Plans to develop the Golden and Electoral Area A Indoor Aquatic Centre will be paused following the news that the Columbia Shuswap Regional District’s (CSRD) $13.5 million federal funding application was unsuccessful.
Funding from the Government of Canada’s Green and Inclusive Community Buildings Program was a critical part of the funding plan for the overall facility. Without this funding, the project plans will need to be entirely re-evaluated.
The CSRD had been awaiting word on the outcome of this grant application for more than 12 months. The Federal government indicates the number of applications from across the country greatly exceeded the available funds.
Electoral Area A Director Karen Cathcart has championed the community goal of an indoor aquatic centre that would provide year-round, health and wellness benefits to residents of all ages and abilities.
“I am deeply disappointed in this decision, and I know many people in our region will be upset by this news,” Cathcart says.
“We truly appreciate all the residents who contributed time and energy to this project. It has been a tremendous effort by so many people. I remain committed to working with area residents to provide services that would improve their quality of life and make this area an even better place for people to live and visit.”
On October 15, 2022, residents of Golden and Electoral Area A voted in favour of borrowing $18 million towards the construction of an indoor aquatic centre in Golden. This left a funding gap of $17 million to be made up of federal, provincial and local grants, sponsorships and public donations.
Since the referendum, costs for the proposed facility escalated. In response, the project and design team developed revised plans for the facility. The scaled-back plans were recently presented to the community at a series of open houses in January.
The current estimates for construction of the Phase 1, base-level facility is $42 million.
“Without this federal grant, it will be difficult to make this project a reality under current conditions and within the time frame authorized by the referendum vote. Now, we need to take a step back and evaluate our options,” says Town of Golden Mayor Ron Oszust.
“We want to thank the community for their patience and understanding with this process,” he adds.
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