Membership revenues for the Charles Jago Northern Sport Centre reached a seven-year high in the 2024-25 fiscal year, according to a report given to Prince George city council at its Monday, June 23 meeting.
The chair of the centre’s board of directors, former city councillor Don Basserman, centre president David Claus and treasurer Dan Kusz were on hand at the meeting to present the facility’s 2024-25 annual report.
The centre, located on the grounds of the University of Northern British Columbia, is equally co-owned by the City of Prince George and UNBC and operated by the university.
There is an indoor running track, weight rooms, indoor courts and more at the centre. UNBC’s Timberwolves basketball teams play their home games at the centre and convocation events for the university’s Prince George campus take place there.
Both owners contribute $300,000 towards the centre’s operations each year.
Claus said that the facility was recently filmed by a reality TV crew and that the program should air in the next couple of months. He did not name the program, but The Amazing Race Canada was spotted filming in Prince George in early May.
In the 2024-25 fiscal year, most of the gymnasium’s usage hours were utilized by UNBC. Athletics and recreation activities associated with the university took up 50 per cent of used hours while other operations took up another eight per cent.
Local sport organizations throughout the community used 25 per cent of used hours while the Engage Sport North program used the remaining 17 per cent of used hours.
Claus clarified that these are the used hours for the gym, not the available hours — more times are available should they be needed. These figures are also only for the gym, not other parts of the centre.
Revenue from memberships was around $1.82 million in 2024-25, the highest since 2018-19.
Membership revenue in previous years was around:
- 2023-24: $1.64 million
- 2022-23: $1.34 million
- 2021-22: $981,126
- 2020-21: $509,533
- 2019-20: $1.23 million
- 2018-19: $1.34 million
The centre’s approved budget for the 2025-26 fiscal year has around $2.34 million in both revenues and expenses, though a forecast projects around $2.62 million in both revenues and expenses.
Though the centre’s capital reserve balance is expected to be at $389,542 at the end of the 2025-26 fiscal year, it is expected to be overdrawn over the next several years due to several needed projects.
In 2026-27, the exhaust system for the restrooms needs to be renewed at an estimated cost of $250,000 and metal telescopic bleachers need to be renewed at an estimated cost of $1.15 million.
In 2027-28, renewal of air handling units’ variable frequency drives is expected to cost $1.5 million.
Combined with other projects throughout the years, the projected balance of the capital reserve in 2029-30 is projected to be a $4.3 million deficit.
