District of Lake Country purchases BC Tree Fruits site for future community amenities
A unique opportunity to purchase the BC Tree Fruits property at 9718 Bottom Wood Lake Road came up because of the cooperative going into receivership. The 8.4 acre lot right next to the Winfield Arena activity hub went through a very quick court-ordered sale process and the District’s bid of $9.1 million was accepted by the appointed monitor and approved November 27th by the court.
Mayor and Council recognize that as Lake Country continues to grow the demand for community access to both programmed and unprogrammed recreational opportunities, greenspace and public amenities is always expanding. Every year during the budget process Council hears from residents and businesses; and besides the ever-present focus on roads maintenance, water and sewer, there are always requests for investments in public spaces and recreational amenities.
“Balancing the community’s priorities to make strategic investments without sacrificing service and amenities is never easy,” said Mayor Blair Ireland. “And when a unique opportunity like this comes along, when grant funding and reserves are available to make a purchase that will benefit the community long into the future, it feels like a win for all!”
The land and buildings offer so much more than expanded recreation, including a possible location for the RCMP detachment. Renovating and maximizing the use of existing 73,965 sq ft and 4800 sq ft buildings on the property, with lots of room for parking, plus improvements and expansion of the adjacent Winfield Arena, make this a strategic addition to Lake Country’s assets.
“The right time, location and price don’t often align, so we made sure we did our due diligence in quick order so we could direct staff to make a fair bid in the best interest of the community,” said Ireland. “And we were thrilled when the court approved it this morning.”
The District will be engaging the community in 2025 to help establish priorities for the use of the property to meet the needs of the community now and in the future. The Sports and Recreation Needs Assessment done in 2023, the Official Community Plan (OCP), the Mobility Master Plan and other guiding documents with a lot of community input will also help determine how the property is developed so it reflects the long-term interests of the diverse Lake Country community.
We are really looking forward to hearing from the community about how the property at 9718 Bottom Wood Lake Road can be used to address the many needs and aspirations for recreation, culture and other amenities.
Watch for news about ways to participate in the public engagement process in 2025.
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
The lot is just over 8.4 acres and it has two buildings on it – a 4,800 sq ft shop and a 73,965 sq ft warehouse.
The accepted offer was $9.1 million which is fair market price for the land and buildings beside the Winfield Arena activity hub in the town centre core.
The purchase price will be funded from:
$7.03 million from the provincial Growing Communities Fund that must be used within a specified timeframe on community priorities that align with the province’s goals of “supporting the delivery of infrastructure projects necessary to enable community growth”. This money cannot be used to offset taxes, but by using it to purchase this property it will help offset future costs of buying land for other community needs. The money has also earned some interest since we received it, which will be used for the purchase.
$620,000 in Policing reserves will be used because it is envisioned that a new RCMP detachment could be located on the property.
The remainder will come from the Land Sale Reserve, Parkland Acquisition Reserve, General Capital Reserve and Community Works Fund (formerly known as gas tax).
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No. The provincial priorities to use the money were considered and compared to priorities identified through the past few years’ budget and the 2023 Sports and Recreation Needs Assessment. While the money couldn’t be used for pothole filling or roads maintenance, acquiring this property will add to the infrastructure upgrades made recently on Bottom Wood Lake Rd which help students from the south end of Lake Country get to school and access recreation amenities easier.
No.
The timing of the court process and the confidentiality of the bid procedure did not allow for community engagement on the specific purchasing decision. However the tax payers were engaged as part of the Sports and Recreation Needs Assessment in 2023 as well as prior budget cycles regarding the future requirements of the RCMP – which identified the need for a property such as this.
Absolutely. We will be engaging the community in 2025 to help determine priorities for the use of the property and guide development of future amenities.
We’ve heard the desire for a swimming pool in the community loud and clear and that will be something that is considered along with all of the other needs and aspirations of our growing community.
Because the Winfield Arena ice use is already maximized, we have been exploring partnerships and opportunities for a second sheet of ice to make more time available for the public, school programs, and specialized athletic programs. This purchase definitely provides options to consider for expanding the Winfield Arena.
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In our due diligence in considering the purchase of the BC Tree Fruits property, the existing building was thoroughly inspected, including structural, geotechnical and environmental aspects, and we are confident that the structure is sound and can be renovated for a wide variety of uses.
No. The items belonging to BC Tree Fruits will be their responsibility to reallocate or sell.
The District does not intend on renting or leasing out any storage space on the site.
Yes it is currently in the ALR. The future OCP designates the site as Service Commercial; and it is currently zoned I1 – Industrial. The site has been used for processing and storage of agricultural products for over 40 years. We are aware of ALC regulations and feel the uses based on community input will be in line with regulations at the time. It was anticipated in 2010 that the future OCP development would include multi-family and industrial uses for the area.
Please email communications@lakecountry.bc.ca so we can include your question and the response on this page so others in the community can read it too.
If you want to have input into the public engagement process to help determine the uses of the property and buildings, please subscribe to District of Lake Country news so you get the information direct to your email inbox when it is announced in 2025.
