By Steve Hubrecht 

[email protected] 

The Village of Canal Flats Attainable Housing and Childcare Society (VCFAHCS) was at the middle of questions and pointed comments yet again during last week’s council meeting.

As reported previously in the Pioneer, the society (which was recently renamed Arvora Housing and Childcare Society) was the centre of attention at the April 14 Canal Flats council meeting. It then promptly took the spotlight at the next council meeting April 28.

It was again former Canal Flats councillor Marie Delorme who brought up the society, which operates the local Headwaters Academy daycare and which is leading the proposed attainable housing-medical technology hub development (a project that also includes significantly expanding the daycare).

The project generated plenty of public interest last spring, when village officials explained they could not disclose the identity of the developer that had been selected by the society for the project, aside from giving the company name — LIWO Developments Inc. That caused rumours to swirl and questions to fly from the public on why the developers had to remain anonymous.

During the April 28 council meeting, Delorme, in the public gallery, admonished council that although the society is leading the project, the village has a role to play too. Her sentiment was picked up by current Canal Flats councillor Andrew Wietzel. He felt the society’s monthly update for March, which consisted of a single page, was insufficient.  

“We (the village) are the stewards for this. For us to have this one pager on a $3 million (to) $4 million project, it’s just not enough,” said Wietzel.

The society’s March update outlined that water and sewer installation for the project is 98 per cent complete, that foundation work is 90 per cent complete, that the various buildings should be at “lockup stage” (i.e. all the walls, roofs, windows and doors will be in place) in the coming summer months.

The update summarized “conclusion: project is on time and budget.” It listed total revenue of $4.08 million and total expenses of $3.09 million, but did not break these totals down.

Wietzel noted that council had always received monthly updates from the housing society up until January. But there was no update in February, and then in March just a one-page update, he said.

“What I’m seeing in March is much less than what was typically in there from prior,” said Wietzel, later adding “I don’t understand why there’s not a more complete report.”

Wietzel also suggested that, in his opinion, the village should be more transparent on this project. He said in-camera meetings (which are closed to the general public as well as closed to media) are meant to deal specifically with the village’s land-related issues, labour-related issues, and legal issues. The proposed attainable housing-medical technology hub development does not meet any of those criteria, suggested Wietzel.

More detailed monthly reports would mean “the public can see more of what’s going on in that housing society . . .  because quite frankly it (should) have public scrutiny,” he said.

Canal Flats acting chief administrative officer Sylvie Hoobanoff said the situation with the housing society and the attainable housing project is “an unusual scenario.” The society asked village staff to keep the identity of the developers confidential and “I honoured that … that is plain and simple how it went,” explained Hoobanoff.

Wietzel said more detailed — and more public — financial reports would be helpful because that would allow people “from other housing societies and other walks of life be able to look at that stuff (the financial reports) and tell us … if the budget that’s there is reasonable. I have no way of knowing (as a councillor) because I’m not a developer.” He later added “otherwise I’m just relying on their (the society’s) word, and if there’s any conflicts (of interest), I can’t rely on that word.”

The conflict of interest comment was an allusion to allegations about village chief administrative officer Richard Wayken (who has been on leave for several months) and dealings between the village and companies owned or managed by Wayken’s son.

These allegations buzzed around the village last summer and played a large role in the village’s municipal by-election, during which Wietzel and fellow councillor Paul Marcil were elected.

“The public has a say at election time, or if there’s a public hearing. But the public doesn’t have a say for anything that’s going on operational or anything like that. That is a distinction that I would like to clarify,” explained Hoobanoff. “I know the public wants to know, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that they get to know.”

Councillor Patricia Reed was acting as mayor during the April 28 meeting (in the absence of Canal Flats mayor Mark Doherty) and pointed out that the village’s last major project — the sewer lift — had monthly updates that were also not very detailed.

“The difference between that project (the sewer lift) and this project (the attainable housing-medical technology hub) is how close to the hip things have become with this project,” replied Wietzel. “And that is why there is more public interest than might be at the sewer lagoons. Because we’re not just hiring a third party like we would be at the sewer lagoons.”

“It’s a major issue,” said Marcil, pointing out the attainable housing project could end up housing 200 people. (The population of Canal Flats in the 2021 census was 800).

Marcil suggested the housing society hold an information session.

Reed said council can ask the society to host such a session and “hope they cooperate” but “unfortunately we (the village) are not in a place where we can actually dictate that.”