Proposed Facility Options

Thanks to the input from residents in the PRRD Areas B and C, Fort St. John and Taylor, we have a list of priority amenities for a new North Peace Leisure Facility. For more information about what was learned, please refer to the 2018 Community Engagement Summary Report and 2022 Community Engagement Summary Report, available under Project Documents.

We used these priorities to develop four options for a new facility and then looked into the cost. The options reflect what we heard from the community though two rounds of public input, which indicated broad support for a new multi-purpose aquatics and recreation centre. The options also reflect the City of Fort St. John’s long-term recreation master plan, which was developed in consultation with the PRRD and District of Taylor.

Unfortunately, the costs were a lot higher than anticipated due to inflation and the construction market. We ruled out one option immediately, and we are taking the other three options forward to our communities for input. Before deciding how to move forward, we feel it is important to share with you what we’ve learned and invite input on what cost would be acceptable to our communities along with the preferred amenities that we can afford.

Depending on the amenities offered, the project cost estimates range from $136 million up to $284 million, for construction and other project costs. It’s important to note that these are rough estimates. The actual costs will depend on the mix of amenities, the timing of construction and other factors.

We are concerned about how much the project would cost and the impacts on taxpayers. While we are exploring other funding options such as grants, we need to make sure the amount is acceptable to residents if we don’t get other funding.

Our goal is to finalize an option and cost for the facility that works for residents so we can secure funding and move to design and construction.

Three Facility Options

The three facility options and related cost estimates are being shared with the community as a starting point for discussion with residents about what they want and what they can afford.   

• Two of the options are for an enhanced and expanded aquatics centre (one with a 50-metre lap pool)
• The third option is multi-use facility with an enhanced aquatics centre with additional recreational amenities, including two gymnasiums, an indoor sports field and other spaces.
• A fourth option for a multi-use facility and 50-metre lap pool was assessed, but the estimated cost was $419 million so it was removed from consideration.

A detailed breakdown of all three options and related project cost and tax estimates can be found below. 

PLEASE NOTE: The cost estimates were completed last fall and are based on construction taking place in 2026. The tax increase amounts are based on average assessed property values in each jurisdiction and include operating cost starting in 2028, annual debt repayment costs for the construction project and a 3% capital replacement cost.

The actual project cost and tax amounts will depend on final design, timing of construction, property value, taxation model and service area.

The average assessed property values used to calculate the tax impacts in each jurisdiction are based on 2023 assessments as follows:

Fort St. John: $353,000

Area B: $222,000

Area C: $393,000

Taylor: $257,000

The following table provides the estimated tax rate per $1,000 in assessed property value used to calculate the estimated tax increase for each option.