Burke Mountain families will have to wait a while before getting a new recreation facility, and for some, the news is just the latest blow.
First, it seemed to take forever to get a school built in the area; one elementary school is finally on the way and another is being planned.
As well, few new parks have opened to serve families in Coquitlam's newest and fastest-growing area, including one that will soon be built along Collins Road.
And now, for young families moving to the area, it will be years before a rec centre is built to serve their needs close to home.
This wouldn't be such a big deal except we know that ice time is at a premium and local swimming pools are always busy.
Coquitlam is taking a cautious approach to a new rec centre for its northeast neighbourhoods, preferring to watch and see how Port Coquitlam does with its $132-million project before committing.
But the truth is, no matter how much we want a recreation centre with a pool and an ice rink, the cost can be almost prohibitive.
In PoCo, where facilities were long stretched and outdated, residents were willing to buck up to see a new rec centre built, paying for it with a $25 parcel tax for the next four years, plus 2.5% tacked on to their property tax bill for three years, then a further $85 a year to pay off the 30-year, $52-million debt.
The city also had to dip into its internal reserves for $41.2 million and sell a four-acre piece of property for $17 million — and get the feds to kick in $12.5 million just before the last federal election.
With those kind of numbers (although a smaller facility for Burke probably wouldn't cost that much), it's understandable that Coquitlam council would want to wait and see.
Council members might also want to take a page from PoCo's book and consult heavily, and if they find people have an appetite for more facilities despite the cost, could fast-track planning for a rec centre for Burke Mountain.
