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VIDEO: MP Vis advocates for Agassiz pool facility before Parliament

Brad Vis said he will continue to raise the matter for more federal funding
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MP Brad Vis presented a petition before Parliament on Thursday, May 11. Vis is advocating for more funding for the future Lets’emot Regional Aquatic Centre in Agassiz. (Screenshot/Brad Vis)

Agassiz-Harrison got a parliamentary spotlight during a recent petition presentation.

Mission-Matsqui-Fraser Canyon MP Brad Vis presented a petition in Ottawa on Thursday, May 11, advocating for more funding from the federal government for the future Lets’emot Regional Aquatic Centre.

Vis said the construction costs of the project have skyrocketed since its inception due to inflation. Both the federal and provincial government have provided funding for the project, with the province granting $9.5 million and the federal government pledging about $454,000.

“Kent, Harrison Hot Springs, the Seabird Island, Cheam, Stó:lo, Sts’ailes, Sq’éwlets, Skawahlook, Popkum and Peters First Nations and the Fraser Valley Regional District Electoral Areas ‘C’ and ‘D’ all support this project,” Vis said. “It is one of the first infrastructure projects in Canada where all local Indigenous communities are collaborating with municipalities and I humbly ask the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities and other members of this government to support this project that all of my constituents, particularly Indigenous youth on reserve, are calling for.”

RELATED: Kent’s Mayor Pranger completes 26-km walk to raise funds for aquatic centre

In addition to upper-level government funding, the District of Kent is contributing about $6.4 million in funding. Grassroots initiatives have raised at least $150,000 to date, including Mayor Sylvia Pranger’s walking fundraiser in which she and other walkers raised $43,000 for the pool facility’s construction.

The LRAC will ultimately replace the Ferny Coombe Outdoor Pool, which has been a community fixture since its opening in 1978. The outdoor facilities have outlived their expected lifespan and any further breakdowns are not feasible to repair. The LRAC would feature an eight-lane lap pool, lazy river, sauna and more; the $21-million building would be adjacent to the existing Community Recreation and Cultural Centre in Agassiz.

Vis’s petition is still collectinvg signatures; those interested can download and print copies from bradvis.ca/petitions.

“I will continue raising this matter because all communities deserve access to local recreational facilities,” Vis stated.



adam.louis@ ahobserver.com

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