The City of Vernon is investing $28.6 million into capital works projects in 2025, and on Thursday it gave residents the chance to see how that money is being spent.
A capital works open house was held at the Recreation Centre March 6. Over the course of two hours, close to 200 people came out to the auditorium, which was filled with city employees heading various departments where capital works money is being spent this year, ready to explain projects and answer questions.
The biggest project currently in the works is the Active Living Centre (ALC), which is being built beside Kal Tire Place on the Kin Race Track lands. The ALC is expected to be completed in the fall of 2026 at a maximum cost of about $135,941,000.
Construction of the ALC has been going on since April 2024, and at the open house Doug Ross, former recreation director and current ALC coordinator, said parts of the ALC's pool have been completed.
"I was standing inside the 25-meter pool last week," he told The Morning Star. "The excavation has started on the 50-meter pool and structural steel is starting to go up above it. Soon, people are going to see glulam beams start to go up as well. It's going to start to look more and more like a building. The towers that you already see there, those are the stairwells and the elevator shafts."
Being such a big ticket item, the ALC has been a topic of hot discussion among Vernonites. But Ross said 99 per cent of people he talked to at the open house are excited about the project.
"I've talked to young families and they're really looking forward to being able to have their kids participate in the facility, and a lot of people talking about being able to have swimming lessons in there," Ross said, adding older adults are looking forward to features such as the hot tub and the cold plunge pool.
In terms of misconceptions about the ALC, Ross said he was able to talk with residents who believed there isn't going to be enough fun features in the facility.
"You've got the wow wave ball, you've got the waterslide, you've got the ninja cross course going into the pool area, so lots of fun things to do in the facility."
Meanwhile, city infrastructure manager Mark Dowhaniuk was answering questions about major projects. He said the three biggest infrastructure projects the city is doing this year are the Silver Star Road and Phoenix Drive roundabout (to be completed by the end of September), the Pleasant Valley Road and 39th Avenue roundabout and the Polson Park creek naturalization project.
Construction on the Pleasant Valley and 39th roundabout is set to begin Monday, March 10. Replacing a four-way stop, the roundabout is designed to improve traffic flow, reduce congestion and enhance pedestrian safety at the intersection. Work won't wrap up until November and until then, the intersection will be fully closed, with detour routes in effect for drivers, cyclists and pedestrians. The project includes underground utility upgrades, new street lighting, pedestrian crossing flashers, curbs, gutters and retaining walls. Anti-skid pavement will also be added to address downhill speeds approaching the intersection.
Dowhaniuk said phase one of Polson Park creek naturalization was largely completed last year with the removal of concrete structures in the creek and the rebuilding of the floodplain. Some bridge crossings were just completed in the last couple weeks. Phase two is expected to begin soon with the same contractor doing work upstream from where phase one was done. The project is expected to be completed this fall and once complete, the city will look at reinvesting in recreation amenities around the park, Dowhaniuk said.
He added a lot of people who came to the open house were "quite surprised" at how many projects are being undertaken this year.
Some of those projects are being spearheaded by the city's transportation department. Danielle DeVries, manager of transportation, said the one of the biggest projects in her department this year is the Transportation Plan, which is being done alongside the Official Community Plan and will map out all of the transportation projects to be completed over the next 20 years.
As far as 2025 transportation projects go, the city is working on a crosswalk on Silver Star Road at MacDonald Road, finishing the multi-use path at 46th Avenue and Pleasant Valley Road and adding some transit stops.
The city is also improving safety at two intersections that have had a high number of collisions. Those intersections are 34th Street and 25th Avenue by the Wholesale Club, and 27th Street and 48th Avenue by the mall.
DeVries said a popular question at the open house was when 20th Street is going to be upgraded, and she was able to tell folks that that project is in the capital plan for 2027.
Public engagement for the transportation plan is also coming up in May.
For information on 17 capital works projects taking place this year, view the City of Vernon's website.
