Dawson Creek city council is cancelling several capital projects to help fund asbestos remediation and renovations at city hall.
During Monday’s meeting, council approved reallocating nearly $1.8 million from the 2026 capital budget to support the city hall asbestos abatement and renovation project.
The decision followed a report from Civic Properties and Facilities Manager Tyrone Watson, who presented the results of the city’s invitation to tender for the renovation work.
The report noted city hall operations have already been temporarily relocated to the Dawson Creek Mall, allowing asbestos abatement and the subsequent reconstruction of city hall to move forward.
To help fund the project, council approved removing several items from the 2026 capital budget, including the Lakota Viewing Stand, city banners, child care design and concept planning, the Leoppky Park trail plan between 17 Street and Third Street, the 111 Avenue sidewalk project between 15 Street and 17 Street, street lighting upgrades, the RCMP HVAC project and the South Peace Community Multiplex ice plant project.
Together, the cancelled projects represent $1,792,455 in funding that will now be redirected to the city hall renovation.
Watson’s report also recommended cancelling the Airport Branding and Website Development project. However, council opted to keep that project in place and instead removed funding for the 2026 Public Art Policy program.
City hall services officially moved to the Dawson Creek Mall on July 20. The temporary location now houses administration, the mayor’s office, communications, finance and development services while remediation work is underway.
The city said the project stems from concerns raised during a visit by WorkSafeBC, which identified the potential presence of asbestos fibres in parts of the building.
Additional testing later confirmed asbestos contamination in certain areas of city hall, prompting the need for remediation before future upgrades and continued operations can safely proceed.
The City of Dawson Creek expects staff and services to return to city hall in early 2027 once the renovation project is complete.
In the meantime, residents can find updates about the project through the city’s online FAQ page.
