Phase 2 – New Arena, Parking & Covered Path
Expanding Ice Capacity & Improving Access
Strathcona Gardens has served the region for more than 50 years, and its arenas continue to support a wide range of recreation programs, sports organizations, events and community activities.
At the same time, the existing facilities are aging and demand for recreation continues to evolve.
Phase 2 of REC-REATE is focused on the future of arena recreation at Strathcona Gardens, including additional ice capacity, improvements to the existing arenas, and expanded parking and site access.
Following years of planning and design work, the Strathcona Regional District (SRD) approved a new direction for Phase 2 in June 2026 that includes the construction of a third sheet of ice in partnership with the City of Campbell River.
The revised approach will allow the two existing arenas to remain operational during construction while increasing ice capacity and creating opportunities to address the long-term needs of the existing arena facilities.
A Third Sheet of Ice
The addition of a third arena represents a significant expansion of ice recreation at Strathcona Gardens.
The new arena is planned within the existing Strathcona Gardens parking area, with the adjacent City-owned Pinecrest Park lands incorporated into the overall site to provide replacement and additional parking..
Building the new arena before undertaking major work on the existing arenas will help maintain access to ice during construction and reduce disruption for user groups and the community.
The additional ice surface will also provide greater capacity to support existing programs, user groups, tournaments and future recreation needs.
Planning for the Existing Arenas
The existing Rod Brind’Amour Arena and Rink 2 will continue to be an
important part of Strathcona Gardens.
Both arenas will remain operational while the new third arena is constructed.
The new Phase 2 approach provides an opportunity to plan future improvements to the existing arenas while maintaining ice capacity throughout construction.
Parking & Access
Parking and access are an important part of the revised Phase 2 plan.
Through the partnership between the SRD and City of Campbell River, Pinecrest Park lands will be incorporated into the Strathcona Gardens site to provide additional parking and support construction of the third arena.
The parking plan includes a combination of parking at Pinecrest and parking within Strathcona Gardens.
Improvements are also planned to make it easier and safer for people to move between parking areas and the recreation complex, including:
- Accessible and priority parking close to the facility
- Dedicated drop-off areas
- Bus and delivery access
- Improved vehicle circulation
- A paved, covered and well-lit pedestrian connection between the Pinecrest parking area and Strathcona Gardens
These improvements will help support the entire recreation complex as it grows.
Working Together
Phase 2 is being advanced through a partnership between the Strathcona Regional District and City of Campbell River.
Integrating City-owned Pinecrest Park lands into the project created an opportunity to rethink the Phase 2 approach and accommodate both a third arena and additional parking.
This partnership supports a long-term approach to recreation infrastructure that will benefit residents, user groups and visitors from across the region.
How We Got Here
The original Phase 2 plan focused on redevelopment of the Rod Brind’Amour Arena, with detailed design completed in May 2025. Following further review and the opportunity to partner with the City of Campbell River on the use of Pinecrest Park lands, the SRD approved a new direction for Phase 2 in June 2026.
What’s Next?
With the new direction for Phase 2 approved, work will continue on detailed design, project planning, approvals, procurement and construction sequencing.
Project information and timelines will be updated as this work progresses.