MOOSE JAW — Thieves and trespassers continue to vandalize the former Valley View Centre, a complex that has been unused for more than five years and shows few signs of new life.
The Moose Jaw Express and MooseJawToday.com previously reported on the regular vandalism of the 80-hectare (200-acre) venue in August 2023 and June 2024, although not much has changed since then. This continued activity prompted the Moose Jaw Police Service (MJPS) to create an online post recently reminding residents to stay away from the venue.
“We were experiencing a number of calls for trespassing and theft in that (venue), so we just wanted to remind the community that it is private property, and if they are found trespassing and dismembering anything from that building, they could be charged accordingly,” Jay-D Haughton, the MJPS’s communications manager, told the Express.
Valley View Centre shuttered in September 2019, and in September 2020, Richmond, British Columbia-based Carpere Canada acquired the site from the provincial government.
“We try to patrol as much as we can, but obviously, when our officers are having a busy night, it’s hard to sometimes make time to go up there,” the communications manager continued.
The MJPS received several calls in January about the illegal activity, while there was “an uptick” in calls in December, Haughton said. Police also learned that individuals continue to steal items from buildings, including copper wire, copper pipe and “anything they could get their hands on.”
According to the website Scrap Metal Prices in Canada, copper is going for $5.85 per pound.
The police service has spoken with Carpere and the company said it planned to board up several of the buildings’ entrances to prevent access since vandals had smashed many to get inside, said Haughton.
One important reason people should not enter the buildings is that the structures contain asbestos from the 1950s and can contribute to negative long-term health effects, he added. Also, the police don’t want people to hurt themselves.
When asked about the situation, Terry Tian, regional manager for Carpere, pointed back to comments he made during an interview in August 2023 but did not say anything new, nor did he say if the company was proceeding with its redevelopment plan.
Security upgrades
The B.C.-based company has taken some steps to address site security.
It installed a locked gate at the Seventh Avenue Southwest entrance — adjacent to the Old Wild Animal Park — in 2023, but because the area is secluded, vandals broke it off its hinges.
Emails — acquired through a freedom of information (FOI) request — show a city hall official contacted Tian on Jan. 8, 2024, about the gate. He thanked her for the photo since it would help him create a repair plan.
Another city hall official emailed on June 13, 2024, saying he was aware that Valley View continued to face vandalism based on a news story. The official asked whether the city should be aware of anything, but Tian did not respond since he was in China.
City manager Maryse Carmichael emailed on July 3, 2024, and asked whether Tian had received an order to comply from the city’s legal counsel to address the safety issues. He replied that he would meet with a building official to do that.
On July 11, 2024, the building official summarized the meeting and said Carpere should have secure perimeter fencing, maintain locked gates to prevent vehicle access and disconnect the power. Further, Valley View could be eligible for the MJPS’s vacant property program, but Tian would have to enrol.
“If these efforts do not mitigate the unwanted entry into buildings, you must be prepared to secure them by boarding compromised doors and windows,” the official added.
Tian asked the building official on July 17, 2024, when the city would install concrete roadblocks at the Seventh Avenue Southwest entrance, with the official replying that the municipality “will not move forward” with those barriers.
A day later, Tian said he would install concrete barriers and install a fence to prevent walk-ins.
Interestingly, on April 25, 2024, Tian emailed former mayor Clive Tolley about the vandalism and security issues. He asked how the city planned to deal with those issues and wanted a reduction in property taxes since he wasn’t using the buildings, nor where they connected to water or sewer.
Tolley replied on May 7, 2024, saying he could not meet Tian’s demands since those decisions were up to city council. Further, he said he believed that Carpere failed to understand the problems it would encounter in securing and maintaining the property or the associated costs when it purchased the land from the province.
“Certainly, I have empathy and want to do all I can to help make this development become a reality, but, ultimately, Carpere is responsible for all the lands and buildings formerly known as Valley View Centre, and all that entails,” Tolley added.
