I am writing today to encourage council to consider purchasing the Brackendale Art Gallery as a public asset for the community. As noted in the OCP planning, we need more public spaces to gather, and what better gathering place than the BAG?
The BAG has been a focal point of Brackendale for years, and it is only fitting that its history is incorporated into the community.
The City of Vancouver had the option to purchase a former church recently to add to their inventory. The church was operated by a society and houses many diverse user groups. Vancouver purchased the church, which was officially called St. James Community Hall, and has leased it back to the society to manage on a 30-year lease. There is a list of improvements to be done, and the city will match fundraising dollar for dollar and supply manpower if available. It is worth investigating to see if we could use the same model here.
Our population is growing, and we have a critical lack of halls for gatherings, dances and community uses. We need to be creative to add to our public spaces.
This is a great opportunity to save a piece of modern Brackendale history and, at the same time, add an artistic centre to the community. It is full of possibilities!
I hope district council will consider purchasing this Brackendale gem, as it truly is the cultural centre of Brackendale, as well as being the only gathering place in the north end of town.
I look forward to visiting the publicly owned “Brackendale Community Hall” in the not-too-distant future.
Mary Mitchell
Brackendale
