Construction on Kimberley’s Athletic Training/Conference Centre is proceeding well, Councillor Bob West-Sells reported to Council this week.

Earth work is complete until after the thaw is over as the site is quite muddy now. Most of the concrete work is complete, aside from sidewalks. The structural steel has arrived and will be going up shortly.

“The schedule is still on track for an October completion,” West-Sells said.

Council also approved the use of grants from the Southern Interior Development Initiative Trust to go towards an operable wall that will allow the ballroom to be split into two rooms for smaller groups, and equipping each side of the conference centre ballroom and each breakout rooms with a fixed audio visual system. Each of these two components are $50,000 with the City providing matching funds, which are already in the conference centre budget.

“This is part of the $150,000 grant from SIDIT,” said Mayor Jim Ogilvie. “It comes in three parts and the third phase must be applied for in April. They wanted something they could hang their hat on not just a contribution to general revenue.”