Sechelt has added the construction of an outdoor stage at Hackett Park to this year’s work plan after the project was approved for $185,525 from the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program.
The grant approval didn’t come in time for the project to be added to the 2020 capital project list in the last budget, so council voted July 15 to add the project and confirm the remaining $67,475 of the $253,000 budget will come from the capital reserve.
Director of finance David Douglas told council staff felt it was worth including the project in the works planned this year instead of waiting until 2021 because with fewer events going forward as a result of COVID restrictions, construction would be less disruptive.
The design for the stage hasn’t been finalized, said the district’s arts, culture and communications coordinator Siobhan Smith, and staff will be working with potential users to make sure that the design is going to be able to meet their needs.
“I want to make sure that this is a true gathering place,” said Coun. Matt McLean. “Something that can bring people together throughout the year … not just during our big Canada Day, our arts and crafts festival… A nice place to hang out, where we can get a lot more stuff going in the bottom half of Hackett Park, because I think that area is very much underutilized, and it is a wonderful location.”
