Max Turyk Community Centre - Proposed Sale

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linkedin Email this link

The City of Fernie is considering the sale of Max Turyk Community Centre to Conseil Scolaire Francophone de la Colombie-Britannique (CSF) to provide a permanent home for École Sophie-Morigeau, the current anchor tenant of the facility. The proposed sale would include the former elementary school facility as well as 8.5 acres of land and the associated outdoor amenities; the sports fields, pickleball courts, playground, play enclosures, and parking lot. As a condition of the sale, the City would subdivide and retain 1.5 acres of land to be used for future affordable housing or childcare opportunities.

Background

The City purchased the former elementary school from SD5 in 2008 and began operating it as Max Turyk Community Centre, leasing out classroom space, and renting the gymnasium to community groups and the public. In 2014 the Max Turyk Community Sports Fields were opened behind the facility, and in subsequent years a playground and pickleball courts were added on the site.

While the City has been operating the facility as a quasi-community-centre, its core function has been as a school and as leased space for childcare and preschool providers. Following a Supreme Court decision in 2020 that affirmed French language schools have the right to distinct facilities and the Provincial funding to facilitate that, CSF engaged with the City about the opportunity to purchase this facility.

Key Benefits

The sale of Max Turyk provides an opportunity to support the continued success of École Sophie-Morigeau, while still maintaining a piece of land for future development, and access to the associated indoor and outdoor recreation amenities through a joint-use agreement. Existing lease-holders would have the opportunity to continue to operate out of the facility with renewed leases.

Selling Max Turyk Community Centre would net the City approximately $3.4 million into reserves, reduce the City’s infrastructure deficit, provide annual operating savings, and allow staff time to be reallocated from maintaining the facility and outdoor amenities to improve service delivery in other areas.

A joint-use agreement would ensure that regular users of the gym space and sports fields would continue to have access to those spaces with minimal or no changes to booking processes, availability and user fees.

Feedback Opportunities

If you have any questions about the proposed sale, read our Q&A document, or ask a question using the Q&A tool below.

You can also provide feedback by emailing letstalk@fernie.ca,using the feedback form below, or joining us on June 6 from 6-8pm at the Senior's Centre for an in-person opportunity to learn more and ask questions.

All feedback will be compiled and provided to Council on June 20 for their consideration.



The City of Fernie is considering the sale of Max Turyk Community Centre to Conseil Scolaire Francophone de la Colombie-Britannique (CSF) to provide a permanent home for École Sophie-Morigeau, the current anchor tenant of the facility. The proposed sale would include the former elementary school facility as well as 8.5 acres of land and the associated outdoor amenities; the sports fields, pickleball courts, playground, play enclosures, and parking lot. As a condition of the sale, the City would subdivide and retain 1.5 acres of land to be used for future affordable housing or childcare opportunities.

Background

The City purchased the former elementary school from SD5 in 2008 and began operating it as Max Turyk Community Centre, leasing out classroom space, and renting the gymnasium to community groups and the public. In 2014 the Max Turyk Community Sports Fields were opened behind the facility, and in subsequent years a playground and pickleball courts were added on the site.

While the City has been operating the facility as a quasi-community-centre, its core function has been as a school and as leased space for childcare and preschool providers. Following a Supreme Court decision in 2020 that affirmed French language schools have the right to distinct facilities and the Provincial funding to facilitate that, CSF engaged with the City about the opportunity to purchase this facility.

Key Benefits

The sale of Max Turyk provides an opportunity to support the continued success of École Sophie-Morigeau, while still maintaining a piece of land for future development, and access to the associated indoor and outdoor recreation amenities through a joint-use agreement. Existing lease-holders would have the opportunity to continue to operate out of the facility with renewed leases.

Selling Max Turyk Community Centre would net the City approximately $3.4 million into reserves, reduce the City’s infrastructure deficit, provide annual operating savings, and allow staff time to be reallocated from maintaining the facility and outdoor amenities to improve service delivery in other areas.

A joint-use agreement would ensure that regular users of the gym space and sports fields would continue to have access to those spaces with minimal or no changes to booking processes, availability and user fees.

Feedback Opportunities

If you have any questions about the proposed sale, read our Q&A document, or ask a question using the Q&A tool below.

You can also provide feedback by emailing letstalk@fernie.ca,using the feedback form below, or joining us on June 6 from 6-8pm at the Senior's Centre for an in-person opportunity to learn more and ask questions.

All feedback will be compiled and provided to Council on June 20 for their consideration.



Q&A

City of Fernie staff have put together a questions and answers document with key information about the proposed sale.

Check out the Q&A to learn more about what the sale would mean for our community, and if you have additional questions share them here so we can answer them for you.

Want to chat or ask questions in person, we are hosting an information session on June 6 from 6-8pm at the Fernie Seniors Centre.

loader image
Forgot password?
Didn't receive confirmation?
Register Now
Seems like you are already registered, please provide the password. Forgot your password? Create a new one now.
  • Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linkedin Email this link

    I remember when the soccer fields opened and it was a huge deal. I thought we got a bunch of money from the government and local businesses to make the fields. Do we have to pay them back now that we are selling them?

