After months of public consultation, Creston town council has decided not to move forward — for now — with a potential reclassification from town to city.
In 2011, the population hit 5,000, making it eligible for city status. The 2021 Statistics Canada Census recorded Creston’s population at 5,583 while, more recently, it was estimated to have grown to 6,166 residents in 2024. Beyond the town’s boundaries, approximately 14,000 residents live in the surrounding communities of the valley.
A survey was conducted between April 9 and May 9 that gathered input from residents on whether the municipality should pursue re-classification. Of the 218 respondents, 62 per cent said no, 25 per cent said yes, 12 per cent were unsure, and 1 per cent had no opinion.
The survey was distributed both online and by mail to every household in Creston. Residents who supported the idea cited growth, improved public services, and potential grant opportunities, as well as attraction of new businesses, residents, and professionals. Those opposed raised concerns about loss of the town’s small-town character, increased taxes, and more crime coming along with too much urban development.
“The prevalent piece that came through was that close-knit feeling — they didn’t want that to be dissolved,” said Kirsten Dunbar, director of corporate services. “Then some fear around increased taxes, but as a point of clarification, municipal classification and taxes are not linked.”
She added becoming a city doesn’t automatically change council's legislative responsibilities. Based on the concerns mentioned in the report, she advised council to not take any further action at this time and instead focus on public education of the advantages and disadvantages of re-classification to a city.
“Having said that, it is a great opportunity and one of those things that you build on," Dunbar said. "A key factor that we tried to communicate is when you make a change, it takes time to take effect. So, a lot of the economic development impacts that we may feel would be a building block on that in the future."
In regards to potential for more grant funding, Councillor Norm Eisler thought that possibility might change the perception of concerned citizens.
“It’s hard to be really definitive with that," said Dunbar. "When provincial and federal bodies look at granting, they really try to focus where it would go and have the most amount of impact. Part of changing to a city is also acknowledging that we are growing, that we are an economic hub for the outside area, and we do benefit a wider community than just the Town of Creston ... so there's potential."
Councillor Carolyn Hawton noted the survey offered insight into how residents perceive taxation.
"There were lots of comments around ‘If we become a city, our taxes are going to increase because of that designation.’ Maybe a bit more clarifying information is needed because those comments were prominent," she said.
She also suggested more community education around how and why the town applies for grants.
Councillor Keith Baldwin was pleased with the public's engagement and also emphasized the need for more education on the implications of possible re-classification in the future.
“We really needed to see if we were on the right track, and clearly, this is probably not the right time to push this," he said. "There’s not a time limit to do this, but there is also an opportunity to do a better job of clarifying what it would mean and why we could do it now or we could do it 20 years (from now)."
The obvious love for the small-town feel of Creston was something that resonated with him, Baldwin added.
“The vision for me is to say, no matter what, if we have a dream of being a city and we have the numbers to be a city, we are a town by nature."
Mayor Arnold DeBoon echoed that sentiment.
“I think one of my favourite comments (from the survey) was - we all come from the Creston Valley. I like that idea — that we’re all from the Creston Valley. It makes everybody feel included," he said.
“The community of Erickson is also so connected to us that, if you take that population, we’ve surpassed the city size a long time ago. But there’s still that boundary there. And that’s why it’s simply — we live in the valley, whether we’re in the town of Creston or out in Canyon, Lister, or anywhere in this valley. And I think we all have a sense of pride in the beauty of this valley and what it has to offer.”
Council unanimously agreed to receive the survey and Dunbar’s staff report for information only.
“We've kind of settled this question for now," said DeBoon. "This was prompted by our centennial. We thought now is the time to start thinking about that, but we do have good feedback from our citizens, and I think it’s valuable enough for us to make a decision.”
