The owner of the former Valley View Centre site is becoming disheartened with the vandalism occurring there and is blaming youths for causing over $1 million in damages.
The provincial government closed the 23-building site in September 2019 and put it up for sale that fall. Carpere Canada acquired the nearly 80-hectare (200-acre) venue in September 2020 and has been working to re-develop about 62 hectares (150 acres) for mixed-use purposes.
Every building was in pristine condition — floors clean and windows intact — when the Richmond, British Columbia-based company took over Valley View Centre (VVC), explained Terry Tian, company spokesman and CEO of Grant Hotel. However, in April 2021, the company began noticing vandalism and made its first call to the Moose Jaw Police Service (MJPS).
“We (have called) the police so many times (since then). We put up a (no trespassing) sign and a fence … (because) this is private property,” he said, although people have cut the fence and locks many times.
The company erected security cameras, which helped it determine that teenagers were mostly responsible for the damage.
Youths have gained access through broken windows — they normally come around midnight — and damaged the buildings by spraying fire extinguishers everywhere. They have also climbed onto the roofs and broken the air conditioning units — that destruction has totalled over $1 million.
Not even the security cameras are immune, as the youths have wrecked those as well.
Meanwhile, some adults have come in and stolen flowerpots.
“It is (a) true struggle about how to stop them. My purpose is to repurpose the building(s) and not waste (them),” Tian said. “The building was built in the 1950s (and) ’60s. It’s still in good shape — at least, it was in good shape.
“It’s all built by taxpayers’ money, (so) why would we waste and damage that?”
Tian admitted he is unsure whether Carpere should continue with this project or give up. He is losing confidence in protecting the buildings, while he doesn’t know who can help with this situation.
There are more than 200 doors on the property, which makes monitoring all of them impossible, he added. Moreover, every building connects by underground tunnels, so youths can go anywhere once inside.
MJPS spokesman Const. Reggie Pawliw said the most recent call the agency received was several weeks ago; the calls were initially regular but have slowed down. The problem with addressing this problem is officers — who do conduct some patrols — only become aware of break-ins days after they’ve occurred, a result of the property’s huge size.
“Because some of the buildings have been vandalized and damaged so often now, they’re (cops) looking at the same thing, but they’re (teenagers) going inside the building now and damaging more stuff inside,” he continued.
Carpere Canada usually contacts the police when its cameras pick up unwanted guests, and while cops do drive out there, it’s usually dark and — even with two to four officers — the area’s size makes it difficult to find the intruders.
“Our main concern is the safety of people within the building. For those people that are breaking and entering (and) smashing so many things, we’re worried that they’re going to hurt themselves … and we’re not going to be able to find them where they are,” said Pawliw.
The constable and a K-9 unit did apprehend some teenagers during one patrol. Normally Pawliw would call the youths’ parents and inform them about the damages. However, he didn’t charge them because the youths hadn’t wrecked anything.
Some criminal charges police could lay include break and enter, trespassing, mischief, or something else, depending upon the intent and other “variables.”
If the site had water, the company could use those buildings and better protect the site, said Tian. Carpere Canada is OK with residents using the nearby hiking trails and walking their dogs, but breaking into the structures diminishes their quality.
The company hired a security firm to patrol the area, although it was difficult for security to monitor the huge property, he continued. His frustration with the situation is “massive,” while even his team at the hotel knows how annoyed he is.
“I just hope all residents of Moose Jaw respect my property, no matter if it’s young kids or adults,” added Tian. “It’s very frustrating (figuring out) how to protect this.”
Editor's note: The owner does have liability insurance, while having a working water pipeline would let the company use the buildings and better prevent vandalism.
