19 replies to this topic

[Victoria Watcher]

The Braefoot Community Association (BCA) hopes a letter-writing campaign will be enough to reverse the District of Saanich’s decision to end the group’s 34-year lease of the building in Braefoot Park.

 

The community group was stunned when Saanich announced on Dec. 16 that it would be terminating the BCA’s lease of the building off McKenzie Avenue. At the time, the district explained it would be taking over the building in the new year “to meet council and community priorities.”

 

“We are surprised and disappointed,” said Sean Nacey, chair of the BCA board of directors. “We had always thought of Saanich as a partner.”

 

 

 

https://www.saanichn...-braefoot-park/

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 22 December 2020 - 10:56 AM.

[aastra]

 

“We are surprised and disappointed,”

“We had always thought of Saanich as a partner.”

 

Well, now you know. Never too late.

[Victoria Watcher]

they didn’t see trouble brewing when 14 days before the end of the lease they had no extension in hand?

things happen. things change. I think the association did good work. but you need to always be aware of your situation.

[aastra]

Exactly. And especially so when handling snakes.

[Victoria Watcher]

funny VicNews never mentioned this part. BCA has not proven to be woke enough. where is their gay lacrosse team for example?


“In order to meet council and community priorities, Saanich has a critical and immediate need to manage and use the Braefoot Park building,” the municipality said in a statement. “Additional Saanich-operated facility space is required to support changing demands and provide enhanced services for the community’s highly diverse population, including older adults, children and youth, Indigenous, LGBTQ2+, newcomers, immigrants, refugees, low income families and cultural arts.”

https://www.timescol...ouse-1.24258930

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 23 December 2020 - 12:42 AM.

[A Girl is No one]

The SJW ideology is metastasizing ...

[AllseeingEye]

funny VicNews never mentioned this part. BCA has not proven to be woke enough. where is their gay lacrosse team for example?


“In order to meet council and community priorities, Saanich has a critical and immediate need to manage and use the Braefoot Park building,” the municipality said in a statement. “Additional Saanich-operated facility space is required to support changing demands and provide enhanced services for the community’s highly diverse population, including older adults, children and youth, Indigenous, LGBTQ2+, newcomers, immigrants, refugees, low income families and cultural arts.”

https://www.timescol...ouse-1.24258930

 

 

Way to cover off all the bases....yet no mention of the Aliens? That reeks of discrimination against off-worlder's dammit! What a load of political piffle. Political correctness really does have a rank odor uniquely all its own......

[Spy Black]

That a private "old boys" association feels they have some sort of lock on using (and dictating who can use) a building that is 100% owned by Saanich taxpayers is a bit much.

 

Saanich obviously sees room for improvement over how the BCA is currently making use of the facility, so are putting in place new terms and conditions (and tenants) that will more closely meet the needs of the people that actually own the building.

 

Lesson Learned: Volunteering to help build something 35 years ago doesn't actually make it "yours".

[Victoria Watcher]

probably nobody ever said it was theirs. they knew the deal even if it was a shock.

but it seems to have worked out for 35 years why the change of heart now? other than sjw reasons? were there other tensions? had they been asked to involve more of the two spirit community and refused? were refugees not allowed on their teams?

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 23 December 2020 - 03:40 PM.

[Spy Black]

There's nothing stopping BCA from renting the newly contracted space (as required) from Saanich, they just lose the ability to call the shots, and determine who can, or can't access the facility.

 

Human nature dictates that nobody likes to lose their ability to call the shots, especially after 30-some years of calling the shots ... but if you don't own the asset under discussion, you're just a renter whose lease renewal has been declined.

 

As the property owner, Saanich really isn't obliged to give highly detailed reasons for the non-renewal of the lease ... but they did make pretty clear that they want the facility made available to a much wider range of local users ... which could tend to imply that the BCA wasn't making it available to a very wide range of local users.

 

It's likely that we'll never really know the reason, other than the foundational reason, that the property owner wants it this way.

[Victoria Watcher]

As the property owner, Saanich really isn't obliged to give highly detailed reasons for the non-renewal of the lease ... but they did make pretty clear that they want the facility made available to a much wider range of local users ... which could tend to imply that the BCA wasn't making it available to a very wide range of local users.

 

It's likely that we'll never really know the reason, other than the foundational reason, that the property owner wants it this way.

 

well the property owner is the taxpayer so a better explanation would probably be appreciated by some.

[Rob Randall]

That a private "old boys" association feels they have some sort of lock on using (and dictating who can use) a building that is 100% owned by Saanich taxpayers is a bit much.

 

Funny, I was getting the "old boys" club vibe, too. 

 

I bet what happened was they got a call from Saanich Parks & Rec:

 

"Hey, Bob, we noticed your clubhouse is vacant Tuesday evenings; we were thinking of having a weekly workshop for women re-entering the..."

"Ha ha, yeah, nope, *CLICK*

[Spy Black]

well the property owner is the taxpayer so a better explanation would probably be appreciated by some.

Diversity where there is currently no diversity.

That was the reason given by Saanich. It was actually quite concise.

 

Diversity is in, taxpayers love diversity in 2021 ... "old boys" associations that presume to weild authority where they actually weild none are fading faster than you can say "Union Club".

[Victoria Watcher]

union club is on better financial footing than it ever has been in its history.

[Rob Randall]

New CHEK story on the Braefoot clubhouse:

 

https://www.cheknews...ubhouse-730846/

 

I won't bother quoting any of it as there's no new information that hasn't been covered in the stories above. 

 

Someone in Saanich Parks has to leak something because we're surely not getting the full story.

[spanky123]

Funny, I was getting the "old boys" club vibe, too. 

 

I bet what happened was they got a call from Saanich Parks & Rec:

 

"Hey, Bob, we noticed your clubhouse is vacant Tuesday evenings; we were thinking of having a weekly workshop for women re-entering the..."

"Ha ha, yeah, nope, *CLICK*

 

I don't know if it is fair coming to that conclusion. The BCPA built and has maintained the buildings for years. They run summer camps, after school care programs and a variety of other activities. Is the space used optimally, probably not, but then they aren't required to rent it to every individual or organization that wants to use it either. Just because the land owner is the Government doesn't mean that anyone can use the space whenever they want. 

[Rob Randall]

Everything you say is true yet I also know municipalities are reluctant to meddle into the affairs of a community association that's running smoothly. Don't try to fix something that's not broken is the general rule. 

[Redd42]

Everything you say is true yet I also know municipalities are reluctant to meddle into the affairs of a community association that's running smoothly. Don't try to fix something that's not broken is the general rule. 

 

Or if volunteers are doing for free what you would have to pay municipal staff to do.

[Rob Randall]

Yes, there could have been union pressure. But would staff allow the union to strongarm such a drastic move? Like I say, staff aren't in the habit of looking for trouble.

[Redd42]

Oh I meant quite the opposite. Saanich (and other govts) love if people will do for free what they would have to pay someone to do. So it likely is with great reluctance that they took control of this building. I'm guessing there was probably years of staff at Saanich being frustrated with BCPA. Now running this building will be added to the duty of a Saanich staff person who already can't handle everything they have to do. In a former life, back in ON, I was a municipal office manager person. I loved volunteers. My union guys, not so much.