To the editor:
Regarding, “Second World War building faces demolition” in the Nov. 7, 2024 issue of The Terrace Standard.
This is not the whole story. The Skeena Valley Seniors Society (SVSS) has been in conversation with the city over the last year about several buildings, including the Kin Hut, in an attempt to find a suitable location to better serve the seniors of our community.
The building and its property space, including the horseshoe pit, are well located to benefit local seniors as well as those at McConnell Estates and Terraceview Lodge. It seemed like a perfect marriage.
In multiple meetings with city staff we inquired about restoring and expanding the Kin Hut at our cost. We offered to sign a legal document to absolve the city of any responsibility. We were informed that the city would not entertain this offer.
The SVSS has approached the school district to use the Kit iK’Shan school building, empty for decades, and were denied. SVSS has approached the Minister of Health about the repurposing both the now-demolished Seven Sisters building and the soon-to-be demolished Mills Memorial Hospital and have been ignored. Meanwhile taxpayers pay hand over fist to pay for demolitions of usable assets that should be used for community use.
The Kin Hut demolition is estimated to cost taxpayers more $100,000. Are taxpayers aware of the how much more then that they paid to have the 18-year-old Seven Sisters hauled away? The cost of demolition of the hospital will be over the million dollar mark and the cost to re-create a usable similar building is astronomical.
The Skeena Valley Seniors Society has been at every politician’s door advocating for responsible use of resources but so far to no avail. Terraceview came out of the efforts to stop the demolition of the army hospital. Had that not happened who knows if we would have had anything to this day for our seniors.
Rethink your actions Terrace. Repurpose, reuse and prosper our community. When will this senseless waste stop?
Diana Penner, President,
Skeena Valley Seniors Society,
Terrace, B.C.
