Rocky Mountain House is moving ahead with plans for a larger recreation facility, as town council has set aside $300,000 in this year’s budget for concept drawings. The money will go toward designing a combined civic and recreation centre, bringing together two projects that were originally planned separately in 2025.
The funding is part of the town’s 2026 capital budget, which totals $5,455,550. Recreation is getting a $900,000 share this year, covering playground upgrades, an outdoor washroom near the new bike park, roof repairs at the arena, and more multipurpose trails. The concept drawings for a combined centre are a separate piece of that recreation investment.
Council unanimously accepted a new 10-year Recreation Master Plan in September 2025. That plan, put together by Expedition Consulting Management Ltd., maps out what facilities and programs the community needs over the next decade. The push for a combined civic and recreation building lines up with the strategic plan council adopted in April 2026, which puts a focus on making town more livable and prosperous.
The recreation push is also connected to the Riverview area at the north end of town. An update to the Riverview Outline Plan is being handled by Invistec Consulting Ltd., with a public open house already held in May at the Rocky Regional Recreation Centre. The town has budgeted $200,000 this year to create an engineering plan for Riverview, with the goal of opening up affordable land for new homes.
Meanwhile, the town and Clearwater County are looking at seniors housing needs together. They issued a joint request for proposals in April for a seniors housing assessment, working with the Rocky Seniors Housing Council. The findings could shape whether a seniors housing component fits into the bigger recreation complex vision down the road.
Mayor Shane Boniface, elected in October 2025, has pointed to economic growth and development as key priorities. The town has seen steady population growth, reaching an estimated 7,885 residents in 2024, up nearly five percent from the year before. Council has not yet set a timeline for construction of the new recreation centre, but with concept drawings now funded, the project is taking a concrete step forward.
