The future of a long-standing firehall turned community collective has put its caretaker society and Nakusp's development board at odds over the building's future, following the expiry of its previous lease.
The Village of Nakusp-owned 1949 building was drastically refurbished a decade ago by the Old Fire Hall Collective Society, but with its 10-year lease finished last December, the Nakusp and Area Development Board (NADB) has communicated its intention in recent months to take over the lease.
Rosemary Hughes, the society's president, said NADB took her staff completely by surprise with this at an October 2024 meeting.
"We were the last people to find out what their intentions were," she said, adding it's misleading how NADB has suggested it collaborated with the society. "We've been blindsided."
The collective's many applications for the community include a year-round farmers' market, pop-up soup kitchen, public walk-in food cooler, fall fair, women's retreat, and studio programs for yoga, dance and Zumba. The studio alone averages a dozen bookings per week, according to Hughes.
She and fellow society staff were slotted to present to council on Monday, Feb. 10, in opposition to NADB's plans for lease takeover, but a power outage postponed their advocacy by two weeks.
Yet since October, it's been far more than just Hughes' team who've vocalized disapproval of NADB's intention. Some two dozen letters and 166 petition signatures of support for the society to retain its lease at the collective have rolled in from the community. As well, between 70 and 80 residents attended council's previous discussion on the collective.
However, "the major sticking point is the lease," said Coun. Aidan McLaren-Caux, who also serves as director of NADB.
"I think the development board wants to see more things done," he explained, adding that NADB has made investments in the collective as well through its agriculture committee and ReDi Grant funding, for example.
Hughes counters that while the society appreciates NADB's interest in agriculture, the Village of Nakusp lacks experience operating the building. She'd like to see a framework put in place for the collective that hears and respects both parties, such as a shared-lease agreement.
But for McLaren-Caux, priorities for the building include new roofing and siding, enhancements to the commercial kitchen such as better storage and equipment, and greater use of the office space to fit more community groups such as the Upper Arrow Housing Society. Overall, he hopes to see Nakusp residents "get more utility out of it."
"After 10 years, things kind of get worn down, so it needs some refreshment," McLaren-Caux said.
He also tied the matter to looming 25 per cent U.S. tariffs, saying communities need greater sustainability with these kinds of facilities and more local dollars spent right now amid potentially devastating economic impacts for Canada.
Still, though Hughes said she understands McLaren-Caux's desire to enhance the collective by way of NADB stepping in, she maintains that "all of this could've been avoided" with transparent communication months ago.
"We're going to ask them to do a bit more research," she said.
Hughes and her coworkers Linda Kendall and Shanna Wirszilas will deliver their postponed presentation to council on Monday, Feb. 24.
To learn more about the Old Fire Hall Collective, visit .