This week, the Town of Qualicum Beach announced that Qualicum Commons, the community hub established at a former elementary school, will have to close.
Since 2014, Qualicum Commons has remained in use as an educational space, but also served as a rental space for daycare, fitness facility, arts space and more.
A petition is now circulating to save the space, despite the Town’s decision to end their lease agreement.
Qualicum Beach’s town council called the decision “very difficult,” citing failing building systems, associated costs of repairs and potential impact to taxpayers as the reasons for the closure of Qualicum Commons.
After being established in 2014, Qualicum Commons was overseen by School District 69 (SD69). Ten years into operations SD69 determined they may need to shut the site down due to rising costs.
In order to keep the community hub running, the Town stepped in and established a lease agreement with SD69 that would keep the space open in June 2025.
The Town says that although council understands the value of the space, the purpose of the lease agreement was always to work to understand the scope of work needed to keep the building operational.
“During the past year, the Town has faced many challenges with the deteriorating condition of the building, including significant floods in three areas,” wrote the Town of Qualicum Beach in a media release.
Some of the issues in the Qualicum Commons space include failing HVAC exchange units, along with imminent replacements needed for the building’s roof, windows, doors, plumbing, electrical and fire suppression systems.
The Town estimates the short-term solutions to the building’s problems would cost between $1.5 and $2 million.
Furthermore, the Town noted that the revenue from the facility’s tenants would not come close to covering the cost of repairs needed.
Quailicum Beach said that a big reason the Town is unwilling to commit this amount of funding to the commons is because it does not own the building.
“The difference between investing in a leased asset versus one you own is key to understanding the business case,” said the Town.
“Continuing to operate and maintain the Qualicum Commons would result in an increase in property taxation.”
The lease agreement with Qualicum Commons ends June 30th.
The Town concluded their announcement by sharing that should the commons property become available to purchase at some point Qualicum Beach may consider its purchase.
The petition to save Qualicum Commons
A group of community members have organized themselves to try to save the commons with a petition.
They say the closure of the building would impact 92 students, 72 childcare spaces, 78 jobs would be put in jeopardy and 190 arts and recreation students would lose out on the space.
While signing the petition, many residents who do not want to see the space closed are sharing the impact of the programs taking place at Qualicum Commons.
“My grandson is autistic and the school system was not equipped to recognize and provide support for him to thrive,” said Arlene C.
“Coast Karma provides that support in a way that he can thrive and learn to deal with his world…to take that away from any of the kids who thrive there and it would be devastating to again start all over!”
Many other residents noted that losing out on Coast Karma’s programs would be devastating to their children and also say that their own jobs may be at risk with the loss of childcare spaces.
“Without the childcare spaces here, I would have had to leave my job,” said James T. “There is literally nowhere else in Qualicum Beach with room.”
As of this publication, over 870 have signed the petition.
