Step by step, the huge project that is the Golden and Area A Aquatic Centre is moving forward, but the Town of Golden has questions about who will operate the new facility.
Darcy Mooney, Columbia Shuswap Regional District manager of Operations Management travelled to Golden on March 14 to update Town of Golden Council on the biggest project the CSRD has ever undertaken.
Mooney took council through the process that began in 2018 and included comprehensive community engagement that resulted in referendum support to borrow $18 million over a 30-year term.
Referendum results indicated 76 per cent support in advanced polling, then 71 per cent in favour in Golden, 68 per cent in Parson and 65 per cent in Donald.
Mooney explained that the aquatic centre would be a unique landmark and place of wellness, focused on community, inclusivity and “rooted in grounded aspirations that achieve the best possible outcome.”
As well, Mooney stressed that the project would prioritize the use of local materials and methods and would strive to incorporate sustainability best practices including achieving zero carbon building design certification.
“The gap between borrowed funds and project costs will be addressed through a fundraising campaign,” he said, noting outstanding grant applications total some $20 million and an active fundraising campaign is underway. Current contributions by CSRD, Town of Golden, Columbia Valley Credit Union and other local contributions total over $3.1 million.
Mooney described the centre that will include a 25-metre lap pool, leisure pool with lazy river and tots area, hot tub, sauna and steam rooms and several non-aquatic features.
The Phase 1 Schematic Design Stage is expected to be completed by the end of April, with Phase 2 Design Development progressing from May though August 2023. Phase 3 Contract Documents are planned for September 2023 to March 2024, with Phase 4, the tendering process expected to take place between April and June 2024.
The tendering process will move forward only if funds for the project are secured. If not, the project will be put on hold, with the contractor offering a six-month grace period during which their costs will not increase.
Golden Mayor Ron Oszust says council was pleased with the presentation but has some concerns regarding some costs.
“It was a great update and for me, the key takeaways were that this Class B estimate gets closer to being accurate, and when it becomes Class A, we can actually take it to tender,” he said, noting that the current class C phase can be “pretty loose” in terms of prices and that a Class B will provide a better understanding of how much grant funding CSRD needs to garner. “There’s excitement in virtue of the referendum and we’re fully supportive of that, but we definitely need the financial details.”
Another potential snag is that Mooney said CSRD is looking for confirmation by this fall of Golden’s interest in operating the arena and the pool.
“It’s not a small thing and it could change costs, structure and mandate of our organization,” Oszust said, explaining that, as operator of the arena for the CSRD, Town of Golden staff work in the arena in winter and outside when the arena is not in use. The pool will be in operation 365 days of the year and will require increased staff levels.
He says such a big shift requires an unbiased third party consultant to review the impact of including the aquatic centre into the operations agreement.
“That’s a critical component and both parties have to look at that to see what the impact and opportunities are in order to make informed decisions,” he said. “Ultimately the financial agreement is as per the existing bylaw regardless of who operates it, so the ratepayers of Golden and Area A are paying for it.”
Two days later, at the CSRD regular board meeting in Salmon Arm, directors unanimously approved staff’s request to enter into agreements with Ross Templeton and Associates Quantity Surveyors for the provision of surveying work related to the schematic and detailed design of the aquatic centre, and HCMA Architecture for the provision of communication materials, website redevelopment and grant writing support related to the ongoing fundraising and detailed design phases.
Residents are encouraged to take part in the fundraising campaign and may do so by e-transfer or credit card payment at www.goldendeck.ca or directly at the Columbia Valley Credit Union.
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