$2 Million Grant for New Heating and Cooling System at Hope & Area Recreation Centre

The Hope & Area Recreation Centre’s heating and cooling systems will receive much-needed upgrades thanks to a $2 million grant recently announced by the Government of Canada and the Province of British Columbia.

The current heating and cooling systems are nearing end-of-life and will be replaced with an integrated heat recovery system that captures heat produced from the ice making process and uses it to heat the buildings and pool. The project is expected to be completed by 2025.

“Supporting green energy solutions is an essential part of our plan to build a healthier economy and environment here in British Columbia and across the country,” said the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Member of Parliament for North Vancouver, on behalf of the Honourable Catherine McKenna, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities. “By working together, we are creating good jobs in our local communities and a healthier future for our children and grandchildren.”

The new system will nearly eliminate the use of natural gas at the facility and substantially reduce the facility’s greenhouse gas emissions – key contributors to climate change. The project will also replace the use of ammonia with a safer refrigerant alternative. The upgrades will improve energy efficiency of the buildings, provide greater worker safety, and reduce overall greenhouse gas emissions by as much as 90%.

“The residents of Hope and the Fraser Valley will have an improved, more energy efficient community recreation centre thanks to this provincial investment in collaboration with local and federal partners,” said George Heyman, B.C. Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy. “Through CleanBC, we are fighting climate change by making buildings more efficient to reduce pollution and create a cleaner, stronger future for everyone.”

“This is an exciting opportunity to demonstrate the FVRD’s leadership and commitment to sustainability,” said Jason Lum, FVRD Board Chair.

The Hope & Area Recreation Centre is home to the Dan Sharrers Aquatic Centre, arena, weight and cardio rooms, fitness studio, and conference centre. The facility is managed by the Fraser Valley Regional District.

“Investing in our infrastructure is important, especially for this facility which is central to our community,” said Mayor Peter Robb of the District of Hope. “We would like to thank the provincial and federal governments for their financial support to allow these upgrades to occur.”

Terry Raymond, Chair of the Recreation, Culture & Airpark Services Commission, said, “We are very proud of our recreation centre and are thrilled to hear about the state-of-the-art upgrades.” 

The joint provincial and federal investment comes from the CleanBC Communities Fund, which is part of the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program’s Green Infrastructure Stream that supports green energy, clean transportation and energy efficiency projects.