Cowichan Tribes has bought the 2.9-acre parcel of land at 6060 Canada Ave., where the old North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP detachment was located, from the Municipality of North Cowichan for $1.2 million.
The property is currently vacant as the RCMP has recently moved to their new $48-million facility on Ford Road.
North Cowichan council approved the land transfer at its meeting on Dec. 18.
North Cowichan Mayor Rob Douglas said Cowichan Tribes intends to use the property to house its emergency service and public works programs.
The land transfer includes a covenant being registered on title to protect the neighbouring Bings Creek from future development, while permitting North Cowichan to conduct approximately $165,000 in restoration and maintenance work on the north channel of Bings Creek in 2025.
But some North Cowichan councillors took issue with the manner in which the sale was conducted, and the fact that the property was not put up for sale on the open market.
Coun. Tek Manhas said he thinks all public properties owned by the municipality that are put up for sale should be placed on the open market.
He said North Cowichan’s taxpayers have paid for these properties and their maintenance and he feels it’s only prudent for the municipality to throw the sale open to all comers to try and get the best price for them.
“I know we had an appraisal but we don’t know if what we sold it for is the best prices we could have gotten for our residents,” Manhas said.
But Coun. Mike Caljouw said that selling the RCMP property to Cowichan Tribes is a significant milestone in the fostering of community relations and advancing reconciliation efforts.
He said the sale price was established through an impartial and comprehensive appraisal conducted by an independent appraisal company that was selected by a North Cowichan council member and staff.
“This ensures transparency and ethical standards,” Caljouw said. “Cowichan Tribes has also undertaken due diligence on this property and have decided that the property fits their strategic needs and plans.”
Coun. Bruce Findlay agreed with Manhas.
“Of course, any disposition discussions have to happen in closed meetings, but when we do decide to dispose of a property, I truly believe it should go on the open market so that we are, potentially, getting the best price possible,” he said.
“While we did get an appraisal on this, an appraisal is just one snippet of evaluation at a certain given time, regardless of the quality of the appraisal.”
Coun. Christopher Justice asked Bill Corsan, North Cowichan’s general manager of corporate services and community relations, if he felt North Cowichan got fair market value in the sale of the land.
Corsan said that, under the Community Charter, when council sells a property, it needs to sell it for market value, and the way that’s established is through an independent appraisal.
He said that, in this case, council received an appraisal to understand what the value of it was and then had a full-price offer from Cowichan Tribes.
“[Cowichan Tribes] conducted due diligence, identified some deficiencies in the building (including the fact that it needs a new roof and work on its HVAC systems) which, of course, the appraiser wouldn’t have known because they didn’t do that level of analysis, and council adjusted the price to reflect that,” Corsan said.
“Under the Community Charter, [council] has met all the obligations required.”
Mayor Douglas said the land transfer is important for reconciliation with First Nations.
“This will play a big part to strengthen our relationship with Cowichan Tribes which, in my view, is the right thing to do," he said.
Council approved the sale of the property, with Manhas and Findlay opposed.
