The future of the Kasapi Centre (the old restaurant building on South Shore Road near the entrance to the footbridge) is still under discussion by Lake Cowichan town council.
The building is not being used because it has had to be tested for asbestos and other possible hazards.
Two inspections have now been done, Lake Cowichan CAO Joe Fernandez told councillors on Aug. 8.
‘I guess what council needs to look at is that we’ve got a number of priorities and only limited funds. This issue is slated for upgrades in 2019 so it’s a matter of looking at what council’s priorities are and go from there. At this stage of the game, it is slated for 2019.”
Mayor Ross Forrest said, “Maybe when we’re having a planning meeting we can discuss this more. After all, 2019 is a long way away. If we look at all the priorities we have and have discussions about all of them. We’ve had this now for three years, and [in 2019] it would be five years of doing nothing to it.”
Fernandez said that downtown revitalization has been waiting since 2005 and funding is the big problem.
“I realize that,” Forrest replied. “But we need to look at what we have.”
Coun. Carolyne Austin agreed, saying, “I think we should bring it forward to at least next year because people are asking about it. Maybe we could make a decision, not wait till 2019?”
Coun. Tim McGonigle said, “I think we have to take into consideration during those discussions what the cost would be for refurbishment as opposed to what the use would be with it not being there — as a park. Where are the values for the community as a whole? Where are our priorities for parkland? The future of that is something I think should be discussed further, not that facility, but that site.”
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The Lake Cowichan Hospital Auxiliary is holding a 50th anniversary celebration on Sept. 23.
The Town of Lake Cowichan will make a donation of $50, “sending a message that we appreciate them. It’s symbolic: a dollar for every one of the 50s years,” said Mayor Ross Forrest.