Costs, timeline, impact: City councillors talk new pool proposals, including feedback on possible tax rise

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — City councillors say the price of the new aquatic facility will be based on feedback from residents who say they are willing to pay up to $40 a month more on taxes. 

In an interview during the January 9th episode of This Week in the Peace, councillors Trevor Bolin and Sarah MacDougall spoke about the new aquatic facility being built by the City of Fort St. John. 

The City of Fort St. John took over control of the project from the Peace River Regional District, which had been working on the project since 2017, in August. 

A tentative location was announced in October after a letter of intent was signed between the city and XJ Evergreen Estates for a site across from the Naache Commons development and Margaret “Ma” Murray Community School in the Parkwood Southland development. 

Bolin, who had served on the committee since its establishment, explained while “some great public engagement” came from the committee, otherwise “not a lot” happened.

“It became very apparent at our last pool replacement committee meeting under the regional district that things weren’t going as quickly as what residents felt it should be,” Bolin said.

Bolin noted the city’s committee was meeting at least weekly, oftentimes more frequently, to discuss the needs of the community and what is feasible. 

When asked about costs, the councillors explained taxes would be impacted by the cost of the facility, and after gathering feedback, the committee had heard residents would be willing to pay up to approximately $40 a month more in taxes. 

“When we were doing the public feedback, [we asked] our residents, ‘what do you feel you can afford?’ not, ‘how much money do you want to spend?,’” Bolin said.

“Because at the end of the day, anything the city does is going to, it’s going to adjust your taxes so residents came back and [said] that $40 number, $30 to $40 a month.”

The councillors stated plans were moving quickly to make sure a concrete proposal and plan would be available for residents to vote on during a referendum during the October 2026 municipal elections.

By putting the vote for the pool into the ballot for the city’s municipal election, the councillors said it would be saving the approximately $30,000 it would cost to hold an independent referendum. 

MacDougall explained considerations for the project were based not only on what the city needs now, but what it would need in the future. 

“They were able to give us some insight into what they need to both meet the needs currently that they have, but also into the future, because we want to build this for the future,” MacDougall said. 

The council had previously gathered feedback from three major user groups in the city which could benefit from the new facility, which was part of the phase one and two considerations being presented to council. 

The councillors noted the aquatic facility was being designed to serve as a sports facility with a pool, able to offer room for a variety of activities.

“We needed something that could offer year-round sport,” Bolin said.

“I think too, in some of the designs that we had done [of the facility], that not only can it be used for soccer, but it can be used for spring warm ups and spring startups of other sports, and ball and lacrosse and all these different things.”

The councillors announced a dedicated webpage would be launched about the project for residents to explore on January 13th, the day following the official presentation to council by staff. 

Watch the full episode of This Week in the Peace here.