Over 30 Nelson sports organizations say they are opposed to an affordable housing development that could be built in the city's downtown recreation campus.
The Nelson Regional Sports Council has sent a letter to the City of Nelson asking that a vacant lot located at Front and Cedar Streets next to the Nelson and District Community Complex (NDCC) be used exclusively for recreation.
The lot, which is co-owned by the city and Regional District of Central Kootenay (RDCK), is where Nelson CARES has pitched building a six-storey, 50-unit affordable housing complex that would be attached to the NDCC and feature 5,500 square feet of new recreation space.
David McCulloch, chair of the sports council, says that's not sufficient.
“We need a destination, multi-use facility that will incorporate everything that the community is lacking at the moment with aging infrastructure," said McCulloch. "We need a curling rink, we need indoor soccer, we need an indoor walking track.”
The public request for recreation-specific land comes as several facilities face major renovations or outright closure.
Last fall the city announced the sudden closure of the 89-year-old Civic Arena due to unexpected seismic work. The arena was reopened in December, but could be closed again after the city determined the roof doesn't meet the minimum standards for snow load. The attached Civic Centre was shut down for seven months in 2024 due to roof renovations that left Glacier Gymnastics, Dance Umbrella and Tumbleweeds Gym without a home.
The city has meanwhile told the Nelson Soccer Association it will perform a structural assessment this year of the indoor soccer field, which is attached to the Civic Arena.
There is also currently no place in the city to play curling. The Nelson Curling Club, located next to the NDCC and Civic Arena, was shut down last year due to major structural issues with the foundation, walls and roof. It's unlikely to ever reopen.
The NDCC, which is Nelson's largest indoor sports facility, turns 20 years old in 2025. The building has an ice rink, swimming pool and fitness centre, but Trisha Davison, the RDCK's regional manager of recreation and client services, told the Nelson Star she understands why residents might not think it is big enough to meet current demand.
"Certainly when you see the number of people coming through the door, just even on the fitness centre side [or] general admission coming into the facility, it is hands down the busiest facility."
At a Jan. 27 open house, representatives for Nelson CARES described the proposed building as a dual solution to the city's housing and recreation needs. But the extra space that would be accessed via the NDCC, McCulloch says, is too small for a gymnasium.
“The height of the ceiling is a restriction for basketball and volleyball and badminton and pickleball, because of catchment piece where, if you hit it too high and it shatters lights, you can't hold a tournament. The only thing it does is solves a small jam up problem with the gym.”
The sports council also criticized the public process behind Nelson CARES' efforts, which McCulloch says has been too fast for broad consultation.
The City of Nelson has already granted $15,000 from its affordable housing fund to help Nelson CARES prepare its funding application for the project to BC Housing, which is due this spring. If successful, construction would begin in the early winter and spring of 2026.
City council must still vote in favour of Nelson CARES' rezoning application for it to be approved. A spokesperson for the city said first and second readings are tentatively scheduled for March followed by a public hearing in April.
The sports council expressed concerns that Nelson CARES' project will be approved before the RDCK releases the results of a public survey meant to review local recreation needs that was completed this month. The survey received input from over 2,000 residents and 36 recreation groups, and included a question about land use at Front and Cedar.
Both the city and Nelson CARES, McCulloch said, are treating the proposal as a foregone conclusion.
“The day Nelson CARES puts on their open house, the same day they put up notice of development signs," said McCulloch. "We're trying to work on the collaborative side to ensure ... the right process that were set up within the bylaws and the community transparency and engagement, but we're getting pushed back constantly to slow us down, to allow their sped-up process to push forward.”
Kyle Mace is a board member with the sports council and also volunteers as a director for Nelson Minor Hockey Association. Mace said the association can't host minor hockey tournaments this year due to the threat of an unexpected closure at the Civic Arena should there be heavy snow fall, which the group estimates has cost the local economy just over $1 million in lost tourism revenue.
Mace added he would be supportive of the Nelson CARES' development at a different site.
“We as the sports council fully agree we do need to do something about our housing, because it is a crisis here. We all understand that, but I just think it’s the wrong space.”
One advantage Nelson CARES has is a clear path to funding.
The provincial government has made affordable housing a priority, and Nelson CARES has previous success applying for large grants to help it build and manage complexes such as Hall Street Place — which was built on land next to the NDCC parking lot that had also previously been earmarked for recreation use.
Construction of a new recreation facility would be guided by the RDCK's survey results, but also likely require increased taxation from both city residents as well as the RDCK's Areas E and F. In Castlegar, efforts to renovate and expand the city's rec centre have twice failed following referendums.
McCulloch believes funding for a building can be found, but the city needs to first allow time for residents to decide what should be done.
"The individuals who are sitting at the decision table aren't engaging with the public," he said. "They're hoping that they won't hear about it until it's too late.”
