District buys BCTF facility

UPDATE 3:35 p.m.

The existing large building on the former BC Tree Fruits property that the District of Lake Country has purchased will be put to use by the municipality, says the mayor.

Blair Ireland says tilt-up concrete building has another 60 to 80 years of life left in it — something that played a big role in the decision to buy the property.

“This is a stars aligning moment,” Ireland told Castanet.

“Just buying a piece of property wasn't going to be good enough.”

He says the building could end up housing anything from a community gym, to a library, police station, pickleball courts, ice rink and more.

“We've been in that building, we’ve toured the building. We've had a structural check… it's in great shape,” he said.

The purchase was funded partially by reserves with the remainder coming from a $6.8M community growth grant from the provincial government that the district has been “sitting on trying to figure out where that could go to best serve the whole community,” said the mayor.

“We want to make sure that everybody gets a chance to have a say and see where we go, because we got tons of possibilities that we can accomplish, and we get tons of different things that we think we can provide.”

That public engagement process will start in the new year.

ORIGINAL 1 p.m.

The District of Lake Country has purchased the former BC Tree Fruits cold storage facility in the community for $9.1 million.

The municipality signed an agreement to buy the property at 9718 Bottom Wood Lake Rd. on Oct. 17, according to a report filed by the firm monitoring the bankruptcy proceedings of BC Tree Fruits.

The 8.43-acre industrial site was listed for sale for $10,995,000. Lake Country initially offered $8.7 million, and after negotiations, both sides agreed to an accepted offer of $9.1 million.

Alvarez and Marsal, the bankruptcy monitor, appeared in court Wednesday to receive court approval of the sale and it was granted.

The property is being sold “as-is” to the municipality.

“Balancing the community’s priorities to make strategic investments without sacrificing service and amenities is never easy,” said Mayor Blair Ireland. “And when a unique opportunity like this comes along, when grant funding and reserves are available to make a purchase that will benefit the community long into the future, it feels like a win for all!”

The district says the land and buildings could be used to expand recreation offerings at the adjacent Winfield Arena activity hub, or it could serve as a possible location for an RCMP detachment.

“The right time, location and price don’t often align, so we made sure we did our due diligence in quick order so we could direct staff to make a fair bid in the best interest of the community,” said Ireland. “And we were thrilled when the court approved it this morning.”

The district says it will engage the community in 2025 on the future use of the property.