Alberni Valley Aquatics Outreach

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linkedin Email this link

The ACRD is conducting the Alberni Valley Aquatics Outreach. We want to invite you to Dive into the Future and provide input on future visioning, financing, and governance options as they explore the feasibility of a replacement for our aging Echo Aquatic Centre (Echo Pool).

The Aquatic Feasibility Study is to provide future development, financing and governance guidance and planning for the replacement of the current Echo Pool located at 4255 Wallace St., Port Alberni, BC V9Y 3Y6.

The current facility is owned and operated solely by the City of Port Alberni; however, Echo Pool operations directly benefit Area B (Beaufort), Area D (Sproat Lake), Area E (Beaver Creek), Area F (Cherry Creek), the City of Port Alberni, Tseshaht First Nation, and Hupačasath First Nation.

The Aquatic Feasibility Study will be overseen by an advisory committee comprised of ACRD elected officials, City of Port Alberni elected officials, First Nations representatives, members of the public from each Alberni Valley Electoral area and supported by ACRD and CPA staff.

SURVEY (Available until June 1st) - The purpose of this survey is to help us better understand community needs and for you to share your ideas.

ASK US A QUESTION - If you have any questions please ask us and we will answer shortly. Questions and answers will be posted publicly unless you specify that you do not wish for your question to be posted publicly.


SHARE YOUR IDEAS - Imagine a room filled with people adding great ideas on a wall and sticking little hearts to other people's ideas when they like it. The Idea tool below does the same on an online space. Use this brainstorming space to share with your community your best ideas!



PROJECT TIMELINE


PHASE ONE: Needs and Benefits Assessment - April to August 2023

This opening phase is all about opening the discussion … don’t worry, there are no decisions being made in Phase One. We’re going to talk about the community’s current aquatic uses and perceived future needs. Our team will summarize what we hear, do some technical research and report back to you through several platforms. We will also seek to engage residents across all communities of the Alberni Valley through public surveys, workshops, and open houses.

Want to have your say? Our public survey launches April 21, 2023 and will remain open through to June 15, 2023.

Want to share ideas in person? Our idea fairs are being planned for May and June 2023. Times and locations will be advertised in the local paper, on our website (Aquatics Centre Feasibility Study (acrd.bc.ca) ) and through Alberni Aquatic Email Updates.

Have a team, club, or interest group that would like to talk Alberni Valley Aquatics? Sign-up for your own small group discussion by emailing: aquatics@acrd.bc.ca


Dive in and stay connected by signing up for our email updates. Not only will you receive all the latest information, you will automatically be entered to win prizes with every round of public engagement.

PHASE TWO: Outreach on Options - September 2023 to February 2024

Drawing on what we heard from the first round of community engagement and our technical research, a short list of conceptual design options for a new aquatic centre will be created. These options will be complemented by discussion forums around financial, governance, and service delivery options.

We want to discuss what aquatic centre options could meet our future needs, and more importantly, we want to ensure we all understand the associated financial costs and service delivery models.

Feedback received from Phase Two of public discussion will be used to create a comprehensive Aquatic Centre Feasibility Study Report that is true to the community’s desires. This report will provide the community's preferred option for the future of aquatics and recommended next steps for consideration by various elected bodies within the Alberni Valley, including but not limited to the ACRD Board, the City of Port Alberni Council, Tseshaht Council, and Hupačasath Council.

Decisions on what, if anything, to advance in Phase Three of this process may be made by elected bodies at the end of Phase Two.

Public engagement actions in Phase Two include: Community Survey, Open House Discussions, small group discussions.

PHASE THREE: OPTIONAL – Advancing a preferred Vision - March 2024 to January 2025

Any steps identified for Phase Three will depend on the decisions of elected bodies that come from the final report delivered at the end of Phase Two. These decisions could include creating a regional aquatics service or the development of a function for financing a new facility. Any of the actions taken in this Phase will legally require actions that include public outreach, the development of a clear service bylaw, as well as a public assent process (e.g. a public referendum).

The ACRD is conducting the Alberni Valley Aquatics Outreach. We want to invite you to Dive into the Future and provide input on future visioning, financing, and governance options as they explore the feasibility of a replacement for our aging Echo Aquatic Centre (Echo Pool).

The Aquatic Feasibility Study is to provide future development, financing and governance guidance and planning for the replacement of the current Echo Pool located at 4255 Wallace St., Port Alberni, BC V9Y 3Y6.

