Max Turyk Community Centre - Proposed Sale

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Consultation has concluded

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 Information Package, Q&A document, or ask a question using the Q&A tool below.

You can also provide feedback by emailing letstalk@fernie.ca or by using the Feedback Form below.

Questions will be answered and feedback accepted until June 14, 2023.

All questions & feedback received via Let's Talk, email, and written submissions from the Open House on June 6 will be compiled into a report provided to Council for their consideration at the Committee of the Whole Meeting on June 20, 2023.

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 Information Package, Q&A document, or ask a question using the Q&A tool below.

You can also provide feedback by emailing letstalk@fernie.ca or by using the Feedback Form below.

Questions will be answered and feedback accepted until June 14, 2023.

All questions & feedback received via Let's Talk, email, and written submissions from the Open House on June 6 will be compiled into a report provided to Council for their consideration at the Committee of the Whole Meeting on June 20, 2023.

Consultation has concluded

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.

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    What are all the current lands and buildings does CoF own?

    DonnaMarie asked 10 months ago

    A map of City owned lands is available to view here: https://fernie.civicweb.net/filepro/documents/161016

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    My question is how much does the school currently pay to the City for leasing the building? I hear how much it costs to maintain but what is it bringing in? Whatever that may be should cover the maintenance costs. Is there consideration to possibly making Max Turyk the middle school and leasing that back to the School Board? I look forward to your answers.

    Rosanne Anselmo asked 10 months ago

    School District 5 currently owns a piece of property they are advancing with the Ministry, and we look forward to working closely to support their projects. This process was specific to considering the offer from the CSF.

    The City brings in an average of $66,000 revenue annually from lease agreements and rentals.


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    Some clarification would be appreciated with regard to some answers to questions regarding lease and joint user agreements. Regarding the fields and outdoor space, it sounds like there would be a 10 year window of "protection" so to speak for the existing soccer/field amenities? However in other answers regarding lease agreements, it appears to be a 3 year term, going back to 2022 so essentially another 1.5 years given we are already half way through 2023? I take it the building and land use agreements have different terms? Aside from the specifics pertaining to above, there does not appear to be any forward thinking in terms of alternative options for either the childcare/afterschool programs nor long term planning for field replacement at the end of said terms? It is very plausible that the CSF declines to renegotiate or renew terms once expired, then what?

    Tanya Bossio asked 10 months ago

    The draft join-use agreements would provide access to the outdoor sport spaces for a ten-year (two five-year terms) period. 

    Current leaseholders of the building have the option to renew leases to a date the CSF was amenable to, being July 2025. With most leases currently expired, negotiations are taking place directly with tenants. Terms of these would be assigned to the CSF, and tenants would then work with the new owner if the sale were to advance.

    Should the sale advance, the City would continue to work with the CSF to extend joint use agreements for the various services, as we do with SD5 for use of outdoor and indoor recreation spaces. Community priorities will be identified through the Official Community Plan (OCP) update process in the next year, which will include significant community and stakeholder engagement.

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    Can the City share the individual sq ft currently occupied by CSF, FCCS, and other tenants in the building? Does CSF have the majority of space in the building or do they have the most space of any given tenant? This is an important distinction to make for anyone who wants to be fully informed. I know we would like to know as a family to shape the full scope of impact the proposed sale may have. What are the total number of registered children/families that are within each user group's programming, including CSF? Council should have access to this data as part of making an informed decision. Is Staff working to provide these essential pieces of information as part of the package presented to Council for June 20th?

    G Family asked 10 months ago

    The CSF is currently the anchor tenant using the largest space within the facility at 64% of rentable space. The Fernie Child Care Society occupies approximately 35.7% of rentable space. School Aged Care occupies 18%, and Fernie Forest School occupies 10%.

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    Why hasn't the City used an updated photo for this community engagement that reflects the current useage and all of the improvements to ammenities that the City has endorsed and that Community / user groups have contributed to (enclosed child care play spaces, pickleball court, soccer storage)? Some council members were unaware of the facts relating to impacts of this sale on current user groups (as I have heard from reliable sources), it seems important to present the case to it's fullest, including current photos of the space as it is today for public consideration.

    G Family asked 10 months ago

    The City typically budgets for new photos assets every 10 years, with an update in this years capital program. The aerial photo used provides a broad overview of the site. Additional improvements have been made since this photo was captured.

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    With the current proposal under consideration placing the Eirin Amundsen Memorial Pavilion on the lands retained by the City, what reassurance is there that those 1.5 acres will remain owned by the City long-term?

    Concerned Family asked 10 months ago

    There is currently no active development proposal for the 1.5 acres proposed to be retained under City ownership.

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    Will the City partner to locate alternative spaces for the vital childcare groups that are currently tenants if their program is no longer viable beyond 2025 as a result of a change in ownership?

    Concerned Family asked 10 months ago

    The Official Community Plan (OCP) sets out policy for the City to support the stability of childcare services. The CSF has committed to working with child care groups on options should the sale advance.

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    Is Council aware of any of the lease particulars and associated risks to the viability of childcare programs? If not, will these specifics be presented to Council on June 20th, as I can suspect that many user groups are being respectful to the current and desired ongoing relationship with the City as landlord and not sharing this publicly but this is absolutely something that Council should be aware of in order to understand the impacts of the proposed sale as is. There is a meager provision in place for current tenants and everyone needs to know this - Council and the public.

    Concerned Family asked 10 months ago

    Council will receive draft agreements with comments from tenants, and are the authority required to execute those agreements once acceptable terms are reached.

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    How is Council supporting the multiple childcare groups who rely on their current spaces in Max Turyk as well as their access to shared spaces both indoors and out? Aside from speaking to the benefits of the sale for COF bottom line and to CSF, there has been little vocalizing in support of these essential community groups. These groups became notified of the proposed sale on social media. A little more respect and transparency from a landlord would have been the right thing to do. What will happen to these groups if the sale goes ahead and tenants are still negotiating unsustainable lease particulars (with conditions set by CSF)?

    Concerned Family asked 10 months ago

    The City engaged tenants and leaseholders regarding the proposed sale prior to the public announcement. The City understands the importance of stability for child care and is working with each tenant to negotiate leases as part of the proposed sale.

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    How much does it cost the city of fernie to keep max turyk running annually ie: gas/hydro/insurance? Thank you!

    Sue asked 10 months ago

    See table below for a breakdown of operating costs: