Mission-Matsqui-Fraser Canyon MP Brad Vis has set a sizeable goal for his petition for more funding for the Lets’emot Regional Aquatic Centre (LRAC).
The MP hopes to collect at least 1,000 signatures for his petition to the Canadian federal government for additional funding for the future aquatic centre. He aims to “send a clear message to the (Minister of Infrastructure and Communities) that this is an important community project worthy of additional funding.”
Petitions only require 25 signatures for a sponsoring MP to bring a petition to the House of Commons floor to speak on the issue.
The Lets’emot Regional Aquatic Centre will be an important community hub for the Kent District, Village of Harrison Hot Springs and surrounding First Nations communities,” Vis stated in a release dated Thursday, Feb. 16.
Vis petitions the federal government for more funding due to the rising cost of construction materials as well as the LRAC being a tangible form of reconciliation as a service accessible to area First Nations communities.
“With Budget 2023 right around the corner, now is the time for this government to step up and support this important community building project,” Vis stated.
The District of Kent Council reviewed this petition as a late item to the agenda during their regular meeting on Monday, Feb. 13. Mayor Sylvia Pranger challenged current and former members of council to do their part to help “fill the pool.”
The LRAC would replace the outdoor Ferny Coombe Pool, which has served the community since 1978 and has outlived its projected lifespan. The new facility would feature an eight-lane lap pool,
District staff told The Observer that the signatures gathered locally would be hand-delivered to MP Vis in a matter of a few weeks.
To print out your own copy to gather signatures, go to bradvis.ca./petitions. Hard copies can also be picked up at Municipal Hall (7170 Cheam Avenue) and the Community Recreation and Cultural Centre (6660 Pioneer Avenue). There is no age requirement to sign the petition, but signatories must be Canadian citizens or residents.