Always in limbo.
That is how some tenants located on the BCR Northyards industrial park said they feel as they continue to wait to see if their businesses will have locations on the property in the coming years.
“I am month-to-month,” said Kelvin Mooney, partner at British Columbia Timberframe, which has operated out of the yards for three years. “You can’t plan, you can’t grow, you just react.”
BC Rail was sold to CN Rail in 2004, however, BCR Properties Ltd. still owns land in Squamish, including the Northyards.
BCRP is managed directly by the provincial Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure.
The BCRP’s mandate is to dispose at full market value all properties not required to support railway operations.
The province has been remediating the Northyards industrial site for about a decade, but that work seems almost complete, leaving tenants wondering if they will soon be asked to leave the industrial park.
Eric Andersen, a spokesman for some Northyards tenants, said he was told there may be an announcement from the province in March, and in the meantime he wants council to lobby to the province hard to protect the district’s industrial land needs.
“We need a made-in-Squamish strategy for the BCR rail yards that takes into account our special needs in Squamish – our economic development interests,” said Andersen. “We understand the railway lands are going to be sold, but in that sale we would like Squamish interests looked after.”
He said it is really hard to get solid information from the province on what is happening to the land.
“All we have is rumours,” he said.
The Squamish Chief contacted the provincial Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure and was told by email that there has been ongoing commercial interest in the site, but no decisions had been made.
“The current leases are in effect. If in the future the property is to be sold, tenants will be informed and any need or opportunities for relocation will be explored,” said an emailed statement from the ministry.
Though the province holds the hammer on this issue, Andersen said there is still a lot the council could do. “In the past the District of Squamish has gone to Victoria and asked for special attention and they have been good at it.”
Mayor Patricia Heintzman said council has been and will continue to communicate with the province to make sure the district’s vision for the yards is clear.
“Obviously we want to communicate with the province that we want high density jobs on those sites, and it is earmarked for clean industrial, light industrial, and that is certainly the vision, so far, of that area and we want to maintain those industrial lands,” Heintzman said.
Not everyone is as concerned about the future of the yards. FraserWood Industries has two and a half years to go on its three-year lease, according to Peter Dickson, president of FraserWood.
“We’ll be talking with BCR about extensions in the spring, but it is our understanding that they are keen to have us stay,” said Dickson in an email to The Chief.
