Cariboo Lodge, WL & Area Seniors' Advisory Council and City Councillor Natalie Hebert

Williams Lake Tribune has a story about last Tuesday's Committee of the Whole (WL Council) meeting with the Williams Lake & Area Seniors' Advisory Council on Cariboo Lodge.  See here

However, I would point out two things that stand out:

1) I would politely disagree with Audrey MacLise when she says (commercial rental property at a renovated Cariboo Lodge):

"“I would like to see the evidence on which they base that decision,” she says. “I would like to see the evidence that says more vacant commercial premises are needed in the downtown area.”

The intent, I believe, would be to assist paying for the buildings' costs and I believe seniors', generally speaking, would not have a problem with this if it was small in nature and geared towards seniors' needs.  However, if this is rejected by the seniors' in the community overall, then we should simply move on with renovating Cariboo Lodge.  If the intent to copy the same senior housing project as Glen Arbour, then we should not stand in seniors' way to get on with renovating Cariboo Lodge.  I would note that I, as a taxpayer, would not object to borrow some amount of money to assist getting a renovated Cariboo Lodge off the ground

2) Councillor Natalie Hebert states:

a) She notes that council’s role in Jubilee House, located on Carson at the old Jamboree Motel, was approving its rezoning - What does that have to do with Cariboo Lodge???  That was for residents with mental challenges

b) I know they (the Seniors Advisory Council) said they would be very involved in the fundraising but we’re dealing in an economy right now where a multi-million dollar project is hard - Really..... it seems to me that Council created $3.5 million in long-term debt (20 years) for Mackenzie Avenue rehabilitation and Council didn't think about the economy too hard when signing off on this debt, after public assent (yes, counter-petition is not the best form of public assent and should have been a referrendum).  And certainly, the community would support unanimously borrowing for renovating Cariboo Lodge more so than the Mackenzie Avenue Rehab Project.  Especially given if the borrowing was limited to, say, $1 million, to get the project fundraising going for a renovated Cariboo Lodge.