UPDATE: Open houses and survey on future North Peace Leisure Facility project taking place in May

UPDATE: More information from the PRRD has been added.

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — After several workshops were held throughout April, the Peace River Regional District (PRRD) has organized open houses and a survey to gain more feedback from residents on the future North Peace Leisure Facility.

Through the new opportunities for input, the district also plans to share the information received from residents during the 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 open houses will take place on:

• May 13th at the Pomeroy Sport Centre in Fort St. John from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.;
• May 14th at Montney Hall in Montney from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.;
• May 15th at the Taylor Community Hall in Taylor from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.;
• May 16th at Charlie Lake Elementary School in Charlie Lake, from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

A virtual open house will also take place via Zoom from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on May 21st.

“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 district will also begin conducting a phone and online survey for additional feedback starting May 6th.

“If you receive a phone call from Research Co asking for your input about the North Peace Leisure Facility project, please take a few minutes to complete this statistically valid survey of community views,” the district said.

The survey is available online until May 27th.

The PRRD, the City of Fort St. John and the District of Taylor have been discussing plans to replace the aging North Peace Leisure Pool, which has been open since 1997.

The North Peace Leisure Pool is owned by the PRRD and operated by the City of Fort St. John through a partnership agreement.