    JBelle asked 6 days ago

    The province has indicated they are comfortable with the potential change in ownership given the continued public ownership and shared commitment to public access.

  • Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linkedin Email this link

    Will this issue be put to a referendum ?

    DonnaMarie asked 5 days ago

    Not unless Council determines by resolution that it be put to a referendum.

  • Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linkedin Email this link

    How many students are currently enrolled in ESM? How many classrooms are there in total and how many are leased out to ESM? How many are leased to other user groups? What is the lease rate per classroom?

    DonnaMarie asked 5 days ago

    Leases for all tenants have lapsed, but were previously set at $10 per square foot.

  • Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linkedin Email this link

    The soccer field and pickleball courts are extremely valuable public amenities that should be preserved by the City to ensure the entire community can continue to access them. If the public can't use the soccer fields after the joint use agreement expires, there is no alternative location to create a new one. Once the soccer field is gone, we can't get it back. Selling these assets is a HUGE loss to the community. Would the City consider adjusting the subdivision line and sell just the Max Turyk building, playground and parking lot instead?

    mjohns1239 asked 5 days ago

    This was proposed and was not an acceptable term by the CSF.

  • Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linkedin Email this link

    Why are you calling Max Turyk a "quasi community centre". It is a community centre that is renting rooms to a french school. This does not make it a school. I've looked through your website and Max Turyk is not called a school anywhere else. Are you trying to get support for the sale by calling it a school and not a community centre that supports so many community groups to provide vital services like childcare, afterschool care and access to low cost rec sports like pickleball, soccer and a playground.

    squeaky_wheeler asked 4 days ago

    This term has been used because the facility has been operated somewhere between a community centre and a school. The space is majority-leased by a public school district, with the remaining space leased by childcare, preschool and school aged care tenants.

  • Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linkedin Email this link

    The City owns the Courthouse and the un-used Firehall on 3rd Avenue, sitting empty because it is too unsafe to use. Why are we selling a well used community centre and outdoor amenities to reduce of infrastructure liability instead of these buildings? What is the liability of the Max Turyk facility? I thought we already did a ton of work in the building. What further work needs to be done and at what cost, in dollar figure estimates.

    squeaky_wheeler asked 4 days ago

    The Firehall on 3rd Avenue is currently being used for storage of seasonal equipment to make space at our operations department for our fire apparatus. This storage space will be required until such a time as we are able to complete a new protective services facility or secure alternative storage for equipment.

  • Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linkedin Email this link

    What is the actual dollar cost of operating Max Turyk and the cost savings by selling the facility? You noted that resources will be applied to other places but what about the hard dollar costs? What is this saving me as a tax payer?

    squeaky_wheeler asked 4 days ago

    On average, while it has fluctuated, the City has invested approximately $150,000 in capital works for the facility per year.

    Operating costs are provided generally below:

  • Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linkedin Email this link

    I asked: In a previous answer, the City has acknowledged that "any development on the site would be required to be built to flood construction level." Why has the Geotechnical assessment not been completed prior to this stage? The City is retraining land that may require extensive remediation work prior to any development. Not only will this potentially be very costly, it will delay the start dates for two projects that need to happen asap. Your answer was: Any costs associated with required remediation would be the responsibility of the purchaser or developer. I guess I wasn't clear with my question, my question was in relation to the 1.5 acres the City is proposing to keep, therefore the costs associated with the remediation would be the responsibility of the City. My point is, why would the City retain that portion of land not knowing the cost of the remediation prior to selling the remainder of the land? It may turn out that the cost of the remediation makes that land unsuitable for development, but we don't know because it apears the City hasn't taken any proactive steps to assess the land prior to the sale.

    Lynn asked 4 days ago

    Council directed that lands be retained with sufficient area to allow for a project to move forward. These are the lands that could be retained without negatively impacting the playing fields.

  • Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linkedin Email this link

    You mention a Joint Use Agreement is proposed as a ten-year (two five-year terms) agreement. Can you please share said proposal? I feel there will be pertinent information contained that will impact the communities decision on this sale. Such as, what will the City continue to be financially responsible for (as mentioned in the City published Q&A they will remain responsible for some maintenance), the hours/rules around public acces, and fees for other community groups, such as the FYSA.

    Lynn asked 4 days ago

    The City will continue to be responsible for major works on the field to maintain it to the standard that has been established. This includes seasonal startup and shut down, overseeding and top dressing, as well as line painting and overall booking administration.

    Cleanup of the outdoor washrooms and field following bookings would remain the responsibility of the party booking the event and/or the City.

  • Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linkedin Email this link

    What is the proposed density for the affordable housing land? How is this how is this housing to be connected tot he community paths and walkways?

    KLC 20 asked 4 days ago

    There is no specific project or density being proposed at this time.

Page last updated: 05 Jun 2023, 07:02 AM