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Vernon  

Rental rate for Coldstream Community Hall expected to increase next year

Hall prices up on weekends

Coldstream's community hall may cost more for the public to rent after an upcoming vote from council.

One more vote is needed to pass a bylaw that would raise the price of the Coldstream Community Hall on weekends and statutory holidays. The bylaw is expected to be passed at the May 27 council meeting.

“The rental rates were initially set low to test the market,” said Mayor Ruth Hoyte in an email to Castanet. “The increased rates bring the hall rates in line with other local facilities that are smaller in size and have less features and amenities."

After a year in operation, the District of Coldstream found demand is high to rent the community hall.

Hoyte said the district is raising the cost to bring it up to market standard. The changes would mean that community events such as youth events, wedding receptions, and concerts would pay more to use the hall space.

On weekends and statutory holidays, the new rental price would be $1,412.50, up from $1,130. Shorter events would also be impacted, as the hourly rate is planned to increase from roughly $105 to $130 an hour.

The changes would take effect January 1, 2025 and would not impact bookings before then. Events booked Monday through Thursday will also not be impacted, as the target of Coldstream's bylaw is bookings on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

The upcoming bylaw also plans to remove the ability to book smaller parts of the hall during prime times. This is for many reasons, including that smaller bookings block larger bookings, and that the cost of bringing staff in to open, clean and secure the building for smaller meetings is not financially sensible during prime times.

A list of rules and costs for Coldstream Hall can be seen here.

The Coldstream Hall has been open for just under one year. Hoyte tells Castanet that the hall has seen 168 bookings since opening in June 2023. Weekends have been busy, and there are only six Saturdays available to rent between now and the end of the year.

Some community groups hosted at the hall include the Okanagan Association of Classical Music Enthusiasts, the Greater Vernon Chamber of Commerce, and Okanagan Symphony Shimmering Strings. There have also been weddings.

The Coldstream Community Hall has a gallery for receptions, a private terrace backing onto green space, WiFi, a projector and sound system, a meeting room, a kitchen for catering service for up to 210 people, and space for them to be seated banquet style.

Visit here to learn about renting to Coldstream Community Hall.



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