Fundraising for the proposed new Indoor Aquatics Centre in Golden will be getting a boost of nearly a half-million dollars, providing the area’s voters approve of the project.
At the Columbia Shuswap Regional District (CSRD) Board Meeting on April 21, 2022, Directors voted unanimously to support allocating a contribution of $496,417 from the sale of the CSRD’s portion of the Golden Visitor Centre property towards the construction of the new indoor pool facility for Golden and Electoral Area A.
The funds will only be allocated if the public approves of the borrowing of funds for the project. The referendum will be held on October 15, 2022, in conjunction with the next local government elections.
Provincial legislation requires that the funds from the Visitor Centre property sale be directed towards another capital project that has benefits for the area taxpayers.
The CSRD funding commitment will assist with developing other fundraising opportunities for the project, as some grant applications require a certain level of financial backing to qualify. Currently, the indoor aquatic centre has an estimated price tag of approximately $35 million. The cost to the taxpayer could be significantly reduced though the successful application for grant programs, as well as from corporate and citizen contributions.
An extensive public consultation process identified broad public support for the development of an indoor aquatic centre for year-round use, as the existing outdoor pool in Golden is aging and has reached the end of its useful life. The preferred option identified in the public feasibility study features both lap and leisure pools, a hot tub, sauna and multipurpose room.
Currently the project is in the fundraising stage, which will help determine the amount of taxpayer borrowing required to construct the facility.
The referendum question is still to be determined. It will be announced later in 2022, once more information has been obtained through this phase of the project.
