A buzz spread through the audience as candidate after candidate jumped off the bus garage band wagon. In turn all seven stated that if they had been in office they would have voted against using taxpayers money to purchase the site. None of the candidates who spoke are incumbents.
The old bus garage site is a long time pet project of incumbent Mayor Teunis Westbrooke. The purchase was recently completed. The purchase price is rumoured to be more than 1.5 million dollars of taxpayers money. The town has been vigorously selling other property in recent months, presumably to finance the purchase.
The former bus site has been proposed as an Arts and Cultural site by the Mayor. The town recently hired two consultants and held a public meeting to consider cultural facilities in Qualicum Beach.
Candidates Carol Nichol-Dowe and Mary Brouilette did not attend the meeting.
We don't need an arts & culture site. We have the ECHO Players, we have TOSH, lots of independent artists have home or their own studios, we have the civic centre and community hall that people rent for performances (or hey, how about the school classrooms and/or gym for various sized events/art classes). WHAT exactly is the purpose of having ANOTHER venue for this type of thing? Is Qualicum large enough to support all of this? Has anyone asked the artists and performers if there is a need?
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