WATCH:
READ MORE: Council zeros in on Balment Park indoor facility location
City council is moving towards the final approval of formally offering land at Balment Park for a proposed indoor sports facility that would be situated on the existing BMX track course. A motion introduced by Councillor Ron Popoff and passed in chambers will see the city provide a letter to the Kootenay East Youth Soccer Association that will outline conditions to be met before offering a License of Occupation.
A statement from the Cranbrook Bike Skills Society expressed disappointment with council’s vote and asked how a not-for-profit society is expected to pay for the construction of a new course.
The statement also lamented the loss of contributions from local businesses who supported the existing track and the thousands of volunteer hours put in to build it.
READ MORE: New apartment building planned for Laurie Middle School neighbourhood
Council gave first reading to a zoning amendment that gets the ball rolling on a plan to build a four-storey apartment building in the Laurie Middle School neighbourhood.
The proposed zoning amendment to a high density multi-family residential designation would allow for a 20-unit building, which would be owned by BC Housing.
Two existing four-plexes are on the property, however, both are currently vacated and one of them is no longer safe to occupy, according to a staff report.
Cranbrook awards two contracts for road, water main construction
The City of Cranbrook has awarded two road projects to Mackay Contracting, which are set to begin later this spring and into the summer.One project includes road construction and water main replacement at 13th Ave. between 4th Street South and 6th St. South. In addition to the new road and water main infrastructure, a new sidewalk is also included in the project.The second contract is for a major storm sewer trunk main upgrade at Kootenay St. and 4th St. N, which will improve the function and capacity of that particular section of pipeline, which is designed to mitigate backup and localized flooding events.That project is expected to start in July or August, as dictated by federal fisheries regulations as the work involves infrastructure that carries creek flows.
Cranbrook awards two contracts for road, water main construction
READ MORE: Province extends heritage site agreement with Fort Steele society
The provincial government has extended a five-year heritage site management agreement with the Friends of Fort Steele Society.
Fort Steele, a provincially-owned heritage property near Cranbrook, has been operated by the Friends of Fort Steele Society since 2004 and showcases what the pioneer community was like in the late 1800s.
Fort Steele hosts up to 50,000 visitors a year, on average, to take in attractions such as the Wildhorse Theatre, Clydesdale horses and a restored steam engine locomotive.
Further planned developments at the site include restoring a historic hotel as a bed and breakfast, a new campsite and children’s playground, a hiking and biking trail system and a livestock breeding program for Clydesdale horses and heritage pigs.
READ MORE: Boys and Girls Club closes daycare program
The Cranbrook Boys and Girls Club is closing their daycare for young children due to a lack of sustainable and qualified staffing of Early Childhood Educators in the community.
The closure of Little Journeys daycare, for children aged between three- to five-years-old, is a reflection of the crisis for qualified childcare staff in Cranbrook and across the province, according to Tim Matwey, the Executive Director of the club.
The closure is set for Wednesday, May 1st, 2019 and is the first time in nearly 50 years the club has had to shutter a program.
