A Scout troop with nine decadesā worth of history in Kitsilano is the latest to fall victim to Vancouverās ever-changing real estate crisis.
Consisting of more than 40 young people spanning the ages of five to 18, the 47th St. Marks Scouts have been meeting at St. Markās Anglican Church on Larch Street for 86 years. Thatās expected to change within the next few months, as the property is up for sale and expected to change ownership this spring.
The church is viewed as the lone alternative in Kits due to its low cost ā in the scoutsā case, they meet for free ā and available storage space.
āThe parents are shocked that this is happening,ā scout leader Neil Seedhouse told the Courier. āThe church is such a valuable resource for the community and thereās nothing like it. Once itās gone, itās gone.ā
Between the three groups ā beavers, scouts and cubs ā and their leaders, about 55 people are affected by the potential sale and thatās not including parents. Smaller groups consisting of six members or less can make due meeting at membersā homes, but larger groups donāt have that luxury.
A scout leader for 21 years, Seedhouse was the churchās building manager until last summer. It was around that time he heard rumblings of a potential sale and was fired from the position.
Prior to his dismissal Seedhouse booked several groups into the facility ā strata councils, a Buddhist meditation group, a Montessori school and musicians, among others ā who all relied on the church for its low cost, available space and location.
āA lot the renters who rented our space were so thrilled to find St. Marks because thereās nothing else,ā Seedhouse said. āNow that St. Markās is gone, weāre discovering, āYeah, theyāre right, there is nothing else.āā
St. Markās isnāt technically gone just yet. The site is owned by the Diocese of New Westminster and spokesperson Randy Murray was short on details when contacted by the Courier.Ā
āItās currently under contract for sale,ā he said. āThe sale does not close until late in the spring. There is no public information coming out until after the sale is complete.ā
Murray wouldnāt comment on terms of the pending sale, a purchase price, or when the property went on the market. He wasnāt sure how many, if any, groups still use the space.
BC Assessment records peg the propertyās 2018 assessed value at $11.2 million. A listing on the Colliers Canada website has the propertyās sale price at $12 million. The church is spread over three lots and encompasses 17,700 square feet.
The property is zoned as RT-8, which emphasizes the retention of nearby architectural styles, building forms and neighbourhood character.
āFor renovations and additions, emphasis is placed on maintaining existing external architectural character; for new development, on compatibility in external character,ā the bylaw states. āIn all cases, neighbourly building scale and placement is emphasized.ā
This isnāt the first time St. Markās has had the sales spectre looming over it, as similar concerns came to the fore in early 2013. At that time, the congregation had diminished in size to the point that parishioners were moved to St. Mary Magdalene Anglican Church on Laurel Street and 14th Avenue.
Scout troop treasurer Juanita Low was around for that initial sales scare and now sees the process coming full circle. Sheās been with the group for 14 years and, like Seedhouse, her kids went through cubs, beavers and scouts from the ages of five to 18.
Given their free use of the site, St. Markās made for virtually no overhead costs for the 47th Scouts: rental fees were waived, free storage was provided and scout leaders are all volunteers. That allowed for registration costs to go back into programming such as rock climbing, sailing, hiking, scuba diving and other activities.
Most troop members and their families are located in Kits and the groupās preference is to stay there. Low has looked at a small handful of other spaces in the neighbourhood, but none offer the deal the group gets now.
āWeāre working towards finding a viable and permanent solution,ā she said. āWe canāt do a couple months in one location and then have to move somewhere else, we need continuity.ā
