Kelowna gets mini-community centre paid for by the province

KELOWNA – Kelowna city council agreed Monday to join with the school district to create what’s officially called a Neighbourhood Learning Centre but is really a mini-community centre in the South Mission.

The agreement gives the city “indoor recreation facilities with no capital investment, immediately adjacent to a proposed community park and recreation sports field,” city staff reported to council today, Sept. 24.

The provincial government pays the construction cost – which adds up to 15 per cent to the size of the Canyon Falls Junior Middle School – while the city will have to pay operating and maintenance costs.

In practical terms that means the gym will be bigger with some city access outside of school hours. There are also two large rooms, washrooms with external year-round access to serve the Canyon Falls Park and possible access to art and drama rooms.

The rooms may be used for a pre-school and adult fitness programs. Full day camps will be offered during spring break and in the summer.

Council directed staff to complete the agreement with School District 23, marking the culmination of a process that began in the spring of 2017. The city’s share of operating costs will come back to council in December as part of the 2019 provisional budget discussions.

The city has similar agreements in four other schools: Watson Road Elementary, Bankhead Elementary and South Kelowna Elementary and Okanagan Mission Secondary schools.

Canyon Falls Middle School is currently under construction and scheduled to open in the fall of 2019, when city programs will be gradually introduced.

The school is about 8,500 square metres in three stories south of Crawford Estates and will cost about $36 million to build.

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