Building up the beach

Construction on the Kinsmen Beach Amenity Building is now complete

1 of 5The Kinsmen Beach Amenity Building is designed to stay open year round. — Kim Leibel photo

2 of 5Demolition of the old washrooms and concession building at Kinsmen Beach took place on February 6, 2012, and construction crews started working on the new amenity building on February 22, 2012. — Kim Leibel photo

3 of 5The building features heavy timber use; Canadian Timberframes Limited of Golden, B.C., was responsible for the timber framing. — Kim Leibel photo

4 of 5This photo shows the facility when it was in the roofing stage. — Kim Leibel photo

5 of 5There are lockers and private change rooms at the Kinsmen Beach Amenity Building. Hot water for the building is supplied by a solar domestic hot water heating system, which works in conjunction with a standard electric water heater. — Kim Leibel photo

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Kinsmen Beach on Lake Windermere is a popular gathering place in Invermere, B.C. It is used not only by swimmers and kayakers but by cross-country skiers and hockey players as well. For that reason, the District of Invermere decided to remove the old washroom and concession buildings—which were available for use in the summertime only—at the beach and build a brand new 1,830-square-foot amenity building, designed to stay open all year long.

Construction began in February and the new Kinsmen Beach Amenity Building was operational by July 20. The facility features new washrooms, private change rooms, a concession area with seats and tables and a rental space for small gatherings. It also provides a setting for large outdoor events.

Minimal impact on the environment

Because conserving energy and minimizing greenhouse gas emissions was a priority for the District of Invermere, the Kinsmen Beach Amenity Building incorporates several eco-friendly building practices, such as heavy timber use, insulated concrete forms, LED lighting, waterless urinals and low-flow fixtures. Greenman Sustainable Solutions, based in Invermere, will be installing renewable-energy systems at the facility as well.

WHL Construction Ltd. from Invermere was the main contractor for the project and Canadian Timberframes Limited based in Golden, B.C., constructed the timber framing.

According to Kim Leibel, who is the manager of building and protective services for the District of Invermere, the facility is worth approximately $650,000. Columbia Basin Trust donated $200,000 toward the project and the remainder came from the District’s Resort Municipality Initiative (RMI) fund. RMI is a funding incentive program set forth by the Economic Development Division of B.C.

Looking to the future

Leibel said there are more upgrades slated for the Kinsmen Beach area in the future.

“We are always looking to improve the area,” said Leibel. “Currently, we would like to make our swim floats bigger and install a smaller slide and float. A water spray park is also being considered. We hope to improve the walking paths, bike paths and surrounding amenity features through our Active Transportation Plan.” 

To read more on the Kinsmen Beach Amenity Building, see A Showcase for Sustainable Solutions.