Media release: District officially launches Summerland Recreation Centre Referendum process

The District of Summerland is kicking off a 10-week information sharing campaign for a referendum on the construction of a new Recreation Centre.

General Voting Day for the referendum is Saturday, November 4, 2023 with Advance Voting days on Wednesday, October 25, and Tuesday, October 31.

Eligible voters (Summerland residents and non-resident property owners) will be asked if they are in favour of the District borrowing up to $50 million for detailed design and construction of a new multi-purpose recreation facility that would include:

• a new aquatic centre featuring a 6-lane lap pool, leisure pool, hot tub, steam or sauna room
• a fitness centre
• a multi-purpose fitness room
• a multi-purpose family/youth room
• universal access and family change rooms
• lobby, pool viewing, reception, administration offices
• modern energy efficient building standards (minimum LEED Silver)

The proposed facility is intended to replace the Summerland Aquatic & Fitness Centre that was constructed in 1976 when Summerland’s population was approximately half of what it is today. The current facility is now at end-of-life and is experiencing significant and ongoing building and maintenance issues, as well as the consumption of approximately 86% more energy per unit of floor area than the average swimming pool.

“Council knows the proposed Summerland Recreation Centre is a significant project for our community and having a fulsome and open discussion about it is critical,” said Mayor Doug Holmes. “That’s why the District is fully committed to taking these next 10 weeks to go through detailed information about how we got here, what’s included in the facility, and how this type of investment would impact Summerland taxpayers.”

Between now and Voting Day, District staff will host a variety of in-person engagements such as public tours of the current facility, open houses, and pop-up booths at community events, as well as make presentations to local community groups. Additionally, there will be weekly media releases, information shared on the District Facebook page, information boards with frequently asked questions, and advertisements reminding residents and property owners of the advance and general voting days.

“We want to make sure voters are able to make a well-informed decision based on accurate, fact-based data. That’s why we’re encouraging everyone to learn about the project and be part of the conversation,” said Mayor Holmes. “The decision we make collectively will help shape the future of our community.”

In addition to in-person engagements, news sharing and social media posts, the District of Summerland has developed an interactive webpage where all related information is available. The page is hosted by the Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen (RDOS) ‘Regional Connections’ website, although the proposed Recreation Centre is a Summerland-specific project and referendum, not a regional one.

Visit www.summerland.ca/recreationcentre and click the button directing you to the site. Once on the interactive page, you will find:

• Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
• Key dates with tours, open houses, and pop-up booths
• All media releases shared throughout the campaign
• Project videos
• Parks & Recreation Master Plan and associated studies and reports
• Council reports
• Copies of weekly Facebook posts
• Voting information, and more.

The webpage will be updated regularly. Question can be submitted through the webpage or by email to: recreation@summerland.ca.

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