The Alternate Approval Process (AAP) will open next week, as the City seeks elector assent to borrow funds for five projects, including the CN Centre building envelope renewal.
The project comes with a budget of $15.86 million.
The City of Prince George requires approval of the electors before City Council can consider adopting a long-term loan authorization bylaw.
Through the AAP, if ten per cent or more of the total number of electors within the City submit a valid elector response form by the deadline, Council may not proceed with adoption of the loan authorization bylaw.
A staff report presented to Council at the February 23 regular meeting states the total number of registered voters within the City of Prince George as of January 21, 2026 is 57,667, according to Elections BC.
The AAP will be open from April 28 to June 2.
According to the City, the building envelope of the CN Centre has entered the infrastructure replacement phase, which is the normal life cycle for all civic facilities.
This project will repair exterior walls, improve energy efficiency, and extend the service life of the building.
“This work isn’t due to a lack of maintenance, the arena undergoes regular, annual maintenance and upgrades,” said Director of Civic Facilities and Events Andy Beesley.
“This comes down to the age of the building, much like the Aquatic Centre project, it is time to reinvest in this important community facility that welcomes hundreds of thousands of people from across Northern BC every year.”
Demolition efforts, office relocation, construction, third party independent testing, project management and consultant design fees, building permits, and insurance is estimated at $4.15 million. The cost breakdown for construction activities is estimated at $11.67 million.
If the funding is approved through the AAP, work will take place during the summer months of 2027 and 2028 to avoid conflicts with the Prince George Cougars schedule, while reducing heating costs.
According to the City, delaying the AAP could result in higher projects costs.
Other projects seeking funding through the AAP includes:
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- Equipment Financing Bylaw – $4,085,000
- Stormwater System Renewal – $2,500,000
- Memorial Park Cemetery Expansion – $5,150,000
- Civic Facilities Roof Replacements – $2,450,000
