pool - New facility in 2022
• Dawson Creek - Kenn Borek Aquatic Centre - New facility in 2007

The project includes the replacement of the existing leisure pool, hot tub, and saunas. A new, larger leisure pool featuring a lazy river, tots’ play area, and a gradual entry is one of the key components of the project. Other planned improvements include a water slide, a new raised viewing area, and improvements to the change rooms, including individual stalls with doors in the universal change rooms to better meet the needs of families and people with disabilities.

General Voting Day will be on June 10, 2023. More information about where, when, and how to vote, including advanced poll and mail-in voting options, will be released as information becomes available, closer to General Voting Day. Learn more about the referendum.

The estimated capital cost for the project is $35 million, which accounts for design and construction costs along with a contingency allowance. The estimated net operating costs for centre would increase by approximately $300,000 per year if the upgrade goes ahead. Ongoing operational costs will be included in the arts and recreation centre budget.

Through this referendum, the Cariboo Regional District is asking permission to borrow up to $35 million over 25 years for the project costs, with debt payments made through property tax revenue. While grants are a possibility, there are currently no financial commitments from external funding partners. Grant funding, if available, will be pursued to offset project costs.

The 2023 North Cariboo Recreation and Parks residential taxation rate is about $115 per $100,000 of assessed value. For example, if your home and property is valued at $300,000, you pay $345 for sub-regional recreation. This pays for the Quesnel Arts and Recreation Centre, West Fraser Centre and Arena 2, Alex Fraser Park, the indoor turf facility, rural recreation properties in Bouchie Lake, Barlow Creek and Ten Mile Lake as well as providing a financial contribution toward major City parks like West Fraser Timber Park, Lebordais Park, and the Riverfront Trail.

To pay for the construction and operating costs of the project, residents within the boundaries of the sub-regional recreation taxation area would see a tax rate increase of about $75 per $100,000 on the assessed value of land and improvements. This would make the total tax rate $190 per $100,000 assessed value based on 2023 assessments, all things being equal. For example, if your home and property were valued at $300,000, you would see a tax increase of about $225 per year, for a total taxation of $570 for sub-regional recreation.

The tax rates for different property classes for the Regional District are fixed by provincial legislation and are as follows:

Yes.  The City and CRD will apply whenever possible for grant funding opportunities that align with the project’s outcomes.

The new, larger leisure pool will be fully accessible to accommodate the diverse access and mobility needs of Quesnel and area residents. It will also be considerably warmer than the 25-metre pool and suitable for those patrons needing a warm pool for hydrotherapy and exercise. A waterslide would further add to the onsite activities at the pool, providing a key attraction for youth and others. This upgrade would add to the appeal of the facility and help to drive usership at key times.  

Additional program space with lanes to accommodate lessons, fitness classes, and length swimming are also planned for the new leisure pool. Between the 25-metre lap pool and the new larger leisure pool, this will enable the facility to better accommodate the program needs of multiple users. The renovated universal change rooms will benefit families and people with a disability by providing secure and private change rooms.

The sub-regional recreation taxation area covers portions of electoral areas A, B, C and I and the City of Quesnel and includes the rural communities of Bouchie Lake, Barlow Creek, Ten Mile Lake/Moose Heights, Red Bluff and the West Fraser road area. View the map of the taxation area map.

Yes. The tax rates for recreation services are the same regardless if properties are in the City of Quesnel or in the surrounding area of the Regional District.

Residents of the City of Quesnel and surrounding CRD electoral areas identified this work as a priority in a 2014 survey ranking potential recreation projects. The focus of this survey was to identify the priority for the City and Regional District for revitalizing and maximizing the value of existing recreation assets.  A survey conducted in 2022 also identified a strong preference for the upgrade project to include the development of a waterslide.

If the referendum is not successful the project will not proceed as proposed. Consideration of a reduced scope of work and completion of necessary repairs over a longer period of time would need to be considered if the referendum is not successful and likely would focus on repairs to the existing building and would not include many of the proposed upgrades, including the waterslide and the replacement of the existing hot tub, saunas and leisure pool with a new larger pool with a lazy river, tots’ play area, and other amenities.

The facility is 40 years old and is outdated and no longer meets the needs of the community.  Essential repairs are required to extend the overall lifespan of the facility however it wouldn’t make sense to undertake many of these repairs as a separate project if a major renovation is expected at some point in the near future. A project that includes major repairs to the existing facility only would result in work being done to systems and areas of the building that will be demolished with an expansion/renovation.  

The City and CRD have chosen to proceed with a project that includes essential repairs to structural, mechanical, and electrical systems at the same time that an expansion and upgrade of the facility is undertaken as it is more practical and cost-effective way to proceed and will result in a modern, updated facility that meets the needs of the community.

The proposed project budget incorporates allowances for cost escalation and includes contingencies. The CRD and City also are planning for a fixed-fee (stipulated price) contract to identify a majority of the costs well before the project starts and further reduce the risk of project costs escalating beyond the project budget. The final cost of the project will be largely determined through a competitive tendering process. If the final tender price is over budget, scope reductions and value engineering exercises may be required to ensure the overall project remains within the $35 million budget.

The primary focus of the project is the pool area however some additional work to other parts of the building are planned. The most notable upgrade will be the replacement of the facility’s exterior siding. The project will also replace solar panels and mechanical and electrical equipment.

Construction is targeted to begin in 2024 and last about 18 months. During this time, the pool will be closed to the public to allow the project to be completed quicker and at a lower cost.

Closing the entire pool area during the full construction period will allow the project to be completed faster and at a much lower cost. As well, the new leisure pool, hot tub, and saunas will be constructed in the same general location as the features they are replacing making it impossible to keep these areas open to the public. The new water slide would also be installed in the area of the current leisure pool.

The 25-metre lap pool will not be replaced. However, quality of service upgrades will be made to the area around the pool. A new gutter system, deck tiles, and repairs to electrical equipment such as underwater lighting are planned as part of the upgrades.

While the 25-metre lap pool will not be demolished, a considerable amount of the work is planned in the area of the pool, such as replacing the deck tiles and gutter system. Public access will not be possible when this work is in progress. In addition, keeping the lap pool open, even for limited times during construction, would increase the complexity of the project and further increase project costs.

Other areas of the facility are expected to remain open as much as possible during construction. Periodic closures however, may be required. The gym is expected to remain open for most of the upgrade, although access to the change rooms may be impacted from time to time. Most programs, rentals, and other activities and services are expected to continue with minimal periodic disruptions.

The swimming pool is subsidized by property tax revenues, so closing the facility during construction will result in a net savings. It is estimated that closing the pool for approximately 18 months for construction will reduce the operating budget by approximately $300,000 - $375,000.

No.

The City’s Building Services Department has reviewed the proposed concept plans for the facility renovation and have advised that a full geotechnical study will not be required for this project.  While portions of the Arts and Recreation do fall within the questionable slope area, the proposed renovation is not within that area and will not impact the slope to the rear of the building.  The project will largely consist of a renovation to an existing building on a developed site that has been at this location for over 40 years.  The proposed expansion of the facility is relatively small and that expansion will be into areas outside the questionable slope area and that have been previously disturbed and developed.  

If the project proceeds, the City and CRD will hire a number of consultants and engineers to design and oversee the project including an architect and mechanical, electrical, structural, civil and geotechnical engineers.  Geotechnical engineers will be engaged, as they are on any major construction project of this nature, to conduct assessments of the soil conditions as it relates to bearing capacity and drainage.