2025-06-17
Scope: Open meeting only. The in camera portion, closed under Section 90(1)(c) of the Community Charter for labour relations, is not covered here.
Operations
The quarterly report from Ryan Ricalton, NDCC Facility Manager, confirmed that the City of Nelson’s snow load restriction on the Civic Arena roof would remain in place for the 2025/2026 operating season, and arena user groups were notified through the allocation process. The NDCC arena season was set to run from August 11, 2025 to April 10, 2026, with the Civic Centre running October 11 to March 13. Annual shutdowns were scheduled across aquatics, the fitness studio and the fitness centre, and Gyro Pool was staffed daily from July 2 to August 30.
On projects, tendering closed for the cardio and weight room air handling units, with installation delayed by supply chain issues and the unit now on site. An assessment of the pool natatorium roof was underway, including the acoustic ceiling treatment that has failed and fallen in several places.
Aquatics staffing sat at 100 percent of 2020 levels at 33 staff, though availability remained variable and recruitment continued. Following the Neptunes swim meet at the end of May, staff flagged concerns about space use during setup and volunteer conduct, and planned to set clearer expectations with the club.
Aspirations
The Civic Centre was brought forward as a candidate for the federal Strategic Priorities Fund, with staff directed to include it among the RDCK’s three priority projects for Board consideration in July. The supporting material set out the scale of the problem: a ninety-year-old building whose roof trusses can carry roughly a third of the required snow load, with a Class D estimate of $9.115 million covering roof strengthening, a concrete floor slab to replace the sand floor, footing caps, changeroom reinstatement and mechanical work. The project would allow year round use of a facility currently limited to a seasonal operation.
Correspondence from the Nelson Leafs Hockey Society was received, covering the club’s move toward Junior A Tier 1 status and its requests around advertising revenue streams, contract arrangements, ice allocation, arena heat, parking and dressing room size. No decisions were recorded on these items at this meeting.
Challenges
The substantial item was the proposed NDCC expansion in partnership with Nelson CARES and the City of Nelson. Staff presented the decision as a choice between committing the Board to a thirty-five year sub-lease of 5,492 square feet of recreation space at $20,000 to $25,000 per month funded from S226, or not proceeding with the recreation component.
The case for participating was real. The fitness centre expansion had been identified as a priority in the 2012 to 2014 Master Plan, engagement work indicated the community would consider a combined housing and recreation project, and building the space as part of someone else’s capital project offered economies of scale the RDCK could not achieve alone. Staff were also candid about the risks, noting the RDCK had not partnered on a project of this kind, that asset management for existing facilities is not yet fully understood, and that committing to new space costs alongside unknown replacement costs was the risk staff were least comfortable with. At $240,000 to $300,000 per year, the commitment sat at the threshold where the 2022 service review work suggests voter assent should be considered, and a voter assent process would not fit the housing project’s timeline.
The Commission declined to participate in the recreation expansion. The determining factor was pace. Nelson CARES required a firm lease commitment to support its Community Housing Fund application ahead of an end of July deadline, with rezoning to be completed through public hearing in the same window. That timeline did not allow the Commission to complete its own due diligence on a thirty-five year financial obligation.
This decision concerned the recreation component only. The housing project itself remained able to proceed on the adjacent City of Nelson parcel without the NDCC expansion, and staff had noted the RDCK would still be involved in any event, as construction would require use of RDCK property.
{"boxFolder":"","meetingDate":"2025-06-17","body":"# Nelson & District Recreation Commission No. 5\n## Meeting Summary — June 17, 2025\n\nBody: Nelson & District Recreation Commission No. 5 (RDCK)\nService: S226\nMeeting date: June 17, 2025\nSummary prepared: August 29, 2026\nAuthor: Keith Page, Chair\nStatus: Draft for review\nScope: Open meeting only. The in camera portion, closed under Section 90(1)(c) of the Community Charter for labour relations, is not covered here.\n\n---\n\n### Operations\n\nThe quarterly report from Ryan Ricalton, NDCC Facility Manager, confirmed that the City of Nelson's snow load restriction on the Civic Arena roof would remain in place for the 2025/2026 operating season, and arena user groups were notified through the allocation process. The NDCC arena season was set to run from August 11, 2025 to April 10, 2026, with the Civic Centre running October 11 to March 13. Annual shutdowns were scheduled across aquatics, the fitness studio and the fitness centre, and Gyro Pool was staffed daily from July 2 to August 30.\n\nOn projects, tendering closed for the cardio and weight room air handling units, with installation delayed by supply chain issues and the unit now on site. An assessment of the pool natatorium roof was underway, including the acoustic ceiling treatment that has failed and fallen in several places.\n\nAquatics staffing sat at 100 percent of 2020 levels at 33 staff, though availability remained variable and recruitment continued. Following the Neptunes swim meet at the end of May, staff flagged concerns about space use during setup and volunteer conduct, and planned to set clearer expectations with the club.\n\n### Aspirations\n\nThe Civic Centre was brought forward as a candidate for the federal Strategic Priorities Fund, with staff directed to include it among the RDCK's three priority projects for Board consideration in July. The supporting material set out the scale of the problem: a ninety-year-old building whose roof trusses can carry roughly a third of the required snow load, with a Class D estimate of $9.115 million covering roof strengthening, a concrete floor slab to replace the sand floor, footing caps, changeroom reinstatement and mechanical work. The project would allow year round use of a facility currently limited to a seasonal operation.\n\nCorrespondence from the Nelson Leafs Hockey Society was received, covering the club's move toward Junior A Tier 1 status and its requests around advertising revenue streams, contract arrangements, ice allocation, arena heat, parking and dressing room size. No decisions were recorded on these items at this meeting.\n\n### Challenges\n\nThe substantial item was the proposed NDCC expansion in partnership with Nelson CARES and the City of Nelson. Staff presented the decision as a choice between committing the Board to a thirty-five year sub-lease of 5,492 square feet of recreation space at $20,000 to $25,000 per month funded from S226, or not proceeding with the recreation component.\n\nThe case for participating was real. The fitness centre expansion had been identified as a priority in the 2012 to 2014 Master Plan, engagement work indicated the community would consider a combined housing and recreation project, and building the space as part of someone else's capital project offered economies of scale the RDCK could not achieve alone. Staff were also candid about the risks, noting the RDCK had not partnered on a project of this kind, that asset management for existing facilities is not yet fully understood, and that committing to new space costs alongside unknown replacement costs was the risk staff were least comfortable with. At $240,000 to $300,000 per year, the commitment sat at the threshold where the 2022 service review work suggests voter assent should be considered, and a voter assent process would not fit the housing project's timeline.\n\nThe Commission declined to participate in the recreation expansion. The determining factor was pace. Nelson CARES required a firm lease commitment to support its Community Housing Fund application ahead of an end of July deadline, with rezoning to be completed through public hearing in the same window. That timeline did not allow the Commission to complete its own due diligence on a thirty-five year financial obligation.\n\nThis decision concerned the recreation component only. The housing project itself remained able to proceed on the adjacent City of Nelson parcel without the NDCC expansion, and staff had noted the RDCK would still be involved in any event, as construction would require use of RDCK property.","changeLog":[]}