Community halls in Central Okanagan receive upgrades to support emergency readiness

The Regional District of Central Okanagan (RDCO) is enhancing the emergency readiness of two local community halls through critical infrastructure upgrades, supported by $200,000 in funding from the Province of British Columbia’s Disaster Resilience and Innovation Funding (DRIF).

Community halls have long served as trusted gathering places for residents, offering safe and reliable spaces in times of need. As extreme weather events become more frequent and severe, their role in supporting community well-being has become even more vital.

With this funding, the Killiney Beach Community Hall, located at 514 Udell Road, will receive a new HVAC system and a standby generator. These upgrades ensure the facility remains operational during power outages and can provide climate-controlled shelter during extreme weather events.

At the Joe Rich Community Hall, located at 11481 Highway 33, a new standby generator will be installed to support the existing HVAC system. This ensures the hall can continue to serve as a safe and functional space for residents during emergencies.

“Investing in these upgrades is part of our ongoing commitment to keeping communities safe and prepared,” said Sally Ginter, CAO of the RDCO. “Emergency preparedness is a key focus for us. By improving the reliability of our community halls, we are helping build local resilience and ensuring residents have safe places to turn to during emergencies and extreme weather events.”

Work is underway on both projects and is expected to be completed in fall 2025.

The DRIF program is managed by the Ministry of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness and supports community resilience and disaster risk reduction for hazards that include but are not limited to drought, extreme temperature, floods, geohazards, sea level rise, storms, tsunamis and seismic safety. For more information about the DRIF program and other funded projects, visit: BC Gov News.