The results are in, and there wasn’t enough opposition to the Alternative Approval Process connected to the Build Kamloops initiative.

The City of Kamloops says there were 5,802 residents – or 6.66 per cent of the electorate – who said no to the Performing Arts Centre downtown, while 4,025 – or 4.62 per cent – said no to the four-plex ice facility in Dufferin.

If more than 10 per cent of the electorate – or 8,713 people – voiced their opposition to either of the borrowing bylaws before the Sept. 13 deadline, the City would have been forced to go to a referendum on that bylaw.

“We have seen picketers, we have seen social media campaigns, we have seen coffee shop talks, dinner talks, we’ve seen tables set up at businesses around the city [with groups] raising awareness as to why we like Build Kamloops and what’s been put forward and why we don’t like Build Kamloops,” Build Kamloops Committee Chair Mike O’Reilly said during a news conference at City Hall.

“That’s democracy. This AAP was democracy in action.”

While he’s pleased with the results – and the process that was used – O’Reilly said it is also important to acknowledge the people who voted no.

“Over the last 40 days, we have some many many reasons as to why people did not to support that. And we need to understand that,” he said. “We need to get better. We need to ensure that the new facilities that are going to be used will be used by the most Kamloopsians possible.”

The City was using the AAP to ask the electorate for approval to borrow up to $275 million for the two projects. It was proposing to borrow up to $140 million for construction of the Performing Arts Centre and up to $135 million for design and construction of the arena as well as future Build Kamloops initiatives.

Residents opposed to the borrowing had to fill out a form and submit it to City Hall before the deadline. Those in favour of the borrowing were not required to do anything.

According to a report going before Tuesday’s City Council meeting, there were 561 forms rejected connected to the arts centre and 366 connected to the multiplex, which City staff were “made in good faith.” Had all of those forms been counted, the process would still have passed, albeit with a narrower margin.

“Aside from the duplicates received – that is, an elector submitting more than one response form in relation to the same alternative approval process – some forms were rejected because they were submitted by those who were not electors for the area of the approval process during the alternative approval process timeframe,” Corporate Officer Maria Mazzotta said. “This was determined by confirming that the address submitted on the elector response form was outside of City of Kamloops boundaries.”

“Administration recognizes that such errors were likely made in good faith; for example, an elector inadvertently submitting duplicate forms or an individual incorrectly believing themself to be an elector.”

Bronwen Scott who was speaking for the no side told Radio NL a number of people who voted against the borrowing did so because they were not a fan of the process.

“Living slightly out of town, the tax increase isn’t going to affect me, but the reason I got involved is because the whole process just seemed rushed and if I can use this word, underhanded,” Scott said, noting opponents were not a fan on the process which began on July 30 and wrapped up on Sept. 13.

“Really most votes came in the last two weeks when people were back to work and back to school and here and present.”

Scott also said that residents in Kamloops weren’t consulted at all, and believes the process was pushed through by the City.

“Of course we need new facilities for things, the rinks are badly needed and maybe we need a performing arts centre of some type, you know, but that wasn’t the argument,” Scott said. “We were presented with basically a done deal two things prioritized. We weren’t asked should be prioritize these two things”

But O’Reilly said while Build Kamloops may be a new process, its goals were not.

“What we walked into was a Recreational Master Plan that was adopted by the previous council that had been put together by thousands of residents over two years,” O’Reilly said. “This council put forward the Build Kamloops Committee. Build Kamloops was to mobilize the facilities that were identified in the Recreational Master Plan.”

The City expects it is still on track to break ground on the arts centre by the end of 2025, and on the multiplex in early 2026, with the two facilities expected to be operational before the end of this decade.

“This is such a positive step forward for Kamloops and now we can come together as a community and raise the funds to support these exciting projects,” Kamloops Centre for the Arts Society Chair Brenda Aynsley said, in a statement.

“We are so excited to be moving forward with this much needed next phase of the evolution of our city,” added Henry Pejril, the President of the Kamloops Sports Council. “Now that we have certainty in our direction, we can get our Build Kamloops capital campaign up and firing on all cylinders.”

Build Kamloops also includes a new leisure pool on the North Shore, a large curling club facility to accommodate the consolidation of the two curling clubs, new indoor field space, and a new all-ages community centre.

It may also include housing in some of those facilities, if it is found to be feasible.

The initiative also includes a trio of smaller projects – a new seniors community centre in North Kamloops that opened this month, a renovated indoor soccer dome, and new daycare spaces near McDonald Park.

You can find more about Build Kamloops, including the scope of the selected projects, here.