The province has issued a request for proposals to manage historic Point Ellice House on Victoria’s Gorge waterway.
The current heritage site management agreement with the Point Ellice House Preservation Society ends March 31. The non-profit has managed the Pleasant Street site since 2009.
The property with its one-storey Italianate Villa-style house has been designated as a heritage site by the City of Victoria, the province of B.C. and the federal government.
It is standard practice to go through the request for proposals process when a contract is coming to an end, said Connie Quaedvlieg, development planner with the B.C.’s heritage property management services.
The province is seeking proposals to manage the property. A site visit for those interested will be held Aug. 22. The deadline to submit to the province is Oct. 1.
From there, shortlisted proposals will be drawn up and more information will be requested. The Heritage Branch and Heritage B.C. will choose the successful applicant.
Point Ellice House Preservation Society board member Leslie Shumka said in a statement the society is “weighing the options regarding our future involvement in the site. This is a special place and we trust that whoever the successful proponent is will take great care of it.”
Quaedvlieg said the province is not necessarily looking for another operator. The society is “doing great things right now,” she said. For example, a lawn games day was staged this past weekend.
The province wants to know what the community wants for the site. “This is just part of opening up the conversation again.”
The opportunity is open to different operators, such as a non-profit again, agency or private business.
The province contributes about $75,000 annually to maintain the property, Quaedvlieg said.
Point Ellice House is open Thursday through Monday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tours of the house begin at quarter past each hour. As of Sept. 8, it will be open Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Previously visitors could have tea on site or a meal in a cafe, but those services are not being offered right now.
Built in the early 1860s, Point Ellice House is one of the city’s oldest homes. It was designed by architects John Wright and George Sanders for Catherine and Charles Wallace in what was once a fashionable residential neighbourhood. Today, much of the land around it is commercial and industrial.
Peter and Caroline O’Reilly moved into the house in December 1867 and the family owned it for more than a century. It was sold to the province, with many original O’Reilly family possessions, in 1975. The property is also known for its gardens, which include some original plants.
