The Capital Regional District Board has advanced a new plan to borrow up to $9.114 million to build a smaller recreation centre in Central Saanich, weeks after a pricier version was shot down by Sidney council. The revised proposal shrinks the facility from 10,000 to 7,500 square feet and lowers the annual cost per household across the three peninsula municipalities.
The new bylaw, approved for public input by the CRD Board on July 8, comes after the original $14.2 million borrowing blueprint failed in May when Sidney voted 4-3 against the loan. The Peninsula Recreation Commission then directed staff on May 28 to scale back the project and seek approval for the reduced amount.
If built, the ground-level accessible rec centre would rise at 1882 Hovey Road, across from Centennial Park, as part of Central Saanich’s larger municipal campus that will also include a new police station, fire station, and municipal hall. The rec space is planned with flexible areas for fitness, weight training, arts programs, and children’s activities.
The lower borrowing translates to yearly household costs of roughly $39.72 in Central Saanich, $47.15 in North Saanich, and $30.50 in Sidney, based on a 15-year payback at an estimated 4.36% interest rate. Total repayment would be about $13.14 million, with annual debt payments near $876,000.
Central Saanich is the only peninsula municipality without its own purpose-built indoor recreation centre, even though its residents contribute about 40% of the regional recreation budget. The project has drawn support from the W̱SÁNEĆ Nations, with Chief Abraham Pelkey calling such facilities essential public infrastructure for youth development, mental health, and social inclusion.
The bylaw now requires approval from all three councils—Central Saanich, North Saanich, and Sidney—before it can go to the Inspector of Municipalities for final sign-off. Residents will have a chance to weigh in before any final decisions are made.
