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Council considering plans for new downtown gym

Fernie Academy has proposed a gym be built downtown, to make up for a loss of recreational space after the Community Centre closure
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(Scott Tibballs / The Free Press)

A project proposal to build a gym at parking lots on 3 Ave. in Fernie, has generated considerable response from the community and a fair bit of controversy.

Fernie Academy headmaster Jocelyn Sombrowski appeared before council on Dec. 17 at a committee of the whole meeting to pitch the idea of building a gym at 402 and 422 3 Ave, which are currently parking lots. The school's sports teams used the Fernie Community Centre before it shut down due to health and safety concerns, and staff are desperately searching for a new space to hold practice and phys-ed classes.

82 people showed up to the council meeting to hear Sombrowski's presentation and provide feedback on the project. Another 28 people watched on Zoom. Many attendees took to the podium to share their thoughts, with 23 speaking in favour of the build and four people opposed.

Current conceptual plans show the gym as being a multi-story building with space for sports courts on the roof and a covered parkade at ground level.

Sombrowski said the building would not be exclusive to the school and would be available for public use from 8 a.m. to noon daily and after school intramurals in the evening, as well as on weekends and public holidays.

The gym would be built on two of three adjacent parking lots along 3 Ave. near the Fernie Museum, with some of the original space for parking retained. The two lots the Academy is interested in currently belong to the City, while the third is privately owned. 

Fernie Chamber of Commerce executive director Wendy McDougall publicly endorsed the project at the committee of the whole meeting.

“With our community growing and facing a shortage of recreational space, it seems short-sighted to reject an opportunity to enhance the amenities without relying on direct taxpayer funding," McDougall said. "...The addition of a gymnasium and community gathering space in the heart of downtown is an invaluable opportunity. We’ve already seen the power of community in action with the closure of the Community Centre and this project offers a similar opportunity for an independent organization to make a meaningful contribution to the quality of life for Fernie residents.”

Not everyone was in favour of moving forwards with the project. Sharon Quail appeared before council to speak against the proposed development. Quail's father donated one of the lots to the City in 1993 with a covenant established to ensure it would be kept as a space for public parking.

Quail said she would like to see her father's wishes honoured and have the space remain as he intended it. She read letters from her siblings at the meeting, which expressed similar opinions.

She added that when her father was first made aware of the proposal to build a gym many years ago, he was not in favour of the project. 

"He specifically wished for the lot to be used for public parking for the communal benefit of Fernie citizens and downtown merchants. He donated the lot in good faith with the agreement by the City that the lot be used for public parking," Quail told council at the meeting.

Council voted to meet with Fernie Academy and the Quail family to further discuss the project and bring back a report on it at a future meeting, and to draft a letter of support in principle. The motion passed three to two, with Mayor Nic Milligan and Councillors Troy Nixon and Kyle Hamilton in favour, and Councillors Tracey Audia-Kelly and Ted Shoesmith opposed. Councillors Kevin McIssac and Harsh Ramadass were absent from the meeting.

A few of the councillors had strong opinions about the project. Councillor Nixon expressed interest in the project and was eager to move forwards with discussion on cost.

"Fernie has an incredible opportunity here. Currently, we have an unsightly parking lot that is filled with pot holes and puddles that make seniors slip and fall.  We have an opportunity, through a simple letter of support, to see a transformation of our downtown core while also providing an incredible amenity for the entire community," he told the Free Press.

He said he thinks the project would actually be an improvement on the covenant, as part of it involves upgrading the lot's parking.

Councillor Shoesmith said he wasn't comfortable moving forwards with the project, knowing the Quail family objected to the gym.

“So long as there is that covenant upon the land, I think that we should hold to it, unless the people who signed it or their family comes around," Shoesmith said at the meeting.

“I will be voting against this despite the fact that I think it is a genuinely excellent proposal and it’s coming from a good place," he added.

Councillor Audia-Kelly said she'd like to discuss the matter further with the Quails, drawing on past practice with the Prentice Park covenant. When council voted to build a new fire hall in Prentice Park earlier this year, they consulted with the Prentice family to ensure the project was something the family wanted.  

"When we discussed the possibility of breaking the covenant on Prentice Park, I believe there was unanimous agreement with this council to fully consult with the Prentice family and to respect the wishes of the Prentice family," she said.

Yet she did acknowledge the Prentice Park covenant was somewhat different from the Quail's parking lot covenant.

“The Prentice family was not the land owner," she explained. "Bill Prentice worked for the corporation that donated the land to the City, with the condition that it be used in perpetuity for recreational purposes and green space. The park was named in his honour but the Prentice family was never financially impacted by the donation of that land.”

The City will bring back discussion on the project in the New Year.

 



About the Author: Gillian Francis

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