The current facility is owned and operated solely by the City of Port Alberni; however, Echo Pool operations directly benefit Area B (Beaufort), Area D (Sproat Lake), Area E (Beaver Creek), Area F (Cherry Creek), the City of Port Alberni, Tseshaht First Nation, and Hupačasath First Nation.

The Aquatic Feasibility Study will be overseen by an advisory committee comprised of ACRD elected officials, City of Port Alberni elected officials, First Nations representatives, members of the public from each Alberni Valley Electoral area and supported by ACRD and CPA staff.

SURVEY (Available until June 1st) - The purpose of this survey is to help us better understand community needs and for you to share your ideas.

ASK US A QUESTION - If you have any questions please ask us and we will answer shortly. Questions and answers will be posted publicly unless you specify that you do not wish for your question to be posted publicly.


SHARE YOUR IDEAS - Imagine a room filled with people adding great ideas on a wall and sticking little hearts to other people's ideas when they like it. The Idea tool below does the same on an online space. Use this brainstorming space to share with your community your best ideas!



PROJECT TIMELINE


PHASE ONE: Needs and Benefits Assessment - April to August 2023

This opening phase is all about opening the discussion … don’t worry, there are no decisions being made in Phase One. We’re going to talk about the community’s current aquatic uses and perceived future needs. Our team will summarize what we hear, do some technical research and report back to you through several platforms. We will also seek to engage residents across all communities of the Alberni Valley through public surveys, workshops, and open houses.

Want to have your say? Our public survey launches April 21, 2023 and will remain open through to June 15, 2023.

Want to share ideas in person? Our idea fairs are being planned for May and June 2023. Times and locations will be advertised in the local paper, on our website (Aquatics Centre Feasibility Study (acrd.bc.ca) ) and through Alberni Aquatic Email Updates.

Have a team, club, or interest group that would like to talk Alberni Valley Aquatics? Sign-up for your own small group discussion by emailing: aquatics@acrd.bc.ca


Dive in and stay connected by signing up for our email updates. Not only will you receive all the latest information, you will automatically be entered to win prizes with every round of public engagement.

PHASE TWO: Outreach on Options - September 2023 to February 2024

Drawing on what we heard from the first round of community engagement and our technical research, a short list of conceptual design options for a new aquatic centre will be created. These options will be complemented by discussion forums around financial, governance, and service delivery options.

We want to discuss what aquatic centre options could meet our future needs, and more importantly, we want to ensure we all understand the associated financial costs and service delivery models.

Feedback received from Phase Two of public discussion will be used to create a comprehensive Aquatic Centre Feasibility Study Report that is true to the community’s desires. This report will provide the community's preferred option for the future of aquatics and recommended next steps for consideration by various elected bodies within the Alberni Valley, including but not limited to the ACRD Board, the City of Port Alberni Council, Tseshaht Council, and Hupačasath Council.

Decisions on what, if anything, to advance in Phase Three of this process may be made by elected bodies at the end of Phase Two.

Public engagement actions in Phase Two include: Community Survey, Open House Discussions, small group discussions.

PHASE THREE: OPTIONAL – Advancing a preferred Vision - March 2024 to January 2025

Any steps identified for Phase Three will depend on the decisions of elected bodies that come from the final report delivered at the end of Phase Two. These decisions could include creating a regional aquatics service or the development of a function for financing a new facility. Any of the actions taken in this Phase will legally require actions that include public outreach, the development of a clear service bylaw, as well as a public assent process (e.g. a public referendum).

  • CLOSED: This survey has concluded. Thanks so much for your participation. We had a remarkable 1250 responses.

    Alberni Valley Aquatic Outreach - Feasibility Study Public Survey #1

    1250 responses

    The Echo Aquatic Centre has provided 57 years of excellent service to the Alberni Valley. Although the Echo Centre is available to the community today, the pool is outdated, maintenance costs are growing to unsustainable levels, and there will soon come a time when it is no longer able to continue serving the community. To address this, the Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District (ACRD) is undertaking a planning process and feasibility study to establish what the aquatic needs and wants of the community are, as well as to map out how to best provide, govern, and finance these services into the future. Governance and financial considerations will be coming in future community engagement and a second survey will be offered in the Fall of 2023.

    We are in the first phase of a three-phase planning process.  We need your help to shape the vision and inform how we should implement the next steps in our regional discussion.

    Dip your toe into the water first.

     

    You can get more information about this project prior to diving into the survey by checking out the Frequently Asked Questions on the right side of the page.

     

    Ready to Dive in?

     

    Take this 10-minute survey now.

    Take Survey
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linkedin Email this link
Page last updated: 16 Jun 2023, 08:12 AM