The qathet Regional District (qRD) has secured grant funding up to $4,199,082 through the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program – Community, Culture and Recreation Infrastructure Stream to renovate and construct an addition to the Northside Community Recreation Centre, located at 9656 Larson Road.

 

Based on a feasibility study, the new building is estimated to cost between $4 million and $5.7 million. The $600,000 estimated balance of the project will be funded through a combination of short term borrowing (up to five years) and reserves that have been set aside for the Northside Recreation Service. The Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program – Community, Culture and Recreation Infrastructure Stream runs on a cost share basis with Canada and British Columbia combining to contribute 73.33 per cent of the eligible project cost and the qRD required to contribute the remaining 26.67 per cent, plus any overruns. To proceed with collecting the project funding, the qRD will need to borrow up to $1.1 million from the Municipal Finance Authority.

 

View the Lund Community Centre Building Condition Assessment Report

 

View the LCC Feasibility Study here

 

The Northside Recreation Loan Authorization Bylaw, which is required in order to borrow funds for the project from the Municipal Finance Authority, details the loan amounts, payments and term of the loan. The bylaw is currently at third reading and has received provincial statutory approval. Financing debt payments are proposed over a 30 year period to minimize the annual impact on residential tax rates.

 

Pending final costing, which includes building construction and the amount of debt financing required, annual debt payments are projected to be $96,000. The annual debt payments will result in an increase in the residential tax rate per $100,000 of property value for all property owners within the Northside Recreation service area of approximately $8.00. The next step for the project and in accepting the funds will be for the qRD to seek approval from the community to commit to borrowing up to $1.1 million.

 

View the Lund Community Centre Loan Authorization Bylaw No. 564, 2020 Certified to Third Reading

Estimated Construction Cost	Estimated Project Cost	Costs Covered by Provincial and Federal Grant Funding (73.33% of total project)	Balance from Reserves and Short-Term Borrowing	Remainder Required to be borrowed (26.67% of total project)
Between $4 and $5.7 million	Between $4.2 and $5.9 million	Up to $4,199,082	$600,000	Up to $1,100,000

In accordance with the Community Charter, local governments, such as the qathet Regional District, may use an Alternative Approval Process (AAP) to directly engage citizens about a proposed bylaw or other matter requiring elector approval. An AAP can be used for various initiatives to undertake long-term borrowing, a boundary extension, or other matter requiring approval of the electorate.

 

View the Northside Community Recreation Service Area Mail Out

 

An AAP is an alternative method to assent voting (referendum) that may be used in certain cases to seek approval from the electors. Through the AAP, if more than 10 per cent of electors express their opposition to an initiative, the Regional District cannot proceed without first obtaining elector approval through assent voting which may be conducted in conjunction with local general elections and bi-elections, but may also occur independently.

 

Click here to learn more about the AAP Process

For the AAP to begin as per Community Charter Section 86 (3)(a) the Board must establish the deadline for receiving elector response forms which must be at least 30 days after the second publication of notice. Public notice is scheduled for the following dates January 27, February 1, and 3, 2023. For the purposes of calculation, the February 3, 2023 date is considered the second publication of notice. The timeframe must have 30 clear days, this does not count February 3, or the last day to submit the elector response forms. The deadline of Monday, March 6, 2023 at 4:00 pm will allow for 30 clear days.

 

View the Official Public Notice advertised in the Powell River Peak

 

Community Charter section 86 (3)(b) the Board must establish the elector response form that is available to the public.

 

Download the Official Elector Response Form

 

Community Charter section 86 (3)(c) the Board must make a fair determination of the total number of electors for the area to which the approval process applies and Community Charter Section 86 (4) must make available to the public, on request, a report respecting the basis on which the determination under subsection (3) (c) was made. For the purpose of the Alternate Approval Process for Lund Community Centre Loan Authorization Bylaw No. 564, 2020, the number of eligible electors has been fairly determined to be 1063. The number of elector responses needed to prevent adoption of Lund Community Centre Loan Authorization Bylaw No. 564, 2020  without first obtaining elector assent by voting is, therefore, 106.

 

View the Non-Resident Property Elector FAQs