The City of Quesnel has received $574,191 from the Northern Development Initiative Trust (NDIT)’s Strategic Initiatives Fund to support aesthetic and technological upgrades to some of its facilities.
The funding will go towards advancing Quesnel’s ability to host events, with the West Fraser Centre a new key location for the city.
The Strategic Initiatives Fund was launched in January of this year and is designed to give communities the chance to propose projects that are strategic in nature and, specifically, support long-term economic transformation and sustainability.
The upgrades are slated mainly for the Quesnel Curling Centre, with additional plans to beautify the outdoor plaza area and link the three buildings with technology.
The Curling Centre will receive upgrades to its facade, integrating the building’s appearance with West Fraser Centre and Arena 2. The curling lounge will also be renovated, and electronic scoreboards will be installed.
Murals will be added to the west exterior wall of the Curling Centre and the east wall of Arena 2 (the walls that face the parking lot). Artists for these projects have not yet been chosen.
West Fraser Centre, Arena 2 and the Curling Centre will be wired with a closed-circuit television system to allow spectators in each venue to see other events going on in other buildings, and the buildings will all have Wifi.
Power outlets will be run out to the plaza area – the open, paved space between the West Fraser Centre and the Curling Centre – so that outdoor pop-up events can be held. In addition, the City will add beautification elements to the plaza that are similar to those being installed this summer on Reid Street – including benches, lighting, trees and decorative features – to create a uniform look in the downtown core.
The upgrades are planned to be completed by February 2019, when Quesnel will host the 2019 Men’s Provincial Curling play-downs.
The city hopes these upgrades will increase Quesnel’s success in bidding to host various events.
“We feel this could be an ongoing opportunity with many economic benefits,” explains Quesnel Mayor Bob Simpson.
Quesnel is currently in the running to host Minerals North, an annual conference for the minerals industry, in 2020, with the host city set to be announced this week. The conference would bring between 400 and 600 people to Quesnel.
“That medium level of 400 to 600 attendees – that’s what we can accommodate between hotels, transport and our ability to host,” says Simpson.
To that end, last year the city hired an event co-ordinator, Charlene Lawrence, to work to attract groups to host their events in Quesnel. She says this most recent funding will make her job easier.
“[The upgrades] make it just much easier to sell. When we apply to host these big events, that all plays a factor,” she says.
Lawrence is currently working to take stock of what kind of events Quesnel could host in the future, whether at the arenas or other venues around town including Alex Fraser Park and the Soccer Complex.
“I’ve talked to a lot of non-profits in town about what they host and what they could host, and how I can help them do that,” she explains.
“There are so many things we could bring in and we are only just getting into it. Kamloops named itself the ‘Tournament Capital’ of B.C., well we could name ourselves the ‘Hosting Capital’. We have a lot of great possibilities; our venues are great and our experience is really good.”
Lawrence says she and her team have also approached Rogers Hometown Hockey about an event, but the organization has not made any decisions yet.
A total of $1.27 million was allocated by NDIT through its Strategic Initiatives Fund for five development projects in Northern B.C.
Other groups awarded funds include the Metlakatla Band Council, Lillooet Tribal Council, Williams Lake Indian Band and City of Williams Lake.