Pine Valley Spared – Its Future Up to Residents
Tuesday, June 11, 2013 @ 4:19 AM
Pine Valley Golf Course, photo-courtesy Friends of Pine Valley
Prince George, B.C.- Maybe it was the hundreds of postcards that expressed support for the Pine Valley Golf Course, maybe it was the call of “Rally, Rally, Save Pine Valley”, but whatever it was , the scales were tipped in favour of keeping the golf course for the use of the citizens of Prince George.
The decision was made in a closed meeting of City Council yesterday afternoon, a meeting which Mayor Green says had “plenty of debate and discussion.” The details of that discussion will not be released says the Mayor who revealed the vote was 5-4 in favour of retaining the golf course.
The Core Review had suggested selling the Pine Valley Golf Course could bring as much as $17 million dollars to the City’s coffers.
Don Chamberlain, who headed up the Friends of Pine Valley in appearing before City Council on several occasions to speak in favour of retaining and upgrading the facility, says he is pleased, and somewhat surprised by the final decision “I was very hopeful after the rally because we had a Councillor who declared himself at the rally by signing the banner that we had and I think that sent a message to some of the other Councillors.” Chamberlain says he is concerned that such an important decision on a piece of property in Prince George was made behind closed doors “That really concerns me as a citizen. But all the congratulations go out to the people who turned out to the rally and I think that helped tipped the scales.
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The case against Pine Valley repeatedly pointed to the capital expenditures the site will need, Chamberlain says for sure the course will need a new sprinkler system, but he thinks the estimate for that work was too high. He says there are funds that have been garnered from the sale of other recreational properties such as the tennis courts, which should be used for other park land like the Pine Valley. “I think, we as citizens have to stand up a bit, but certainly if we can spend $1.6 million dollars on the Prince George Golf and Curling Club to rebuild the tennis courts and bring the curling rink and clubhouse up to the standards of the Winter Games, then we should be able to spend some money on Pine Valley.”
Chamberlain says if the driving range was returned, there could be enough money generated to pay for any improvements Pine Valley needs. As for the next steps, Chamberlain says the first thing he wants to do is get some sleep “because I kept thinking about all the things I could do try and make this work, I think the citizens of Prince George have to start using Pine Valley.”
Chamberlain says it will be up to the residents of the City to take if from here, “ Our population is aging. Right now one in 6 of our people is a senior and pretty soon one in four, so we’re the ones that have to use the golf course, take our friends, neighbours and grand kids. Prove to the City Council that they made the right decision.”
Comments
We do pay to play
BCracer, I don’t know what you do for recreation but likely at some point the tax payer helped you out. Have you ever taken swimming lessons, visited a national, provincial of municipal park. Even if you sit at home and watch hockey, at some point the tax payer subsidized each one of those players through minor sports. Do you like to fish and hunt? I’m sure the fish and wildlife offiers don’t volunteer 40 hours every week. How about biking on the highway, pavement is expensive. Maybe you collect stamps, Canada Post doesn’t make money.The tax payer sibsidizes a lot, its a matter of degree. I’m sure that helping people with an introduction to basic activities has merit.
Bc racer, I question where you exercise, if it is on private land then you are right I have no business commenting; however if it is any where else, yes the rest of us are subsiding your sport.
Kudos to Don Chamberlain and the Friends of Pine Valley. In this case, the underdogs get a victory. Its a good day for the Seniors of this city. However, withstanding, why was this decision made behind closed doors? And who was for and who was against?
Good news. Although I don’t use the course, many of my friends learned the game there as kids. A nice par 3 local kids can walk to. The same cant be said for other courses on the outskirts of town. How ’bout selling the vacant properties the city owns? If anyone’s buying.
A decision at City Hall that goes in favour of the citizens? Gasp!!!
For all those belly aching about the how the city should not own and be in the golf “business”, how about the “hockey” or “figure skating” business?
The city owns a number of rinks and subsidizes anyone who puts on a pair of skates, why is it ok to subsidize hockey and figure skating but not golf?
Maybe we should think about what kind of recreational activities the city offers and it’s citizens, and the balance between winter AND summer activities!
Up with Putting Greens and DOWN with Stoltz and Green and who ever the other 2 were that voted against this. I am very pleased that this City Park will not be developed. Imagine the uproar if the City suddenly proposed condos along the river in Fort George Park ! It’s no different
While I personally do not make use of Pine Valley, Iam4sam is bang on with his write-up.
“BCracer, I don’t know what you do for recreation but likely at some point the tax payer helped you out. Have you ever taken swimming lessons, visited a national, provincial of municipal park. Even if you sit at home and watch hockey, at some point the tax payer subsidized each one of those players through minor sports. Do you like to fish and hunt? I’m sure the fish and wildlife offiers don’t volunteer 40 hours every week. How about biking on the highway, pavement is expensive. Maybe you collect stamps, Canada Post doesn’t make money.The tax payer sibsidizes a lot, its a matter of degree. I’m sure that helping people with an introduction to basic activities has merit.”
i am always happy when i see i am not required to pay for parking. i find it absurd that folks like bcracer think our parks, benches, sidewalks, restrooms and such should have tolls on them so only users pay. by that logic i would guess large walls around public structures should be erected as well, so that no one can view or image them without paying for permission.
“why is it ok to subsidize hockey and figure skating but not golf?”
For the same reasons that it is ok to subsidize theatres such as TNW, but not movie theatres such as Famous Players.
Well maybe …. who knows why anything happens anymore, especailly with the Council we currently have. I mean each Councillor must have spken why they voted how they did just as they do in open session. But, they do not want us to hear that.
With this choice made, council will now have to decide to either increase our taxes or cut back spending on snow removal, paving, and other core services.
I am concerned that some of this council did not have the collective back bone to follow through on the platform I voted them in for.
Sherry Green surely has to be frustrated with the choices she now has.
Golf does not need subsidized, there are many private enterprises delivering this to our residents (unlike some of the other leisure activities that government does need to provide for the community good).
I love the comments like “Although we never or seldom play there, we should not sell it, but in fact lose the extra revenue this could generate for much more essential city services that dearly need it”.
Golf does not need subsidized, there are many private enterprises delivering this to our residents (unlike some of the other leisure activities that government does need to provide for the community good).
I love the comments like “Although we never or seldom play there, we should not sell it, but in fact lose the extra revenue this could generate for much more essential city services that dearly need it”.
LoveTheNorth wrote: “council will now have to decide to either increase our taxes or cut back spending on snow removal, paving, and other core services.”
The money from the sale would not have gone into lowering your taxes or put towards snow removal, paving and other core services. It would have gone into another program. Look on the city website and do some research. If I am not mistaken all sales from this area of town go towards another pot of money…..does it not?
Did the friends of PV state they would be looking at volunteers etc to do some of the work. It does not mean that the sprinkler system has to be done all at once.
Personally I would like to see PV stay in place and the city quit giving money and tax breaks to the PG Golf and Curling as they are suppost to be membership driven…
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