Council passed two motions At the June 9 meeting after an extensive report was presented by City staff on a way to move forward to ensure another 50 years of life for the municipal outdoor pool facility.
Council debated entering into an agreement with Ready Splash Recreation Limited to retrofit the city’s pool.
Both motions were to fully rehabilitate the pool and related underground infrastructure and also to fully replace all of the above ground infrastructure to meet current required health and safety regulations.
In the report, staff noted that the pool in its current state had reached its end of life, pointing out a high level of leaks, health issues, frequent shutdowns, safety liabilities and structural integrity in a long list of issues identified in the report supported by a structural engineer and pool experts reports.
However, the report stated the pool can be saved if immediate action is taken. Construction on the project will start within the next month.
The entire project will be a $280,000 investment, with some added contingency built above the cost, but this will not be passed onto the city’s taxpayers. City staff identified some surplus funds and already secured grants to cover 100 per cent of this project. Mayor John Bolt and Council unanimously passed both motions.
Unfortunately due to construction and the inability to open the pool in its current state, the municipal pool will be shut down for this summer. A grand opening of the fully renovated pool will be announced in early summer of 2026.
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The City of Greenwood’s partnership in the West Boundary Community Forest (WBCF) has brought in a six-figure payout for the municipality.
The City received a $200,000 dividend cheque from the forest board, which was presented during the meeting by Elly Macmaster.
Each year, the WBCF distributes dividends to its shareholders — the City of Greenwood and the Village of Midway — as part of its commitment to sustainable forestry and community reinvestment.
The contribution will be re-invested in the city, helping fund important infrastructure projects that benefit all who live, work, and play there.
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City Hall could be getting a major revamp thanks to new grants coming from the province and federal government.
CAO Dean Trumbley told council now that the federal and provincial governments are settling in after their prospective elections, grants are becoming available and one that could be useful is the Strategic Community Fund through UBCM for up to $7 million. This fund could help with plans to completely revamp City Hall, said Trumbley, as he was looking at FireSmarting the building, adding wheelchair access and increase the lifespan of the building.
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Plans to revitalize the city’s curling club are evolving to also make it a warming and cooling emergency centre if needed thanks to some specialized funding.
The Emergency Preparedness Fund is now available for applications, he said, which could help revamp the centre.
Once city staff and himself are finished with the current Public Works mapping and planning, he is looking at making the curling rink into a multi-use recreational facility. After a series of emails with the RDKB, he explained that due to the size of the building, it can also be used as a regional evacuation centre. This funding would allow them to put in a current HVAC system, showers, restrooms and a commercial kitchen.
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The search for another fire truck is bearing fruit as two have been identified that are within the budget range for the city.
The city has been searching for one more slightly used fire truck to add to the fleet as the current equipment begins to age out.
Trumbley said whichever truck they do go with, both have about 16 to 20 years of service life left on them. Another three and possibly a fourth have also been identified as suitable. Once they have a final number of truck to choose from, the fire department and city staff will meet to put together a final report to present to council.
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What meeting city representatives wanted to have during the Union of British Columbia (UBCM) conference in September were up for discussion, with meeting with the premier given priority.
There were several suggestions from Mayor John Bolt and Councillors Gerry Shaw, CJ Rhodes and Clin Huisman ranging from housing and development, to utilizing the city’s parks and forestry and even talking directly to the Premier about the city’s asset management success.
Trumbley reminded Council that a “shotgun” approach wouldn’t help get them an audience with ministers. He suggested everyone schedule a meeting with him so they can go over what information would be needed to have a more focused approach to their suggestions.
Shaw added when going to these meetings to also have a few solutions in mind as well.
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A small error had to be corrected in regards to communication with the upcoming BC 55+ Games.
Corporate Officer Brooke McCourt pointed out at the May 26 meeting, Council received communication from the organizers regarding communities participating. That was just to invite any seniors from communities to apply to participate in various sports, she said, not if communities wanted to host events.
The games are being held in Nanaimo Sept. 9 to 13.
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Don’t expect to see the City of Greenwood cake float in the Grand Forks Canada Day Parade.
An invitation to participate was received, said McCourt, but no one among city staff can go due to it being a busy time of year, but the invitation was extended to the Mayor and Council.
Councillor Rhodes said the float likely won’t be there, as he joked it likely wouldn’t survive the journey due to it being mostly “flour and water.”
