Derelict buildings are a problem for communities in the Cowichan Valley from Crofton to Lake Cowichan.
They don’t just annoy immediate neighbours, they become magnets for everything from break and enters, to vandalism, graffiti, fires, drugs and more. And that affects communities as a whole.
Then there’s the fact that more often than not they quickly become just plain unsightly. The grass grows up around the ears. Bits break off and lie scattered around, giving both the building and immediate vicinity a shabby, if not gap-toothed look. It invites noise and those up to no good. Who wants to live nearby to that?
Much has been made in recent years of derelict boats being anchored and left to rot in the waters off our coastlines. But derelict building haven’t gotten the same attention.
It’s sad that in the context of a number of Cowichan Valley communities what we’re talking about are old school buildings, still owned by the district.
In Crofton, residents have compiled a petition to have the old elementary school finally torn down. It has been a problem site for years, rather than the community amenity it could become, located as it is next to the community centre, with a beautiful ocean view.
In Lake Cowichan, the J.H. Boyd school and surrounding site have been an eyesore for more than a decade. Owners of the property who once sought to develop it were stymied by residents mired in the past, convinced if they just dug in their heels that someone was magically going to come along and make it into some sort of school again. Of course, nothing of the sort has happened and it has just continued to deteriorate. Most would likely now agree that a housing development would be a huge improvement for the neighbourhood.
One of the problems, of course, particularly when we’re talking old schools, is that they are full of asbestos, hence the demolition costs are steep, so the building are left standing, empty. But nature abhors a vacuum and what’s filling up these sites is costly in its own way.
Time to move forward, as the Town of Lake Cowichan is on several derelict buildings in the community. One’s foundation is crumbling from underneath it. Another has a large tree growing right through the back of what once was a family home. Imagine the rats that have taken up residence. There’s no doubt that it’s time for these eyesores to be removed from the landscape.
