Fort St. John – Area residents will have more opportunities to provide input on the proposed North Peace Leisure Facility through a series of public open houses, plus phone and online surveys in May.
The Peace River Regional District (PRRD), City of Fort St. John and District of Taylor have been developing plans for a proposed new facility to replace the aging North Peace Leasure Pool. Three options are currently under consideration and were presented to residents for initial feedback at seven online and in-person workshops in April.
“Nearly 200 area residents shared their thoughts on design options and costs for a new aquatics and recreation facility during the April workshops,” said Brad Sperling, Peace River Regional District Board Chair. “We heard clearly that residents are concerned about the costs and want more information and opportunities to discuss the potential mix of amenities in the new facility, the costs and property tax implications. The open houses and surveys will provide an opportunity to drill down on the details that matter most, and information at the open houses will help property owners calculate the estimated tax impacts for their property.”
The phone and online survey are now under way to collect additional feedback. Randomly selected residents will be contacted to participate in the phone survey. The PRRD encourages residents to take the time to share their views. If residents receive a phone call from Research Co asking for their input about the North Peace Leisure Facility, please take the time to complete this statistically valid survey. Residents can also complete the survey online using the link posted at haveyoursay.prrd.bc.ca/nplf until May 27, 2024.
Additionally, four in-person open houses will be held around the region from May 13 to 16, with an online open house set for May 21. No registration is required, and participants can drop by an open house of their choosing at any time. All workshops will take place from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.
The open house dates and locations are:
- Monday May 13 – Pomeroy Sport Centre Olympic Speed Skating Oval, 2nd Floor, 9324 96 St., Fort St John.
- Tuesday, May 14 – Montney Hall 12401 256 Rd., Montney.
- Wednesday, May 15 – Taylor Community Hall 9896 Cherry Ave. West, Taylor.
- Thursday, May 16 – Charlie Lake Elementary School 12655 Charlie Lake Frontage Rd., Charlie Lake
- Tuesday, May 21 – Online via Zoom. Link available at: haveyoursay.prrd.bc.ca/nplf.
“It’s vital that we hear from area residents through these upcoming opportunities,” says Trevor Bolin, Chair of the North Peace Leisure Facility Replacement Project Steering Committee and City of Fort St. John Councillor. “The project partners will use this input to make decisions on next steps, which could include holding a referendum vote on the loan amount.”
The North Peace Leisure Pool is owned by the PRRD and operated by the City of Fort St. John through a partnership agreement. The District of Taylor has joined with the PRRD and the City in the planning process for the proposed North Peace Leisure Facility. The current proposal would see a new facility funded in part by contributions from property taxpayers in PRRD Areas B and C, the City of Fort St. John and District of Taylor.
