Image: An exterior shot of what once was the Golden Law Courts surrounded by police tape. (Glynn Brothen/Pattison Media)

By Glynn Brothen / Vernon Matters

Arson Update

Golden courthouse arson investigation continues, town council to push province to keep registry, rebuild

Mar 27, 2023 | 12:09 PM

GOLDEN — Those scheduled to dispute their traffic tickets in Golden, B.C. had to do so at the town’s Ramada Limited hotel after Golden Law Courts burned down in an arson earlier this month. But whether the town’s court registry will be a permanent loss is a concern for local leaders.

Mayor Ron Oszust said town council plans to formally advocate for the building’s replacement and to avoid centralizing Golden’s court services to a larger community.

“It was the first thing that came into everyone’s mind,” he said.

“Everything’s on the table in situations like this. We haven’t heard directly from [the province] that they’re looking to make any changes, but we are certainly anticipating all options that they might have. We’re trying to be proactive,” he said.

Oszust said his restructuring concerns stem from watching the neighbouring community of Revelstoke centralize its court registry to Salmon Arm 100 km away a number of years ago.

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“Fortunately we were able to maintain ours and that’s the intent here is to maintain that court registry. The closest other one would be Cranbrook and that’s three hours away. That’s ridiculous,” he said.

Rebuilding the courthouse also depends on the insurance claim process. After the fire, Oszust said he learned the provincial government leased the property from a private third party.

“What were their insurances like? Are they going to rebuild? Is that the best location?” Oszust said. “That was a bit of a twist.”

A spokesperson for the Ministry of the Attorney General said maintaining access to justice for the community is a top priority for the province.

“We understand the importance of having a courthouse in Golden and are working to find long-term solutions within the community,” the spokesperson said.

The court building itself barely remains standing at its location on Ninth Avenue South. An excavator removed the structure’s façade and the juxtaposition of a judicial building surrounded by police tape is an odd sight.

RCMP Cpl. James Grandy confirmed the case is now considered an active arson investigation. No arrests have been made and officers with the Southeast District’s general investigation section are assisting with the case.

The fire not only impacted court services, probation, and Service BC which operated in that building, but shuttered the flood damaged Ministry of Transportation office behind it. Now provincial employees with the Ministry of Transportation, Commercial Vehicle Safety Enforcement and Conservation Officer Service are relocated and most services are no longer disrupted. The court registry and Service BC are now operating out of the provincial Ministry of Children and Families location in Golden.

Local criminal matters have been relocated to the Invermere Provincial Court. It’s unknown whether the hotel conference room is the designated location of the town’s traffic court for the foreseeable future.

The provincial spokesperson said alternate locations for court hearings are being explored and will be confirmed as they become available. Oszust said so far the town’s hockey arena, recreation centre, council chambers, seniors centre and civic centre are all being considered as options.

“This is not setting up for one weekend. This will be a longer process,” Oszust said noting events previously scheduled for the chosen location will need to be moved.

Golden Fire Rescue Chief Mike Pecora said his team attended the fire scene for roughly 72 hours last week. While most items within the building were lost, firefighters were able to access fireproof evidence safes and their preserved contents.

As for the injured firefighter, Pecora said the female member remains in Cranbrook hospital after falling from the building’s roof during a firehose mishap.

“It was literally a simple mistake,” Pecora said. “She’s going to be out of commission for quite some time.”

The team is now fundraising for the member via GoFundMe.

Oszust, who has worked as a paramedic for over 30 years in the community said to see a fellow first responder injured “gets you in the guts.”

“There’s been a lot going on and it’s been stated 1,000 times before — it takes a community.”

Golden is approximately 140 km West of Banff, Alta.