City of Grande Prairie staff will be looking into the possibility of new indoor recreation facilities in and around Grande Prairie. While discussions are still at the committee level, the hope of committee members is to get a report back on the issue prior to the penning of the 2020-2021 budget this fall.
Councillor Dylan Bressey says as Grande Prairie is very much a winter city, the ideal outcome would see additions to the recreation infrastructure in the city, at a reduced cost.
“The hope is to get new indoor rec facilities that don’t have all the bells and whistles on them;[they] are just basic spaces that can be used year-round,” he says. “You want to meet all the safety codes, you want to make sure it’s a safe building, but you’re not spending a lot of money making it fancy.”
Bressey adds one of the more likely spaces for a proposal is the former Leisure Centre, which is in need of nearly $12 million in repairs. Bressey adds it might be worthwhile putting in something that is more cost-effective but also doesn’t have a lifespan that’s decades-long. He says in an ideal world, indoor recreation spaces would be a perfect fit in two areas of the city.
“I hope to see more space in the north and east ends of town, there are a lot of families, and low-income families which struggle to access the recreation spaces we have right now, and I’d like something that is closer to where they live, but that also isn’t very burdensome for taxpayers.”
The City of Grande Prairie’s budget deliberations are set for November 3rd-5th.