CNIB STILL WAITING
Long stay at temporary office
When the CNIB moved into a temporary office in 2016, executive director Christall Beaudry never imagined they'd still be there five years later.
“Our current location does pose some challenges,” said Beaudry in an interview Tuesday. “It's a pretty high traffic ... area, which for someone who's new to sight loss, can be very daunting.”
The non-profit expected to be in its current space for two or three years while its head office, which had been located in Wascana Centre for more than 60 years, was rebuilt to better serve the community.
But the controversial building project, bankrolled by the Brandt Group of Companies, is in its seventh year and continues to face delays as a result of a political, legal and jurisdictional tug of war. With no end in sight for a completed project, the demolition of the old office remains unfinished.
“Of course it's frustrating for us and it's frustrating for our partners and it's frustrating for our community,” said Beaudry, who emphasized the project has always been about serving the community by providing a safe and accessible space. Complicating that goal is the fact a private company is building in public park space, and the CNIB will have only a portion of the building. The other potential tenants are unknown.
Demolition began in December 2018 but was suspended in March 2019 as the provincial auditor announced a review. Her report on Dec. 5, 2019, found approvals were given without clearly documentation how the project conformed to park rules. In February 2020, the Provincial Capital Commission (PCC) announced the Brandtcnib could project go ahead, provided the CNIB does more public engagement and shows how the full building can conform to the five purposes of the park.
Then in March 2020, COVID -19 brought everything to a screeching halt.
The project remains at stage 23 of a 38-step process “until additional public engagement has taken place and tenancy information is reported to the PCC,” according to an email from the PCC.
Beaudry says public engagement hasn't happened through the pandemic. Unsure of a timeline, “we hope to resume moving forward in 2022,” she said.
A permit issued by the City of Regina to complete demolition expired on June 30. Brandt owner and CEO Shaun Semple said a request for an extension until October
2021 has been denied, despite the impracticality and increased cost of finishing the demolition before construction can begin.
A letter provided to the Leader-post — from the PCC'S chief executive officer to the City of Regina's executive director of city planning and community development — shows the PCC didn't support Brandt's extension request to October, and suggested an extension to June 30 be contingent on certain requirements: Demolition of the site (to include levelling of the site and making it safe for public use and PCC maintenance) be completed by June 30 and the city permit state no further demolition permit requests, re-issues or extensions will be issued beyond June 30.
The Leader-post has repeatedly pressed the PCC for an interview about the letter and its expectations.
But aside from confirming the letter, it provided only a written statement reiterating the auditor's findings and the proponent's obligation to conduct additional public engagement “regarding the land-use of the complete building rather than just the CNIB portion” which is being leased to CNIB for free by Brandt.
When asked what would happen if the demolition was not completed by June 30, the PCC referred the matter to the City of Regina. In turn, the city said it would take the lead from the PCC as to next steps, but would be prepared to process a permit application for work to continue on the site, “should one be submitted.”
In all the confusion and uncertainty, Beaudry says the true story has been lost.
“The true story's not Christall, it's not Brandt, it's not the PCC,” said Beaudry. “The true story is the clients, the CNIB clients that were used to getting service in the park and could navigate safely in that park and ... take their guide dogs out ... if they needed... where it was accessible and safe. That's what's got lost.”
It's a pretty high traffic ... area, which for someone who's new to sight loss, can be very daunting.