The City of Prince George received $6.3 million in federal and provincial funding to repair and upgrade the roof, walls and mechanical systems at the Prince George Aquatic Centre.
The project, estimated to cost a total of $14.9 million, will extend the life of the building and increase its energy efficiency, according to a statement released by the city.
“I want to express a sincere thank you to the federal and provincial governments for these significant investments in our community,”Mayor Lyn Hall said in a press release. “These projects will provide jobs, enhance quality of life for residents, improve our community’s environmental performance, and extend the life of city infrastructure – these are all significant achievements.”
Currently the Aquatic Centre is one of the city's single-largest emitters of greenhouse gases. The pool, which opened in 1998, suffers from high humidity and air leakage into the roof and walls that is deteriorating the structure and raising operating costs.
"The city has been planning to repair the Aquatic Centre in order to add to its lifespan; the additional funding will allow the city to expand the scope of the project to increase insulation and air-tightness of the building envelope, improve the mechanical systems, and reduce both operating costs and greenhouse gas emissions," a statement issued by the city said. "Construction is expected to commence in 2021."
The funding came from the federal Green Infrastructure program of the Investing in Canada Plan, while provincial funds came from the CleanBC Communities Fund.
“By working together with all levels of government, we’re upgrading an important community space for people in Prince George, helping address climate change and building a cleaner, better future for everyone,” B.C. Environment Minister George Heyman said in a press release.
The funding is in addition to $10 million in funding announced in July towards construction of a new swimming pool downtown. Earlier this week, the federal and provincial governments announced funding for 55 new Level 2 electric vehicle charging stations along Highway 16 from Prince George to Prince Rupert and Haida Gwaii – including 12 new stations to be built in the city.
“Expanding electric vehicle stations in northern B.C. will make clean transportation options more viable to more people,” national Infrastructure and Communities Minister Catherine McKenna said in a press release. “Supporting green energy solutions like this – as well as the renewable energy upgrades to the Prince George Aquatic Centre – is essential to building strong resilient communities."
