The City remains fully committed to advancing the replacement of the North Peace Leisure Pool and will continue to take a leadership role in moving it forward.

This change allows the City of Fort St. John to focus on continuing to deliver excellent recreational opportunities for our residents and visitors.

All previous feedback and input will be used to guide the next stages of the project.

1. Doing children's activities
2. Swimming for fun
3. Enjoying a hot pool (hot tub)

Generally, Fort St. John residents supported a multi-use facility with a mix of three or four indoor recreation amenities and the replacement aquatics facility.

The aquatics facility amenities included:

• 6-lane (25m) lap pool with diving boards
• 3-lane (25m) lap pool with accessible ramp entry
• Leisure pool with zero entry accessible entrance and lazy river
• Water slide
• Steam and sauna rooms
• Hot pool (hot tub) with accessible entry
• Spectator seating
• Required dry space (such as offices, change rooms, and entrance lobby)

• gymnasium
• dynamic movement gym
• fieldhouse with full-size indoor soccer pitch
• enhanced social spaces (such as meeting rooms)

Some of the most common concerns included:

• Ensuring a new facility is built correctly and for our climate.
• Project cost and property tax increases.
• Land acquisition costs.
• Additional costs if construction were to go over budget,
• Project timeline.

Over the next several weeks, City staff will complete the following:

• Establish a working group.
• Provide a report to Council for a budget amendment to fund the planning phase.
• Engage consultants to advance a project charter.

From there, some major items need to be confirmed:

• Location
• Facility options
• Partnership opportunities
• Funding options

Over the past three phases of engagement, we've heard about potential facility amenities, concerns around costs and timelines, and community priorities that will be used to shape the project as it moves forward.

As we progress, there will be additional opportunities to provide input.

While a specific timeline has not yet been finalized, the City is actively working on the next planning phase. We aim for funding approval in mid- to late-2026, with construction of a new facility to follow.

Funding options will be explored as the facility concepts are finalized.

Once funding options are finalized, funding approval will occur through formal processes.