An 'Oliver Woods-style' community centre, long planned for Nanaimo's Harewood and Chase River neighbourhoods, is coming closer to fruition as Councillors narrowly favoured use of an AAP to help finance the project. (Alex Rawnsley/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Alex Rawnsley

recreation facilities

Proposed Nanaimo South End Community Centre headed to AAP in 2025

Jul 17, 2024 | 5:36 AM

NANAIMO — A long-promised community centre for the city’s south end is rapidly moving to the top of City Council’s to do list.

In a split 5-3 vote, City Councillors on Monday, July 15 set in motion a spring 2025 alternative approval process to borrow the required funds to complete an Oliver Woods-style community and recreation centre, likely located in the Chase River area.

At an estimated cost between $100 and $150 million, not factoring in available grants and senior government funding, the project is a considerable one for the City, but one long-seen as a need for local residents.

“…since the 2005 Parks, Recreation, Culture Master Plan [identified] the south end particularly lacking in recreational, cultural and community space,” Richard Harding, General Manager, Community Services, said. “It’s been identified as a need for many years, the latest update in City Plan also emphasized that area of the city is lacking in services.”

While detailed drawings and specific amenities are yet to be released, provisional plans include multiple sports courts, space for a childcare centre, a fitness centre, Vancouver Island Regional Library branch and areas for RCMP and Island Health.

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Like Oliver Woods, the ground floor would feature the majority of the facilities and span around 44,000 square feet, with supplemental space on a second level.

Assuming the project is funded entirely from borrowing and repaid entirely through taxation, both extremely unlikely scenarios, the South End Community Centre would cost the average Nanaimo home $232 extra dollars in property taxes.

If the project proceeds as planned, the City aims to have the Centre complete by late 2028 or early 2029.

A draft layout of current plans for a community centre in Nanaimo’s south end. The facility could include sports and recreation space, as well as a childcare centre, satellite RCMP offices and a library. (City of Nanaimo)

A feasibility study has been completed, with Harding saying the City is “very close” to announcing a preferred site and more detailed information.

Harding added while it’ll be a community centre geared towards south Nanaimo residents, immediate neighbours won’t be the only user group.

“Oliver Woods…we have people from Parksville to Ladysmith utilize it. This, even though it’s in the south end, it will be a regional facility. The South End Community Centre will definitely take some latent demand. I’ve always said if we had three Oliver Woods gymnasiums, we’d have it booked every night.”

While the desire for a community centre in south Nanaimo was universal among councillors, the method of paying for it raised considerable debate.

Borrowing enough money to cover the cost of the project, even with grants and senior government funding, would require elector approval.

A staff recommendation pushed for a referendum, however Councillors eventually voted for an alternative approval process next spring, citing the fact the project is a ‘need’ for local residents.

Coun. Hilary Eastmure proposed using the AAP, saying it provided the most options.

“It’s going to be a really hard one to ask people who live in the north end to go to the polls one day in a referendum to say ‘yes, you should build a rec centre in the south end’ because I don’t think everyone, everywhere in Nanaimo understands how desperately this project is needed.”

Coun. Ben Geselbracht largely agreed, suggesting a referendum on the project may not succeed if the project is viewed as only helping one area of the community.

Oliver Woods Community Centre, off Uplands Dr., is very well used with sport courts and rooms under high demand. (Alex Rawnsley/NanaimoNewsNOW)

Mayor Leonard Krog, while supporting the project in principle, opposed the AAP mechanism.

“The good folks of the south end who will see the benefit of a community centre will not be voting. They’ll want it, but they can’t go out and put a positive ‘x’ on a ballot to say ‘I want it and I’m willing to pay for it’.”

He added he was concerned people living elsewhere in Nanaimo may torpedo the South End Community Centre in favour of other projects on the City’s priority list.

Improvements to Beban Park and a waterfront walkway in Departure Bay were also addressed on Monday.

“I don’t want to put at risk the South End Community Centre by going to an AAP,” Krog added. “I’m of the view that a larger list of important projects will bring out the voters who will have to engage in what everybody does in the political process, which is recognize there is some compromise.”

Potentially bundling similar projects into one referendum was also discussed at length, however Council was unable to reach a consensus on how to proceed.

Krog, along with Coun. Sheryl Armstrong and Janice Perrino opposed the use of the AAP to advance the South End Community Centre project, however all three spoke in favour of the project overall.

Councillors also directed staff to provide more information, including costs and financing options for proposed improvements to Beban Park, and development of the waterfront walkway.

Other large scale capital projects under consideration by Councillors include the proposed Nanaimo Operations Centre estimated to cost $90 million, a new RCMP detachment valued at $270 million and updates to the Vancouver Island Conference Centre projected to cost $50 million.

All decisions made at the committee level must then be voted on again at a future Council meeting.

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