Regina city council votes unanimously in favour of $128M in federal dollars for new aquatic centre

Regina city council voted unanimously to move forward and apply for a total of $128 million in funding from Ottawa for a new aquatics centre and geothermal facility during Wednesday’s council meeting.

One of the prerequisites of approval for federal dollars from the program is to have a location of a project approved.

Council also unanimously voted on keeping the aquatics centre where the Lawson currently sits.

The deadline to apply for the funding from the federal government is March 14.

Replacing the current Lawson Aquatics Centre is one of five projects recommended in the city’s Catalyst Committee report.

• Report recommends new aquatic centre, central library and event centre for Regina

The federal government still needs to approve the funding, which could take 12 to 18 months.

“It's satisfying to know that we've gone through the next hurdle where we've got unanimous support of those present,” Regina Mayor Sandra Masters said. “Hopefully we will get the funding and I think it will be a quite an incredible facility at the end of the day.”

The application for Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP) designates $128 million from the fund project.

If the ICIP funding were acquired, $108 million would go toward the new centre with the remaining $20 million going toward a geothermal heating facility.

“The federal government still has the ability to approve, but we know the inclusion of geothermal is incredibly attractive because they are very supportive of alternate sources of heating and energy,” explained Masters.

ICIP funding would see the federal government contribute a total of $51.2 million with the province adding an additional $42.7 milion, leaving the remaining $34.1 of the funding up to the city.

The City of Regina would need to allocate a total lump sum of $95.3 million dollars.

Masters explained that there is a reserve of $16 million from previous savings and will allocate around $55 million into the cities' debt.

While the geothermal facility will help save the city money, the city will have to find a way to offset operational costs.

“I think we are looking at that .5 building that in on a continuous basis for the mill rate, makes it digestible at the same time and actually allows [the city] the capability to invest in what we need to invest in,” Masters said.

City administration said design plans will take an additional 18 months. meaning construction will take place in the later stages of 2024 or early 2025 with a new aquatics centre sometime in 2028.

A survey done last year indicated that a new aquatics centre was, “not at all a priority” for 27.5 per cent of respondents.

The survey, released in December of 2022, had 4,438 participants. The City of Regina also said it received more than 12,000 open ended comments.

The Catalyst Committee’s report recommended that a new aquatics centre should be constructed at the current site of the Lawson Aquatics centre, with the Yards site considered as a secondary location.

The federal dollars would come from Ottawa’s Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP).

According to the Catalyst Committee’s report, a new aquatics centre would cost about $172.7 million.

Other projects recommended by the Catalyst Committee included a new indoor multi-purpose events centre and central library replacement.