By Gagandeep Ghuman
Published: April 3, 2018
The discussion of the future of Brackendale Art Gallery and all that can be done to retain it in its present form was revived again recently. A local artist has written a letter to the council asking it to ‘explore all options’ to preserve the Brackendale Art Gallery. Florence Tetrault, a long-time resident of Squamish, has expressed concerns about the future of the gallery.
Writing to the council, Tetrault said she has viewed the gallery as a second home which nurtures so many vital social, spiritual, musical, ecological and intellectual needs for decades.
“The loss of this icon for community gatherings would be an enormous loss and tragedy to the entire community. In whatever capacity I feel it is vital to maintain this treasure as a welcome place for interactive growth. The uniqueness of the gallery defines much of what Squamish is about. I believe it is most definitely in the best interest of this community to explore ALL the options for preserving this property in the way it has served for years,” she wrote.
For those new to town, BAG owner Thor Froslev is a local arts idol and has made immense contribution to the arts and culture scene in Squamish.
Artists from around the world have performed at the BAG and found ample support in Froslev, a maverick with a large fan following in Squamish, especially in Brackendale.
His close friend, Mayor Patricia Heintzman, has written about his life in the Squamish Reporter.
Thor Froslev and his wife Dorte Froslev first put up the gallery for sale in 2015 for $2.7 million, but have since quietly worked with local well-wishers and artists to find other solutions, such as district funding or a community amenity contribution from a developer. Several community members and art lovers have written to the district to consider buying the property.
Writing to the district in 2016, local Mary Mitchell suggested the district should buy the property to retain its present use as an art gallery. “I am writing today to encourage you 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,” she wrote to the district.
Mitchell said a similar example could be found in Vancouver, where the city had the option to purchase a former church, which it did. “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.”
Astrid Lackner of Brackendale also wrote to the district, asking it to support the preservation of the BAG as a vibrant cultural centre for the arts in the town and establish it as a heritage building.
But not everyone is as supportive of spending taxpayers’ dollars on a building that has operated as a private business for a long time. One of those dissenters is Dolores Lewis, who wrote to the district few weeks ago and expressed her concerns about the possibility of district buying the property.
“I and my family as taxpayers are NOT in favour of the idea that our tax dollars would/could be used to take on the expense of operating the BAG. This should be a private sale only! Municipal governments should not be in the business of operating and funding a for-profit Business! Rumour around town is that a certain developer would purchase the property and donate it to the District for certain concessions! I for one do hope this rumour is just that a rumour!,” she said.
Murray McCorriston says
I like what Deloris said . Murray McCorriston
dbray says
YES !!
Corinne Lonsdale says
I agree with Delores Lewis. The Brackendale Art Gallery should not be purchased or even received as an amenity by the District of Squamish. That building was put constructed in phases without all required permits permits over the years. The owner simply turned his back on our bylaws. I would be surprised if this building could even come close to meeting the B.C. Building Code. Yes, the Gallery has been a meeting place for many over the years but as taxpayers we should not acquire a building that did not meet the requirements of the day. At what cost would the taxpayer have to bear to bring it up to code and then to maintain ? Best to leave it as a private gallery as it was always intended.
Thelma Yanaguchi says
I am not completely up to date on what’s been going on but I feel that if the District decides to purchase the BAG the purchase price should take into consideration the cost of upgrading the current buildings to make them up to code and to be more useful for the whole population and not just for certain groups. Also, I would hope that if you are on council and personal friends of the owners you would not be able to vote on this. Obviously the owners have been unable to sell this property for some time. Maybe a referendum could be added when voting day comes up in October.
sarah weinberg says
As one of the best music venues in town, I feel there is value to the district putting some money in. I also think that concessions should be made to the asking price in order for the tax payer to not take the entire burden of bringing this building to code.
Thelma Yamaguchi says
On reflection, why don’t the groups who use this property band together and purchase it if there is such an outcry of support for it continuing as is. The bottom line is that it is privately owned so a referendum would may be not apply. I have lived here nearly 40 years and have used the amenities offered very little.
Judy Crowston says
I agree with Deloris Lewis, the District of Squamish should not be using our tax dollars to purchase a building that may or may be up to the building codes.
Leave it as a private entity. No to deals with a developer!!
Mark Caulton says
Thor, Buddy Trade you across the board for some property in Cape Breton. I promise to run it exactly like you have. (Why change what works?) You have built the coolest Gallery on Earth! Thanks for all the good times and especially, thanks for letting my friends and I play there. A dream come true!