During a town hall on Oct. 30, residents of Moose Jaw spoke of their concerns with the Government of Saskatchewan’s decision to sell Valley View Centre and the land it resides on.
A large portion of the discussion focused around the historical and archaeological value of the land in question, which occupies approximately 200 acres south of Moose Jaw. Valley View Centre is located between the Moose Jaw River and Highway 2 South.
The Ministry of Central Services, who operated Valley View Centre’s programming and are now responsible for its buildings, have sectioned the land into four parcels for developers to bid on beginning in November.
Nancy Cherney, assistant deputy minister of property management for the Ministry of Central Services, noted that the property was offered to the City of Moose Jaw for purchase prior to this announcement of a public sale, but the municipality expressed no interest in purchasing.
“We don't typically transfer property at no cost,” said Cherney to explain. “We expect that fair market value.”
One resident expressed concern that potential buyers of any of the four land parcels need to be informed of the historical and ecological factors pertaining to that area, should they play a factor in hindering development.
He referenced the possibility of that land being within a potential flood zone due to ongoing slumping in the ridges of the valley, as well as being part of a fly-zone restriction due to the proximity of the 15 Wing airbase.
Also raising many concerns was the possibility of the area being home to First Nations burial grounds and other archeological deposits, especially with it’s close proximity to Tatawâw Park and it's extended history as the home of Lakota and Sioux nations.
Tom Richards, senior archaeologist with the Heritage Conservation Branch in the Ministry of Parks, Culture and Sport, admitted that the area is coded as a heritage sensitive site with moderate to high potential, but a heritage review of the land would only be done after the land has been purchased and if developers have proposed work that would disturb the land.
“If there was a sale, that would not trigger a heritage review, because changing in ownership of a property is not an impact on the land,” said Richards. “[And] anyone doing any work in that northwest area [of the property] would be looking into an archeological survey.”
A report from the 1960s indicated that there were Sioux burials in the area, said Richards, but it is unclear if those burials were moved or not.
“If we knew where a burial ground was, we would have it marked on the map to avoid and it probably wouldn't even be offered for sale,” said Richards.
Other attendees felt that the time period in which developers could express interest in purchasing the land was too short.
There were also questions regarding why the building could be utilized by other government programs to fill a need within the community. Repurposing the buildings into low-income housing was questioned, as well as utilizing the centre for mental health or addictions services.
In his introduction, Frank Schuurmans, director of realty and planning for the Ministry of Central Services, indicated that no other government industry saw a need to utilize the building for current or future programming.
“The infrastructure is 70 years old, it's not getting better with age, and I don't think it could be retro-fitted at a reasonable expense,” said Terry Hardy, who was the project lead at Valley View Centre, to address the question regarding low-income housing.
Another concern was for the future of the Pine Grove Cemetary and memorial garden. Cherney noted that due to the way the quarter sections have been determined, neither of those installations will be part of the land sale and will remain as is.
The future of Valley View Centre and it’s surrounding land will be determined following the Request for Proposal bidding process, which closes in early December.
