Waterslides Now, Ice Rinks Later City Committee Hears

The city’s Public Services Committee meeting for the first time since the election Monday. The full meeting can be publicly viewed exclusively at the bottom of the article.

The desire is there for new recreation facilities which include an aquatic facility on the south end of the city and more playing fields near Big Marble Go Centre but the money is not, a city committee heard Monday.

At least, not without a double-digit property tax increase for the proposed projects on top of any other proposed rise put forward by City Hall without funding from any other source.

“The full construction cost for that would require an estimated additional tax increase of 11 to 12.5 per cent to cover capital and operating costs if we had no other third-party funding partner,” James Will, Parks and Recreation director, told the Public Services Committee.

The committee met for the first time since the election on Monday and featured chair Coun. Bill Cocks along with councillors Dan Reynish and Chris Hellman. They heard the cost of an indoor pool and aquatic park plus the Brier Park complex consisting of a mix of eight baseball and softball diamonds, cricket pitch and rugby field would cost between $150- to $165 million.

Will stated the alternative option administration is moving forward with involves a phased approach with a focus on an outdoor pool and waterpark along with the Brier Park playing fields. An ice complex and indoor pool will be required to be built out later.

That option would still represent a 3.5 to 5 per cent tax increase without any additional funding on the table.

The committee heard the financial impacts of the full proposed project would put the city at its debt limit and, possibly over it by 2032, while it would take a chunk out of the municipality’s capital reserves and stressing other reserve funds.

Will told the committee this would be a worst-case scenario.

A tender for design work on an outdoor aquatic facility was issued last month following a $3.9 million budget amendment by the last council for preliminary drawings. That initial tender for an aquatic park closed on Nov. 27 with six bids from Alberta, BC and Ontario architecture firms.

The aquatic park would include at least two water slides, splash park, lazy river feature and diving boards along with other amenities but no pool for lane swimming, according to the city’s tender documents. Will indicated the facility is envisioned to be in line with Lethbridge’s Henderson Park and would be aimed at drawing both visitors and permanent residents, specifically, families.

Coun. Reynish had multiple questions pertaining to current utilization of the Big Marble Go Centre along with the current ball diamonds located next to the facility.

Regarding utilization of Big Marble Go Centre, there remains a large gap in the number of current membership and its full capacity.

The proposed first phase of the Brier Run sports complex shaded in green which includes baseball and softball diamonds along with a rugby pitch.

“We have capacity for about 8,000 members. We have about 2,500 to 3,000 members,” said Will.

On this issue of the current softball diamonds, Coun. Hellman indicated they are utilized but Will also stated if the Brier Run ball fields are built out, the space where the current fields are could be utilized for development.

Will also stated while the need for indoor pool capacity may be greater as both the Downtown YMCA and Crestwood pools are aging, so too is the cost which is why the emphasis is currently on the outdoor aquatic park.

But, even if a new indoor pool is built, there is no final decision on the future of those facilities.

Coun. Cocks remarked watching the last council’s decision to approve moving forward on the recreation facilities at the end its term two months ago, stating, “they’re making the decision but we’re going to have to find the money.”

The committee decided not to have Will repeat his presentation to council, but councillors will have the ability to ask questions about the issue during its January regular meeting.

The committee meeting is available for the public to view exclusively below.