Cariboo Memorial Recreation Complex supported by $668,000 FortisBC Rebate

Courtesy of the City of Williams Lake:

From Left to Right: 

Representatives of FortisBC, Williams Lake Mayor Surinderpal Rathor
Cariboo RD Area "E" Director/Vice Chair Melynda Neufeld, 
Cariboo RD Area "F" Director Maureen LeBourdais and
Williams Lake City Councillor Micheal Moses 

The City of Williams Lake and the Cariboo Regional District (CRD) have received a $668,239 rebate from FortisBC to support energy efficiency upgrades at the Cariboo Memorial Recreation Complex (CMRC).

The rebate, presented Thursday March 19, 2026 in the Gibraltar Room, was provided through FortisBC’s Custom Efficiency Program and contributes to a larger $1.48-million project also being supported by the Government of Canada’s Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program and the CRD.

The project, completed in November of 2025, improves the efficiency and reliability of core mechanical systems at the facility. The main upgrade is a heat-recovery system that captures waste heat from the arena’s ice plant and uses it to heat pools, potable water and ventilation systems. The project reduces the facility’s reliance on natural gas and makes better use of existing energy already being produced on site. Additional project work includes integrating a heat-recovery chiller with the pool boiler system, connecting arena hot water systems to recovered heat, upgrading ventilation units with hydronic heating coils and installing water-efficient fixtures in high use areas.

Brandy Links, Community Services Facility Manager with the City of Williams Lake said the project demonstrated the value of working with funding partners.

“Collaboration was essential in completing this work,” Links said. “The support from FortisBC, the federal government and the CRD made it possible to move forward with upgrades that will improve efficiency and strengthen the facility’s operations far into the future.”

The improvements are expected to reduce natural gas use by more than 7,300 gigajoules per year and lower greenhouse gas emissions by over 360 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent annually. Water-efficient fixtures are projected to save more than 3.5 million litres of water each year.

The new systems also increase heating capacity, improve redundancy and provide more consistent temperature control throughout the Complex, supporting year-round programming and reliable service for the community.