Kimberley’s Chief Administrative Officer Jim Hendricks presented the Administration Update to City Council, discussing some of the main projects that are planned or underway now in Kimberley.
“There’s a bunch of things starting off in the city as people will realize as they’re out and about,” Hendricks said, highlighting the St. $1.433 million Mary’s Ave. Reconstruction that began last week — one of the most significant and most visible projects currently underway.
Another one Hendricks mentioned is the “much-anticipated” Cominco Gardens Rejuvenation project, which he said should be getting underway in early May, to be completed by this fall.
This project was awarded to Border Holdings Ltd. in April, 2025. Due to the construction schedule, City staff will not be performing annual planting, but will maintain unaffected areas with mowing and trimming. The report indicates they will “work closely with contractors and consultants to minimize disruptions to nearby properties.”
Hendricks said there is some design work happening with the Civic Centre chiller replacement project, but the chiller itself will not be installed until next year, due to a number of reasons. Phase 1 is expected to be completed by late July, but construction is now planned for the off season of 2026.
This new ice plant will service the Civic Centre as well as the Curling Club.
The Centre 64 Bandshell and Landscaping project, which Hendricks said will be “another great addition to downtown,” will also get underway this month and be completed by this fall.
The City recently received noticed that their grant application for a proposed sidewalk on Marsden Street, from Warren Avenue to Rotary Drive, has been approved, so after the tender is accepted, construction is planned to begin this summer.
The water main on 302 Ave. will be replaced by Galley Equipment Ltd., with construction to begin in early May and last one month.
Hendricks also mentioned the City has signed an agreement to purchase an electric zamboni and they will also be purchasing another loader-mounted snowblower.
He invited the public out to Public Works Day, this year scheduled for May 21 at 250 Knighton Road from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. There will be displays, presentations and a hot dog and hamburger lunch starting at 11 a.m.
“This is something that’s been going on in the City for quite a while and we invite everybody out to participate in that,” Hendricks said. “It’s always a great event for the kids and the community in general to find out what goes on down at the yards.”
Hendricks then turned the presentation over to Manager of Planning and Sustainability Troy Pollock, who discussed first-quarter building permit activity in Kimberley.
He said the first-quarter report “looks very positive” with 50 dwelling units that the City has issued building permits for — well above prior years, he added.
“But I think that’s a little bit of an oddity, because as Council recalls there was some recent building code changes that took effect as of March,” Pollock said. “And so there were quite a few permits that came in early to get in ahead of those changes, so that was the seismic and lateral wind loading design changes and some of the adaptability requirements, so I think that’s probably the explanation there.”
That said, Pollock expressed that 2025 is looking to be a “positive year,” even if he doesn’t think this pace for the issuance building codes will continue on through the next three quarters.
Those 50 building permits represent around $19.3 million in project construction value, stemming from 39 multi-unit dwelling units, seven single-unit dwellings, two secondary suites or dwelling units, and two duplex units.
You can find the full report in the City Council agendas at kimberley.ca
