Dawson Creek is rolling out a wave of construction this summer aimed at fixing up roads, recreation spots, and a key medical building. Work is already underway or about to start on the arena parking lot, the curling rink, the Canalta Subdivision, 94 Avenue, and the city-owned Rimrock Health Centre, according to a recent city projects update.
The main arena parking lot has been graded and its base is ready, with paving now in progress. Next door, the Dawson Creek Curling Club is getting a new canopy, with structural and foundation work underway on its eight-sheet facility. Over in the Canalta Subdivision, crews are tackling the first phase of road and drainage improvements, while 94 Avenue between 8 and 11 Streets will be torn up and fully rebuilt, with underground water, sewer, and drainage lines replaced at the same time.
The city is also fixing up the outside of the Rimrock Health Centre, with new siding and better accessibility making up part of the project. Dawson Creek bought the former Eljen Medical Clinic in July 2024 for about $1.3 million to keep doctors in town after local physicians raised the alarm about losing the practice. The clinic now provides a home for the Chickadee Maternity Collaborative Clinic, and the goal is to grow it into a primary care hub for roughly 6,500 people who currently don’t have a family doctor.
Meanwhile, the sewer trunk main replacement along 110 Avenue, finished last year, is in its final warranty stage. The contractor is still watching over areas where the ground was reseeded to make sure the grass comes in right.
All this work is paid for out of the city’s 2026 capital budget, approved by council back in January as part of a $92-million overall spending plan. To help close a gap between what needs fixing and what was set aside, council raised property taxes by 5.45 per cent this year, which adds about $113 to the average homeowner’s bill. The tax hike is down from an earlier proposed 6.5 per cent increase.
