Victoria hopes to get at least $12 million worth of federal help in replacing the Crystal Pool and building more bike lanes.
The city is applying for $12 million worth of gas-tax funding — $6 million for the pool replacement and $6 million for development of more all-ages-and-abilities bike lanes through the Capital Infrastructure Projects fund administered by the Union of B.C. Municipalities
Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps, in Ottawa for the Federation of Canadian Municipalities convention, which ends today, was also meeting federal officials to press for more funding for the pool.
The feds agreed to consider the pool project if it receives provincial support, she said.
“The good news is that there is money for recreation and social infrastructure,” Helps said from Ottawa.
“Crystal Pool is a good fit for the money that’s there. We just have to make the case to the province, and then the province to the federal government.”
In Ottawa, Helps took part in a summit held in part to encourage the federal government to develop and fund a national cycling strategy.
“You can move more people with less tax dollars with cycling than you can in any other kind of infrastructure,” Helps said, adding she is optimistic about the gas-tax funding.
“Both projects are really solid projects. They’re shovel-ready. They meet the spirit and intent of the gas-tax funding. They increase well-being. They are relatively inexpensive infrastructure investment for the amount of social good and long-term benefits. So I am very optimistic.”
The $12 million in funding would be on top of about $3.1 million a year in gas-tax funding the city already receives. That money has been used on projects such as bike lanes and the David Foster Harbour Pathway, but this year was largely used for sewer work, Helps said.
The UBCM gas-tax fund provides money to B.C. local governments for infrastructure that is large in scale, regional in impact, or innovative and supportive of productivity and economic growth, a clean environment, and strong cities and communities.
The fund is guided by national objectives including similar goals.
The city will hold a referendum in the fall, seeking voters’ support to borrow up to $59.4 million to build a new recreation complex adjacent to the existing Crystal Pool.
Councillors decided in February to replace rather than refurbish the 45-year-old facility at an estimated cost of up to $69.4 million. It has $10 million in reserves that would go toward the project, but the balance, minus outside grants, would have to be borrowed.
The new facility, with an estimated life of 50 years, would have a 50-metre pool, better accessibility, expanded programs and family change rooms. The existing facility would remain open during construction.
The city opened its first 1.2 kilometres of protected, two-way bike lane on Pandora Avenue, between Cook and Store streets, last month.
Built at a cost of $3.4 million, it is the first leg of a strategy focused on building 5.4 km of protected bike lanes in the downtown core by the end of 2018.
Next up will be construction of a similar bike lane on Fort Street, between Wharf and Cook streets.
Helps says she wants that project to begin construction by the end of September at the latest.
