Jul 15 2020
Updated: Jul 15 2020
September 12, 2020 has been set as general voting day for the Community Centre Referendum.
The Municipality committed to building a community centre just over four years ago. It struck a committee and design team to develop plans and a strategy for development and operations of the much-needed facility. The building, estimated to cost $14.5 million, will provide 16,000 sq. ft. of highly versatile spaces for recreation, arts and culture, and the community.
Bowen Island Municipality submitted a grant application to the Investing in Canada Infrastructure program in January 2019, building a solid financial, economic, and social case for funding the project. In July 2020, we announced that application was successful in securing $7.9 million in funding provided from the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program’s Community, Culture and Recreation fund by the Government of Canada and the Province of British Columbia to build the Community Centre. These funds, along with Municipal reserves and fundraising to date, bring the amount raised for the project to $10.5 million. An additional $4 million is needed before construction can begin and as envisioned from the beginning, the municipality is seeking public support to borrow that $4,040,000.
Now, one big leap closer to achieving the goal of building this important community amenity, it will be up to the community to make it happen through a successful referendum on September 12, 2020. Fundraising will continue while construction is underway, with the intent of decreasing the amount that would ultimately need to be borrowed.
Look for more information over the next months as we get closer to the referendum date. We encourage those interested in the project to subscribe to our e-newsletter to receive regular updates.
To find out more information on the project, subscribe, or to offer your support via a donation or pledge, please visit the Community Centre website: www.ourislandplace.com. All donations over $25 are tax deductible.