Two community projects are underway after groundbreaking ceremonies earlier this week.
On July 18, representatives from the provincial government, Sun Peaks Mountain Resort Municipality (SPMRM) and Tourism Sun Peaks (TSP) gathered to commemorate construction on the community plaza and rink stage.
The community plaza project comes after SPMRM received $898,241 in February as part of the province’s Community Economic Recovery Infrastructure Program.
Located at the Sun Peaks Centre, the plaza will include a gathering space with seating, an area for performances, a playground and small water fountain splash park. SPMRM is working with the Little Shuswap Lake Band to incorporate Secwépemc designs and features.
“Right now there aren’t so many gathering spots,” Mayor Al Raine told SPIN in February. “There’s lots of people wandering through the village, but we do need an area where there might be some park benches if you wanted to have a picnic. If there are some entertainers around, they could perform out of there.”
The estimated cost of the project is around $1.5 million. TSP contributed $350,000 to create the playground and Adaptive Sports Sun Peaks also gave financial support to ensure the addition of inclusive play features. The remainder of the costs will be paid through private donations.
The plaza will be built at the current location of the tennis courts. The municipality plans to move the courts to the east of P5 and add pickleball as well.
Most of the plaza is expected to be completed by the fall, with construction of final components planned for spring 2023.
As for the new rink stage, construction began earlier this spring. SPMRM plans to create an enclosed space for concerts and events by adding a 20 foot extension onto the north side of the rink.
This project will cost around $1.1 million. SPMRM received $700,000 through the province’s Tourism Dependent Community Fund last year and TSP contributed $299,000. The municipality will pay the remaining costs.
The goal of the stage is to host shoulder season events and help the community become a tourist destination in any season.
“My hope is that we’ll be doing regular concerts and things like that there … Even if it rains, we’ll be nice and dry inside,” Raine said.
The stage completion is planned for October 2022.
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