Demolition of the old Visitor Centre and Sasquatch Museum in Harrison Hot Springs is coming soon.
The village council voted 4-1 to receive a report from village staff concerning 399 Hot Springs Road and the ongoing progress toward the new Visitor Centre and Sasquatch Museum to be built at the same location. No action apart from receiving the report was on the agenda.
A $1 million grant from a province-wide, initiative from the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport will fund an entirely new, two-storey building that would allow more square footage for both the Visitor Centre and the Sasquatch Museum. The new space would not only accent the museum as an indoor activity but to expand its exhibits, potentially including local First Nations history.
The building itself has a long history, first built as a logging bunkhouse in the 1930s before being donated to the village in 1950, when it served as the village office. The village office was then moved into the 495 Hot Springs Road office in the1980s, and the Visitor Centre moved in. A temporary office trailer was added to the site in 2017 and was converted into the Sasquatch Museum, where it became a popular attraction. The museum attracts about 8,000 visitors per year.
RELATED: Province grants Harrison $1 million to expand Visitor Centre, Sasquatch Museum
Earlier this year, the building was deemed unsuitable for municipal use, at which point the staff recommended demolition.
Back in late April, council was presented with three possibilities for the old building’s future – repurpose the building, sell the building to a third party or demolish.
According to a report from village staff in the July 11 council meeting agenda, an interested party came forth to buy the structure for $20,000, entering into a purchasing agreement that the building be removed from the property within 30 days of May 30. The building was vacated before the date and utilities were disconnected, but the building was not moved in the agreed-upon period of time and the agreement expired. Village officials said the Fraser Valley Regional District confirmed no application to move the structure had been submitted. The Observer separately confirmed no such application had been submitted.
Village staff confirmed there was no correspondence asking the village to extend that moving period and that the winning bidder’s money had since been refunded.
Coun. Ray Hooper was the only council member to vote against receiving the report.
“I’m against the demolishing of this building, but if it’s going to be demolished, is it going to be an environmentally friendly process?” Hooper said.
Mayor Leo Facio said Hooper’s comments were “very strong.”
In other council business:
– Council voted in favour of writing a letter of support to the City of Abbotsford, agreeing to host the dragon boating event of the 2022 55+ B.C. Games. Abbotsford is the host city this year with gams running from Aug. 22 to 26.
– Preet Toor and Petra Pardy of Chilliwack Family Practice appeared as a delegation to discuss the Chilliwack and Fraser Health Rural Primary Care Centre (Momíyelhtelaxwt, or “helping one another”. The new Primary Care Centre will serve Agassiz-Harrison, Chilliwack, Hope, the Fraser Canyon and 22 Indigenous communities from Chilliwack to Boothroyd.
RELATED: PHOTOS: New primary care centre in Chilliwack will provide faster, culturally safe health care
– Coun. Gerry Palmer, member of the Public Art Committee, said he expects to have a draft public art policy for village council’s consideration by the fall.
The next regular council meeting is scheduled for August 8 at Village Hall, located at 495 Hot Springs Road. The meeting starts at 7 p.m.
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