New City Councillor Diana Fox Takes Oath of Office

Newly elected City Councillor Diana Fox was sworn in by Corporate Officer Maryse Leroux at the October 15th meeting. Fox was the successful candidate in the 2024 By-election which took place on September 21st. 

Later in the meeting, CO Leroux declared the official results of the by-election stating that a total of 1489 electors voted. This represents 23.4% of eligible electors. She expressed disappointment with the voter turnout and hopes to find ways to increase that number during the 2026 Local Government General Election. 

RCMP - 2024 Second Quarter Report

Sgt. Steve Woodcox presented the RCMP's second quarter police report to Council. In the report, Woodcox provided a recap of files for the quarter noting that calls were up 20% from the same period last year. He emphasized that impaired driving and speeding continues to be a problem with over 350 vehicles stopped in road checks and 80 violation tickets issued over the period. The RCMP will continue to focus on this important issue going forward. 

The report also provides a full incident listing for the quarter. That report is available within the full agenda at the link below.

Meeting Agenda

Civic Centre/Curling Rink Chiller and Compressor Replacement Project

In order to facilitate an application to the Green and Inclusive Community Buildings (GICB) program, City staff requested a change to the previously approved Civic Centre - Building Conditions Assessment (BCA) project. That project included the replacement of the chillers and compressors at both the Civic Centre and the Curling Rink with one high-efficiency unit that would serve both sites. Remaining work in that project includes the replacement of the boards, slab and glass at the Civic Centre. Staff identified that the GICB grant could support funding the new chiller/compressor infrastructure and requested that Council direct staff to apply and conduct the work in 2025. Staff also requested to move the remaining slab and board project to 2026 utilizing previously approved funds.

Council approved the changes and directed staff to apply for the grant. If the grant application is denied, the project will still move forward with funds from the Growing Communities grant and City reserves. 

Centre 64 Stage and Landscaping Budget Amendment

City staff presented a report to Council requesting approval to increase the budget for the Centre 64 Stage and Landscaping project, as well as to pursue additional funding from Columbia Basin Trust and the Province's Resort Municipality Initiative to cover the remaining project costs.

The project stems from the 2022-2024 Resort Development Strategy (RDS), which allocated $315,000 in RMI funding for an Outdoor Performance Bandshell. The selected location is a vacant, city-owned lot adjacent to Centre 64.

During the meeting, Council members discussed the increased budget, raising questions about the project's location and its benefits to the community. After thorough deliberation, Council voted to approve the staff recommendations and, if additional funding is received, to proceed with the project.