If the McMillan Arts Centre doesn’t get heritage designation it could mean the end of the nearly 100-year-old building.
That’s according to Valerie Dare, Oceanside Community Arts Council (OCAC) board member, who recently got advice on the building’s structural integrity.
“The fact remains there’s about two years left for the exterior before major rehabilitation is needed, so now’s the time,” Dare said, adding if the building doesn’t attract funding it “is likely to be lost.”
Dare said if the building gets heritage designation it can apply to Heritage BC for $35,000. The designation would also help their application for a $110,000 Community Fisheries Development grant, Dare said, and she was told the powers-that-be would look on a proposal from a heritage building “kindly”. This money and other grants could be matched by a federal legacy grant, and could add up to $315,000.
Although Dare said the heritage designation would be helpful for the MAC, Fred Manson, Chief Administrative Officer with the City of Parksville, disagreed.
“There’s really no downside for it not being a heritage building as far as any of their applications are concerned,” he said. “Everything I’ve been told, you don’t need to have heritage designation to access heritage-type grants.”
Manson also said when a heritage designation is given to a building it restricts the use of that building. The building is co-owned by another organization—The Parksville and District Association for Community Living (PDACL)—and they would have to agree to the designation and the restrictions that come with it, he said. This would devalue the building as no changes would be allowed to the outside of the building, Manson explained.
There are many unanswered questions, Manson said, but the building could still get the designation if everybody involved was on-board. But he thought OCAC should perhaps be focusing more on getting operating funds.
“Capital grants are no good if you can’t operate it, they need operating money,” he said.
Barb Read, executive director with PDACL, said she wasn’t sure heritage designation would be in the best interest of the association. She said PDACL wanted to take over the MAC building and renovate it‚ but the OCAC declined that offer. Now the group is at a standstill, she said.
Dare said it was one of the city councillors that recommended the OCAC look into getting heritage designation in the first place.
Moving forward with that goal, the next step for the OCAC is to demonstrate they have community support, she said. The Parksville Residents Association have agreed to ask for heritage designation and OCAC will most likely be drawing up a petition for community members to sign.
Besides the money to help refurbish the MAC, heritage designation would help draw tourists, Dare said, and keep the building looking nice for all who enjoy it.
“If we got heritage status and the funding that came with it then we’re going to present best face possible for tourists and of course also for residents.”
