Castlegar & District Arena and Walking Track Project
The Board approved advancing the Castlegar & District Arena and Walking Track Project to Stage 2 of its procurement process by inviting the three highest-ranked qualified proponents—Scott Builders Inc., Smith Bros. & Wilson (Construction) Ltd., and Kalesnikoff Mass Timber Inc.—to participate in the Negotiated Request for Proposals. Although the original plan anticipated two proponents and a $100,000 honorarium budget, staff believe adding a third qualified proponent will strengthen competition, reduce the risk of receiving only one or no compliant proposals, and improve the reliability of testing whether the project can be delivered within the $15 million budget. To support this approach, the Board approved increasing the potential honorarium budget to $150,000, with the additional $50,000 funded by the City of Castlegar and Electoral Area J.
The Board also approved a budget of up to $45,000 for public engagement on the Castlegar & District Arena and Walking Track Project. HCMA Architecture & Design will manage the public engagement, but only if the project advances to the referendum phase.
For more information on the proposed project: Castlegar & District Arena and Walking Track – RDCK Forum.
State of Climate Action
The 2025 State of Climate Action (SOCA) report has been completed and shared with the Board for information. The annual report tracks the RDCK’s progress on climate mitigation and adaptation initiatives across 10 key pathways, including land use planning, transportation, energy, wildfire resilience, water supply, resource recovery, and organizational leadership. Key achievements in 2025 included updating the Area I Official Community Plan with stronger environmental and wildfire protections, increasing transit ridership by 36%, leveraging over $200,000 to improve rural transportation options, processing 1,683 tonnes of organic waste into compost, preventing more than 48 million litres of annual water loss through leak detection and repairs in Erickson, and completing 357 FireSmart home assessments.
Click here for more information and to read the report.
Floodplain Management Bylaw Review Project
BGC Engineering presented the findings and recommendations from the RDCK Floodplain Management Bylaw Review, which was undertaken in partnership with the RDCK and the Village of Salmo. The proposed updates are intended to modernize floodplain management regulations by incorporating the latest flood and geohazard mapping, adopting clearer and more consistent hazard terminology, and aligning regulatory language with current professional practice and provincial guidance. The recommendations also include integrating updated hazard mapping into the RDCK’s public web mapping platform and clarifying the role of qualified professionals in evaluating site-specific development proposals within hazard-prone areas. Collectively, these changes will support more informed, risk-based land-use decisions while improving regulatory consistency, transparency, and implementation.
The draft bylaw and supporting recommendations will now move to the implementation phase, including legal review, stakeholder engagement, and formal bylaw consideration by the Board.
Beyond Recycling Program
The Board approved the RDCK enter into a new two-year agreement with Wildsight to deliver the Beyond Recycling (BR) program during the 2026-27 and 2027-28 school years, with an option to extend for an additional year, at a cost not exceeding $30,500 annually. The BR program, now entering its 17th year in the RDCK, provides year-long, curriculum-aligned environmental education that helps students understand topics such as waste reduction, recycling, composting, climate change, water conservation, transportation, local food systems, and FireSmart practices through classroom lessons, field trips, and hands-on activities. During the 2025-26 school year, the in-class Beyond Recycling program was delivered in five schools across Castlegar, Robson, Creston, Nelson, and Winlaw, while Wildsight’s online FutureMakers program engaged an additional 13 classrooms throughout the region.
RDCK Quarterly Report
The RDCK Quarterly Report provides a condensed summary of active projects and initiatives within the RDCK. The report includes a clear and concise understanding of each project and its connection to the Board’s strategic priorities. Click here to view the latest quarterly report, including the most recently completed projects.
Click here to view the quarterly report page on the RDCK website.
Director’s Reports
RDCK Directors provide monthly reports outlining what they have been working on. Click here to read the July reports in the Board minutes.