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Provincial Capital Commission dissolved in money-saving move

Government folds Pacific Carbon Trust with hoped-for savings of $5.6 million
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The Provincial Capital Commission acts as a steward of several sensitive heritage properties, including St. Ann’s Academy.

The B.C. government has dissolved the Crown agency responsible for maintaining many of Greater Victoria’s most high-profile heritage properties.

The Provincial Capital Commission, whose mandate is to oversee heritage properties, parks and green spaces in the capital, will be dismantled and its functions folded into government ministries, said Bill Bennett, the minister responsible for the government’s core review process.

“Following a review it was determined the Provincial Capital Commission was no longer needed,” said Bennett.

The government will save $1 million by managing the properties within its shared services branch, he said.

The commission acts as steward of several sensitive heritage properties, such as St. Ann’s Academy, Crystal Garden, the CPR Steamship Terminal, most of Victoria’s Inner Harbour lands including Ship Point, the Belleville ferry terminal, the Art Deco tourist centre on Wharf Street, local parks and greenspace along major highways.

The Belleville terminal will be given to the Ministry of Transportation, which Bennett said has a “healthy capital planning branch” to look after the property. Critics have said the old terminal is an ugly eyesore for visitors and is long overdue for an overhaul.

PCC downtown properties

The announcement surprised and shocked some local politicians who sit on the PCC board.

“My concern is, and I’ll be frank, is the dismissal of Victoria by the premier,” said Victoria Coun. Shellie Gudgeon, who sits on the PCC board member with Victoria Coun. Ben Isitt.

“I was surprised in her [earlier] statements about her dislike for Victoria. I took them as mis-spoken words, in that she just didn’t like the culture of what politics in the capital were. But then [she made] her comments at the UBCM that Kelowna was the new capital of the province and now this. I’m disappointed, to say the least.”

Isitt released an open letter to Premier Clark and her cabinet asking the province’s intentions for properties such as St. Ann’s Academy, the Belleville Street Ferry Terminals, the CPR Steamship Terminal, Ship’s Point and Crystal Gardens.

He noted that the Capital Commission Act requires PCC approval for capital changes to provincially-controlled land — essentially a mechanism to give local input into provincial land use decisions that would otherwise by exempt from municipal bylaws.

Isitt called the PCC “very lean” in its operations and wondered where the business case was for it being dismantled and the effect on PCC tenants.

“This introduces unnecessary uncertainty into our local into our local economy because these PCC assets are essential assets to our local tourism sector and essential to economic strengths in the capital,” Isitt said.

Esquimalt Coun. Lynda Hundleby, also a PCC member reacted to the announcement with “shock and disappointment.”

“I think that the PCC over the years has been a very good steward of the properties and we would be concerned both as individuals and as local municipalities about what will happen. But I think it’s too early to speculate,” she said.

Community development minister Coralee Oakes, who is responsible for the commission, said there are no immediate plans to sell off any of the properties.

“The B.C. government will deliver all cultural programming currently provided by the commission,” she said.

There’s a “transition plan” to move the commission into the government that will involve dialogue with local politicians and governments, said Oakes.

It’s not known how much commission land may for sale under a government program to divest surplus assets.

The government recently announced plans to sell an entire city block south of the legislature.

PCC chairman David Everett said the commission is in discussions with the City of Langford to sell some of its land in that area. The commission owns property near Costco, as well as along the Trans-Canada Highway toward Goldstream Provincial Park and the Malahat.

As part of the changes, six capital commission staff will be moved into the government.

Everett said the move to disband the commission is not surprising after the government took away control over managing properties and finances in January 2012.

“It came as no surprise to me, obviously changes were on the way,” he said. “It’s been considered over a long period of time.”

The Provincial Capital Commission was created more than 50 years ago to act as a steward of public lands, the harbour and green space in the capital region.

“It has done very good work to protect properties over the years that maybe during ambitious development cycles of the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s,” he said. “Maybe the waterfront might have looked differently if the PCC wasn’t here.”

He said local governments and authorities are now more active in managing and protecting the land.

Everett said he “sincerely hopes” the government does not sell core heritage properties.

NDP MLA Carole James, whose Victoria-Beacon Hill riding encompasses PCC land in the James Bay area, said she’s concerned at the move.

“Given this government’s dislike of Victoria, given this premier’s comments about Victoria, and given the B.C. Ferries announcements, I don’t think Vancouver Island is a high priority,” she said.

“I’m skeptical there’s not something more behind this.”

The capital commission also runs public services such as the B.C. Youth Parliament and travel subsides to bring kids to the legislature.

The end of the capital commission was one of two early decisions from Bennett’s core review process announced today. The core review is intended to find $50 million in savings for the government’s budget this year and an additional $50 next fiscal year.

The Pacific Carbon Trust, established in 2008 to develop a carbon-offset sector in the province, will also be folded into the government to save $5.6 million.

Environment Minister Mary Polak said the government is still committed to remaining carbon neutral and the trust will continue to operate within her ministry. A carbon neutral program for kindergarten to Grade 12 schools will be expanded into the health and post-secondary sectors as well, she said.

rshaw@timescolonist.com

bcleverley@timescolonist.com