The Village has accepted an offer of $152,500 for a parcel of recently listed municipally-owned land at 320 Shakespeare Road.
The 0.25-acre vacant property was listed at $139,000 and received two offers.
All proceeds of the sale must be placed in the Village’s land sale reserve fund, where it will begin to generate interest. This reserve can only be spent on debt owed for purchase of land, acquiring land, or capital improvements to Village-owned buildings. It cannot be used for general purposes.
Three other properties are for sale.
One is 5.5 acres of bare land just south of Nakusp on Highway 6, between Browns Road and Lower Crescent Bay Road, listed at $260,000.
Two are exclusive – the Village is offering the Old Fire Hall Collective, and the Kinship Connection Centre Society, opportunities to buy the properties they currently operate in.
Council made the decision to list surplus municipal properties after an in-camera meeting on May 26, as part of an ongoing asset management strategy to increase reserves for future building, equipment, and infrastructure repairs. The Village recently shared a new page on its website, explaining the decision.
“Putting enough money in reserves is hard if [the Village] has too many assets,” it reads. “The more assets we have, the more money we need to save. That means higher taxes for everyone.”
The Village raised taxes this year to save money for asset management, as it doesn’t currently have enough saved. The Village also says it has too many properties, with some not being used as much as they could be. Selling properties can help the Village save more money, keep taxes lower, and make better use of fewer buildings.
CAO Wayne Robinson also noted that any properties the Village sells will start being taxed like regular private properties, bringing in tax and utility revenues.
Keystone Appraisal assessed the properties in November 2024.
Outdoor gym equipment
The new outdoor exercise equipment will be installed on the south side of the tennis courts, between the Rotary Adventure Park and the skatepark.
The site was chosen because it already has a pathway connecting to downtown, parking, and a washroom facility nearby. It’s close to amenities and sees high foot traffic.
The equipment is geared towards seniors, but is available for all to use.
Nakusp residents Randy McKenzie and Daniel Abraham brought the idea to council, and have fully funded the project through grants.
Once installed, the Village will take over ownership of the equipment and be responsible for ongoing maintenance costs.
Billboards
The Village reached out to a marketing manager in Valemount to get the scoop on billboards, and it turns out they’re not the most effective way to reel in tourists.
Nakusp CAO Wayne Robinson spoke with Marcie Down of Tourism Valemount, which currently has billboards just outside of the community. The intent is to attract visitors to make an unplanned stop in the village, but Down has observed that most people don’t deviate from their planned road trip routes.
Down said Valemount now has electronic billboards further afield, paired with professional video content, publications, social media presence, radio, and some TV ads.
In light of this information, CAO Robinson said Nakusp council may want to plan for a comprehensive advertising campaign in the 2026 budget, instead of pursuing only billboards this year; professionals could better advise council on the most effective advertising strategies.
Council took no action on this item.
Hot springs update
Spring maintenance, power outage kits, and student staffing – just some of the topics covered in Hospitality Manager Robin Hethey’s recent report on hot springs goings-on.
From April 21 to May 8, the hot springs shut down for annual maintenance. Staff worked on many projects, including cleaning the pool basin and repairing portions of the pool deck; replacing all single-paned windows in chalets with double-paned; updating the cold-water shower on the pool deck; installing new flooring in the showers; and readying the campground for the season.
Lobby renovations are underway, with new retail shelving and display units. The freezer, garbage, and recycling were moved to create more self-serve opportunities. Other improvements are planned, including more retail areas and products.
Power outage kits were developed for each accommodation unit. The kits are equipped with extra blankets, lanterns, drinking water, heat packs, and a full bucket of water for the toilets. Two recent power outages put the new kits to the test, and they were well received.
In partnership with the Village’s Arena/Parks department, the hot springs hired four post-secondary student workers for the summer. One student will work on the hot springs trail restoration project, while the other three will rotate through the public spaces and campground.
Other projects included a new booking software, staff training, and a guest feedback survey – 90.4% of the 23 survey participants said they would stay at the hot springs again.
Council also approved heat pumps for the chalets and staff accommodation units. The heat pumps will replace electric baseboard heaters in the chalets, and electric oil heaters in staff accommodations.
The project will cost $45,000, to be funded by the Local Government Climate Action Program (LGCAP) reserve fund.
Councillor Mason Hough said he recently visited the hot springs and was impressed with the service levels.
“It was refreshing,” he said. “Kudos!”
Downtown traffic calming
The Village will be testing strategies for reducing vehicle travel speeds on Broadway Street.
Staff will create temporary layouts to test effectiveness, in the form of road cones or other highly visible objects.
Two options to be explored are corner extensions and median islands, which both slow traffic by narrowing the width of the lane.
Councillor Tina Knooihuizen wondered about less intrusive options, such as flashing lights to emphasize the speed limit.
“What research is showing is that if you physically constrict the size people are able to go through, and put in obstacles, they must slow down,” said CAO Wayne Robinson. “A flashing light is not going to make people slow down. What makes people slow down is being uncomfortable in their vehicle, trying to get through a narrow spot.”
Though the speed limit is 30 kilometres per hour, traffic can travel closer to 50 kilometres per hour after coming from Highway 6.
Mayor Tom Zeleznik noted that the current speed limit sign is often obstructed by trees or vehicles.
Recreation Master Plan
The Village will likely move forward with developing a Recreation Master Plan, but is waiting to hear back about a potential funding source first.
The Village would hire a consultant to develop the plan, which would focus on ways to improve and promote recreation in Nakusp, particularly at the Nakusp and District Sports Complex.
In light of the plan, the Nakusp and District Sports Complex Usage Committee will disband; the Master Plan process would cover the scope of the committee’s work, making it irrelevant.
Staff are waiting for a response from the Province for potential funding. Once received, council will get a report outlining next steps.
