File photo (Image credit: CFJC Today).

By Liam Verster-Vernon Matters

North Shuswap Recovery

Columbia Shuswap Regional District considering rebuilding fire and community halls separately

Jan 18, 2024 | 6:30 AM

SCOTCH CREEK, B.C. — The Columbia Shuswap Regional District has some options for rebuilding the Scotch Creek/Lee Creek (SCLC) Fire Hall and Community Centre.

The building, which not only housed the volunteer fire department but also acted as a cultural and social hub for the area, was one of the 176 structures destroyed in the Bush Creek East wildfire in the summer of 2023.

A report to the CSRD Board of Directors’ Committee of the Whole said there was an option to split the fire hall and the community services building so they can each better serve their functions.

While splitting the facilities was an option to consider, the report did state it had some drawbacks.

It was noted that splitting services would require purchasing additional property because there is currently only one fire hall property; that there was no existing service area for a community centre as it was operated as part of the fire service; and that splitting the projects would delay the rebuilding of a community centre or may result in the lack of a facility if that were the desire of the electorate.

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The report stated the fire service area had sufficient capital reserves to buy a property for a new fire hall, though added doing so may require future tax increases to fund capital infrastructure repairs and replacements.

As of Jan. 8, 2024, the reserve fund balance for Area F (North Shuswap) sub-regional fire service was $1,594,745. It was noted that the CSRD was still working with the Municipal Insurance Association of B.C. to provide a clear picture of the insurance amounts that would be available to fund the rebuilding of the fire hall.

The other option on the table was to rebuild the structure as it was, housing both the fire hall and community centre.

“In either case, staff will work through a community engagement process to get the right fit for the community,” the report from Derek Sutherland, General Manager of Community and Protective Services, stated.

“Staff are asking the board to contemplate the options and provide direction to move the project forward as there could be additional budget considerations that are not within the current Draft 1 budget.”

If staff receive that direction at the Committee of the Whole meeting Thursday, Jan. 18, they would engage with partners to design the new facility, and once critical elements have been established, those plans would be brought forward for community input on the final design.