Here we are again. It’s time to debate the future of recreation in the City of Abbotsford. To some this may feel like a new issue. Advocacy groups like Abby Rec Advocacy (Instagram: @abbyrecadvocacy) have brought real attention to our lack of facilities, but this issue didn’t start in this election cycle. In fact, it began way back in 2006. Twenty years ago, the citizens of Abbotsford voted in a referendum to borrow the money that would be used to fund Plan A. Plan A was a highly controversial development plan that would see the building of The Reach, expansion of ARC, but most funds we spent on the construction of the Rogers Forum.
At that time, the city proposed to borrow $85 million to funds these projects. By the time the work was done, the projects were estimated to have gone over budget as much as $50 million for a total, before interest, of $135 million with most of the cost overruns carried in the building of the Forum.
The referendum, which added 11% to every single resident’s property tax in 2006, was hotly contested. One of the major opponents to Plan A was Vince Dimanno. During the lead up to the vote, he is quoted as saying “Set aside the debt, the interest, the ongoing costs and the lack of facilities the public can actually use, one of the unforeseen consequences of Plan A is that it will put an end to any further investment in recreation in this town for years to come”.
Twenty years later and not a single major recreation facility has been constructed.
Why not? It’s not for lack of funding.
The City of Abbotsford’s 2025 Financial Statements show a cash holding of $390 million. Those are your tax dollars sitting there waiting for a plan. In twenty years, none has come.
Wait you say. Hasn’t the City just announced new pools and arenas? Yes, but as you can see from the chart below, this does no more than catch us up to our neighbours.
This lack of investment has a direct effect on our local economy. Having amenities for your citizens is not just so kids can learn to swim in a modern, safe environment, it is also about attracting investment and economic growth.
This is simply illustrated through population growth. Both of our closest neighbours have seen population growth outpacing our own. This is important because the people that move to your town invest in it by starting businesses, adding to the local economy, and increasing the property tax base.
The knock-on effect is seen in building permit values. You actually need to look closely at historical comparisons here. In the chart below, our neighbours are outpacing us in every category. In Chilliwack, their growth was fast that the city made a decision to slow down so its infrastructure could catch up.
We compete for this growth and while it is fair to say Abbotsford is growing, it is definitely being skipped over by many developers, and we are most definitely NOT the economic hub of the Fraser Valley.
A major factor of growth is “livability”. Recreation facilities are a key element of livability, and the announcement of new facilities feels politically and economically desperate.
What about the future?
New facilities are always welcome, but as we head into an election there are two key takeaways for voters to consider when making their choices at the ballot box.
Firstly, the City of Abbotsford needs a much more active City Council. The Abbotsford Recreation Centre swimming pool was built in 1971. The Matsqui Recreation Centre pool in 1991. We simply can’t wait for new projects and ideas to materialize only when elections are pending, and community groups apply pressure. You elect them to lead; you shouldn’t have to beg for new facilities.
Secondly, the Plan A debt payments are coming to an end. During the referendum, it was promised that this property tax increase would be reversed when the debt was paid. In fact, the debt was itemized on Property Tax Statements for a couple of years, but then the City removed them. You can speculate why.
Each candidate for city council seems to list “fiscal responsibility, transparency and accountability” as part of their platform. Hold them to it. Get their commitment to lower taxes collected for Plan A or get their commitment to keep taking them. Demand they invest every single penny in recreation here in Abbotsford.
This new fund would accumulate millions of dollars every year and the City could plan the introduction of new facilities based on a plan that would keep us building… without debt. This is the perfect time to create a Recreation Commission made up of community advocates to plan development that is non-partisan and non-political.
The citizens of Abbotsford need real change. Not doing anything isn’t a choice anymore.
–The Editor–
My property taxes have gone up 33% over the last 10 or so years. As the Abbotsford Today says, once the Plan A debt is paid off, the 11% would be removed. I and many other rate payers would like to see this come into effect. If the city is interested in funding new recreation facilities, there should be a vote on this as there was on Plan A when George Perry was mayor. If there is an issue with lack of recreation facilities keeping families from moving to Abbotsford (which I don’t believe is the case), then that should be presented to voters. Why not let the taxpayers decide?
I think we would all love to see the 11% property tax increase allocated to pay the Plan A debt returned to Abbotsford Taxpayers. However, we’re being realistic that City Hall removed that calculation from property tax statements years ago, with the explicit intention of never reversing that increase. When it was approved in a referendum in 2006, the total tax increase that year was 17%. City financial statements show that there has been a $300 million surplus in the city budget for half a dozen years and they haven’t given that tax money back have they? So, we are making the case to invest in something the city needs. Yes, people are not moving to Abbotsford because of a lack of facilities. You can see that in the article. More building, more growth in the cities around us and its not even close. Whatever you want, its time to vote.
I tried to submit a comment critical of the editorial stance of Abbotsford Today about the recreation facilities issue, but there was a message that I had submitted this comment already. I have never submitted a comment on this or any other issue.. Is Abbotsford Today practicing censoriship? Or is it the case that many people are speaking out against the group-think of building recreation facilities without the public having a say in it?
Please keep in mind that we aren’t city hall. We make no decisions. If you don’t like what we have to say, you are more than free to create your own publication and deliver it to the people of Abbotsford with your opinion. We believe, with the limited space that comes with a print publication, that we’ve made a good case for investing in recreation facilities of all kinds here in Abbotsford.