Strathcona Gardens Alternative Approval Process
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AAP Notice
Public notice is hereby given that the Board of Directors for the Strathcona Regional District may proceed with final passage and adoption of Bylaw No. 342, being Strathcona Gardens Recreation Facility Loan Authorization Bylaw 2018, at its meeting of Wednesday, October 11, 2023 unless at least 10% of the eligible electors within the City of Campbell River and Electoral Area D (Oyster Bay-Buttle Lake) submit elector response forms not later than 12:00 noon on October 4, 2023.
Bylaw No. 342 would authorize borrowing up to $64,670,000 to be used for funding re-development of the Strathcona Gardens recreation complex with the debt to be repaid over a period not exceeding 30 years.
The number of eligible electors within the boundaries of the City of Campbell River and Electoral Area D has been fairly determined to be 32,880 and the number of valid elector response forms required to prevent the adoption of Bylaw No. 342 without first obtaining the assent of the electors by voting is 3,288. Elector response forms must be in the form approved by the Regional Board and may be obtained online at www.srd.ca/strathcona-gardens-aap or in person at the Regional District office during regular office hours. Only persons who qualify as electors within the City of Campbell River or Electoral Area D of the Strathcona Regional District are entitled to sign and submit an elector response form.
Further information regarding Bylaw No. 342 or this alternative approval process may be obtained at www.srd.ca/strathcona-gardens-aap or by contacting the Regional District.
Elector Response Forms
Elector response forms must be in the form approved by the Regional Board which are available below or in person at the Regional District office during regular office hours. Only persons who qualify as electors within Campbell River and Electoral Area D of the Strathcona Regional District are entitled to sign and submit an elector response form.
FAQS
More information about the REC-REATE project and FAQ’s are posted on www.RecreateSG.ca >.
Resources
Contact
For more information about the REC-REATE Alternative Approval Process, please contact Tom Yates – SRD Corporate Services Senior Manager at 250-830-6704 | tyates@srd.ca
News
August 17, 2023 – Strathcona Gardens REC-REATE Project Proceeds to Alternative Approval Process
(Campbell River, BC) – The future of the Strathcona Gardens REC-REATE project was a topic of discussion during yesterday’s Regional Board meeting. Following approval from the Inspector of Municipalities, the Strathcona Regional District (SRD) Board has been given the green light to initiate an Alternative Approval Process (AAP) for Bylaw No. 342. This bylaw enables borrowing funds of up to $64,670,000 to support the redevelopment of the Strathcona Gardens recreation complex.
The borrowed funds will be allocated for phase 1 and phase 2 of the REC-REATE project. Phase 1 will include a new aquatic centre with an 8-lane 25 m pool, accessible therapy pool, hot pool, and leisure pool with a lazy river, climbing wall and waterslide. A new fitness and wellness centre with sauna and steam rooms will also be included in this phase along with renovated change rooms and administrative areas. Phase 2, the Rod Brind’Amour arena major renovation will include increased seating to meet Junior A requirements, a walking track, new team and referee rooms and more.
An Alternative Approval Process (AAP) is used to gauge support and obtain legislative approval from electors for the initiative and borrowing proposal. An AAP is favoured due to its cost-effectiveness compared to traditional voting referendums. For the borrowing initiative to be approved, it requires that less than 10% of Campbell River and Area D residents (32,880 people) submit an objection through an elector response form.
If responses from less than 10% of the electors are received by the Regional District before the deadline of Wednesday, October 4, 2023, the Board can move forward with adopting Bylaw No. 342. Alternatively, if 10% or more of the total electors submit an elector response form reflecting their opposition to the bylaw, the Board’s ability to adopt Bylaw No. 342 would require a referendum vote. In that case, the bylaw can only be adopted if a majority of electors participating in the referendum vote in favour of it.
“The initial phase of REC-REATE, which involves the construction of the new aquatic center and wellness center, is all set to go. Once we secure the necessary funding, phase 1 construction could kick off as early as Spring 2024. If all goes well, the Rod Brind’Amour phase 2 renovation could start as early as Fall 2024,” said SRD Chair Mark Baker.
“Given that the current facility is stretched beyond its limits, this expansion promises better amenities and a broader range of programming for the region. The debt payment for Bylaw 342 was carefully factored into the 2023-2027 Financial Plan and has already gained approval from the board,” said SRD CAO David Leitch.
The next steps for the Regional Board will be to advertise its intent in the next week and provide information on the nature of the project, the amount of money required to be borrowed, and the financial impact on the residents should the approval process be successful. This information along with the elector response forms will be available on August 23rd at www.srd.ca/strathcona-gardens-aap.
For more information about the redevelopment of Strathcona Gardens recreation complex and to view detailed designs, please visit www.RecreateSG.ca.