In what the seller and buyer refer to as “a collaborative solution” the Creston Education Centre property will be acquired by the Town of Creston, with all current programs continuing for at least the next five years.
In addition to the CEC (former South Creston Elementary School) property, the Town will also purchase the land and buildings on Canyon Street between 16th and 18th Avenue, north of Prince Charles Secondary School.
“I am very pleased with the outcome of our negotiations,” Mayor Ron Toyota said on Wednesday. “The CEC as it exists is clearly of great value to hundreds of people in the Creston Valley, and the possibility of the property being taken out of the public domain would not have been a healthy one for the long term benefit of our community.
“The inclusion of the Canyon Street property will simplify our efforts to work with the Department of Highways toward realigning Highway 3 along Cook Street, which is an important part of our Official Community Plan.”
“The Town of Creston, with the support of the RDCK Electoral Areas A, B and C, made an offer to purchase the Creston Education Centre and the Board of Education has accepted it,” Lenora Trenamen, Board Chair said in a press release on Tuesday. “We are thrilled to be able to continue with the programs we currently have and they will remain hosted in the CEC. The School District No. 8 programs include Creston Homelinks, Creston Wildflower, Strong Start and our itinerant services. Thank you to the community of Creston for sharing their letters, attending our public meetings, and letting us know how important our programs are to you.”
Zavallennahh Huscroft Young, a HomeLinks parent, was one of many who rallied support from CEC users and the broader community.
“Hooray!” she cheered on Tuesday. “I firmly believe that it was our voices that won this battle—as citizens of Creston, parents, friends, standing together as advocates of family, children, education and community. I am so grateful that things have ended up as indeed they should have all along, in the hands of our town as a collaborative vision with SD8. Thank you to everyone who wrote a letter, had a conversation, came to a meeting, attended a rally, or said a prayer. We did it!”
While the purchase of the property to save CEC programs might have the appearance of a knight riding to the rescue of a princess, the process has really been two years in the making, Toyota said.
“The Town of Creston, RDCK Area A, B and C directors, Valley Community Services, Creston Valley Community Housing Society…so many people have worked so hard to find a solution for a problem that could have led many parents to pull their kids out of the SD8 system,” he said. “None of us believed the closure of CEC was going to be of any benefit to students, families or the Creston Valley. These processes take time, energy and a lot of brainstorming, and I think we have a good outcome.”
Garry Jackman, Area A director, chaired the ad hoc committee Toyota referred to, and he credits the group’s efforts.
“It has been the consistent energy and dedication of local community champions which has resulted in finding the path to maintaining the CEC model,” he said on Tuesday. “As with any proposal involving multiple community partners, there is a logical sequence to building interest and then commitment to the partnership. This takes time which is why, over the past many months, we continued to advise the Board of School Trustees that we needed more time, noting any deadlines proposed could be unilaterally altered by the Board.
“We sought acknowledgement from the Board that they valued the model which had been created around the CEC along with their commitment to be a partner in that model, meaning co-location in favour of relocation.
“There is more work to do around formal buy in by some of the partners and space allocation to maximize the use of the facility while providing for anticipated growth (Homelinks being one example for possible program growth). It is important to optimize access for services offered by various partners while maintaining a secure, safe environment for our youth. And we want to see greater community use of the gym and fields.”
Jackman added that current users will be consulted before any changes of use are made within the building.
Valley Community Services director Justine Keirn, whose agency operates a number of early childhood and family programs at CEC, has been working for more than two years to maintain the umbrella of services at the location.
“I am indeed very pleased with the announcement. I am thrilled that we will be able to continue to provide our programs in a great location that meets the needs of the community and especially the families and their children,” she said on Wednesday.
Area B Director Tanya Wall also expressed her appreciation for the valiant community effort.
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