The 55-year-old pool and rec centre in Sayward needs close to a million dollars in upgrades, but the village’s tax base can’t cover the costs.
Area A director Gerald Whalley brought the issue up at the Strathcona Regional District’s November 6 Electoral Services Committee meeting, pointing out the centre is running a deficit, and needs some long-overdue maintenance and upgrades. All together, it needs at least a million dollars to stay open.
“This is a dinosaur of a structure that could end up bankrupting both the village and Area A,” he said.
Whalley pointed out that even if rural and village residents shared the burden, they would each be looking at a tax increase of at least $725 annually to keep it running as is, and more than $2,700 each to do outstanding maintenance.
“The few hundred property owners in the combined village and area can’t possibly afford a service of a debt of the size that would be required to keep this thing going,” he said.
The board decided to create a sub-committee to work with the village to find out what its long-term plans are for the Kelsey Centre, including how to cover its operating and maintenance costs.
