By Steve Hubrecht
steve@columbiavalleypioneer
The Village of Canal Flats is in the midst of updating its housing needs assessment.
Canal Flats did its first housing assessment in 2021, and provincial legislation requires all BC municipalities to update their assessments every three years.
The village held an open house and is also running a survey until Aug. 30. The survey is available in hard copy from the village office or can be completed online at surveymonkey.ca/r/canalflatshousing.
A total of 12 people attended the open house, and 14 have already completed the survey.
Although these numbers are not sky high, they do represent a response rate that is already on par with the public input for the 2021 housing needs assessment, and they may rise more since the survey is still open for another few weeks, explained Canal Flats corporate officer Sylvie Hoobanoff. She noted that public input for the 2021 assessment may have been low because the consultation occurred in 2020 while the COVID-19 pandemic was at its height. All consultation then occurred digitally.
Canal Flats Mayor Mark Doherty explained that feedback so far is similar to what was heard in the 2021 assessment.
“What came out of it is there’s a great need for seniors’ housing in Canal Flats, a need for rental units for people who are working in the area, and a need for attainable housing.”
Doherty pointed out that attainable housing is somewhat different than affordable housing. He further elaborated that attainable housing, at least in Canal Flats, means young families looking to buy their first homes, as well as housing for employees.
“We’ve got a lot of entrepreneurs looking to move to Canal Flats, looking to bring business to Canal Flats. One of the obstacles they run into is there just aren’t many places for their employees to stay. If we can jump that hurdle, we could start to see some more light industrial businesses in Canal Flats,” said Doherty.
Canal Flats has a head start on some other BC municipalities trying to increase attainable and affordable housing, because accessory dwelling units (such as carriage homes above garages, and secondary suites) are already allowed in the village, added Hoobanoff.
The exploding number of short-term rentals (STRs) in Invermere, Radium Hot Springs and Regional District of East Kootenay Area F and G, which many residents feel are adversely impacting affordable housing and attainable housing in theses places, are not quite as big a deal in Canal Flats.
“It’s not a huge problem here yet,” said Hoobanoff. She estimated there are 12 to 15 STRs in Canal Flats.
“But it is growing,” she noted.
