REVELSTOKE CAO EVAN PARLIAMENT TRANSITIONS INTO PERMANENT POSITION

By Nora Hughes

Council and staff welcome Evan Parliament as the City’s new permanent Chief Administrative Officer (CAO). Parliament was appointed as CAO on an interim basis in August 2022 and has overseen the transition of the new city council members during that time. On February 10, 2023, city staff announced his transition to a permanent position.

A CAO acts as a liaison between city council members and staff.

Parliament has over 30 years of municipal experience, says city staff in a press release, including negotiating partnerships, team building and leadership, community engagement, strategic planning, governance and staff mentoring.

He comes to the City of Revelstoke, from Sicamous B.C. but has served in a number of B.C. and Alberta municipalities.

“So pleased to be invited to work with the new [c]ouncil and the good folks of Revelstoke. My primary focus is for [c]ity [h]all to match the vibrancy, the energy, and the positive culture that makes up this world class destination,” said Parliament in the release. “I’m so impressed at the youthfulness and the variety of outdoor experiences that Revelstoke showcases. Local government is in the people business and all of [c]ity staff look forward to serving you to make Revelstoke the best it can be.”

During a special council meeting on February 9, 2023, an employment agreement for Parliament was ratified.

“Council is very happy that Mr. Parliament has accepted our offer to continue on as our CAO. We are excited to be able to keep working with him and delighted that we can provide stability within our management team,” said Mayor Gary Sulz. “In my opinion his years of experience and desire to assist Revelstoke in his capacity as CAO is outstanding. Staff are pleased that we can continue to attend to the needs of Revelstoke with Evan at the helm.”

Over the snowy weekend of February 18 and 19, 2023, the Revelstoke Nordic Ski Club welcomed 400 skiers from across the province for the Teck BC Cup race. The skiers battled constant snowfall that made conditions a challenge for waxing and trail conditions.

BC Cup races are part of the Nordic club’s regular season of racing. There are three BC Cup events a year, and Teck was the title sponsor for this event. Participant ages range from four to 100 at these races, and they usually garner the most attendants out of any other cross-country races in B.C.

The event was a huge success, thanks to the over sixty local Revelstoke Nordic club volunteers and the club's sponsors: Teck Resources, Flowt Bikes and Skis, Grizzly Auto, Mountain Goodness, Mount Begbie Brewery, Save on Foods, See Revelstoke, Skookum Bikes and Skis, Stoke Hotel, Woolsey Creek Bistro, and Cross-Country BC.

REVELSTOKE NORDIC SKI CLUB HOSTS TWO-DAY CROSS-COUNTRY SKI RACE

Story submitted by: The Revelstoke Nordic Ski Club

“As new parents to the Nordic race scene, we really enjoyed being part of the Teck BC Cup race. My sons, Rowan and Finn, equally enjoyed participating in races, playing in the snow, and meeting new friends from around the province. The Nordic community was incredibly welcoming and supportive, with a strong emphasis on fun and participation. The racers, from ages 5 to 85, were equally celebrated. We look forward to more events in the future!” noted RNSC parent Jen Wild.

The next race for RNSC racers Alexandra Luxmoore, Maeve MacLeod, and Ruby Serrouya is the Canada Winter Games in Prince Edward Island, being held at the end of February, and for many others in our ski community, it is the BC Championships at Telemark Nordic in Kelowna, at the beginning of March. Additionally, Revelstoke Nordic will send ten skiers to the National Championships in early March in Thunder Bay, Ontario.

Revelstoke Council Denies Revelstoke Mountain Resort Zoning Amendment Request

ZONING AMENDMENT WOULD HAVE ALLOWED THEM TO SHIFT THE DENSITY WITHIN DEVELOPMENT ZONES ON RESORT LANDS

By Nora Hughes

Revelstoke city council defeated zoning amendment bylaw No. 2346, proposed by Revelstoke Mountain Resort (RMR), that would have allowed them to shift the density of their approved 16,600-bed units within development zones on resort lands. Council members were divided, with two councillors and the mayor in favour of reading the amendment a second time and three councillors not in favour, denying the proposed amending bylaw.

Revelstoke city council’s regularly scheduled meeting on February 14, 2023, was prefaced by a special committee of the whole meeting, where RMR representatives Jason Kelder and Peter Nielsen gave a presentation to the council. In the presentation, the representatives detailed the resort’s immediate goals for future expansion, including their focus on building new lifts.

Nielsen stated in the presentation that to meet the increase in demand, they need the flexibility to build accommodations and shift density to maintain positive guest experience.

The bylaw first appeared before Revelstoke’s previous council in October, 2022 and would allow RMR to shift density in lands zoned CD 08 located to the south, east, and northeast of the Arrow Heights Neighbourhood, something city Lead Planning and Development Services staff Paul Simon says would enable the proponent better utilization of existing space.

Each development area is allocated a certain amount of density, including residential units and commercial space. RMR cannot currently shift density between development areas. However, according to Simon’s staff report, the amendment would allow up to 30% of the density from Area 1 to be reallocated, so long as no more than 15% is reallocated to any one development area.

Councillor Tim Palmer voiced concerns about not having enough information to make his decision. “I do not have enough information to make a good decision to go to the next step. I do not have that confidence.”

New condo owners cut the ribbon, celebrating the opening of their new complex at Mackenzie Village. The ceremony celebrated building one of phase two’s completion on Thursday, February 16. Unit owners could move into their new properties on February 18, 2023.

Building one is the first of four buildings constructed as part of phase two. Phase one saw the completion of seven buildings. Building one consists of 24 units, all of which are sold. Developer David Evans says they expect to see the subsequent building of phase two completed at the end of March or at the start of April.

All 120 units being built as part of phase two have been sold since last January, says Evans, and they are now pre-selling the next phases.

Phase two of the Mackenzie Village development has 17 new commercial spaces. Evans says there are a number of local businesses that are in the process of signing contracts to lease those spaces.

The ribbon for building one was cut in front of developers, city council members and roughly 200 construction workers, including both local and regional contractors. Many companies helping with the build are from out of town. Evans estimates the allowance for out-of-town workers is roughly $40,000 a day, which he says goes back into the local economy.