Developer pushes Cumberland location
By Grant Warkentin - Campbell River Mirror - January 04, 2008

One of the premier’s old developer friends wants to see a central Island regional hospital built near his Cumberland mega-development.

John deCourcey Evans, the man behind a controversial commercial and residential development at the Cumberland interchange, said as soon as he heard about the Vancouver Island Health Authority (VIHA) board of director’s plans to build a regional hospital somewhere between the Comox Valley and Campbell River, he offered them a site.

“I indicated we certainly would be interested in speaking with them in regards to locating the new regional hospital on the Trilogy lands as part of the project,” he said. “I believe I got an acknowledgement of the letter but that never went any further.”

Evans, president of Trilogy Properties Corporation, is planning to build a 93-hectare commercial development as well as hundreds of new homes between the Cumberland village site and Highway 19. Some Cumberland residents oppose the development, fearful it will fundamentally change their community’s character. However, other residents believe the development will bring economic benefits to the struggling village.

Fred Bates, the mayor of Cumberland and also chair of the Comox-Strathcona Regional Hospital District board, supports the Trilogy development because it will inject tax revenue into the struggling village government’s coffers. Trilogy is also planning to spend $23 million on infrastructure improvements, including water and sewer services, which the village cannot afford.

“We’re trying just to keep our heads above water until we can have better days,” said Bates at a public meeting in September 2007.

Evans believes his development is the perfect location for a new hospital because of the services it will bring to the area. The commercial development is planned as a commercial hub, with stores, restaurants and hotels and he sees it as a gateway development for all communities from the Comox Valley north.

“Hopefully it (the hospital) would be beneficial to the development, but the hospital would also benefit from…all of the development that’s taking place,” he said.

Howard Waldner, VIHA CEO, said Evans’ vision is one of many possibilities for a hospital site.

“Over the last year and a half I’ve probably been approached by about 10 different people, all telling me they’ve found a solution,” he said. “Some of that is opportunistic and some of that may be something that they’re thinking might help their cause regarding land usage discussions.”

The latest developer to approach the health authority is the group behind the Sage Hills sports academy development south of Courtenay, he added.

“What we’ve done to all of them is said, thanks very much for this, we’re in the middle of a process, and when our process determines the most appropriate location for the site, we would be talking to people who have an interest and own land, but we would certainly never enter into any side deals,” he said.

Waldner said the health authority board is still convinced a regional hospital is best for the North Island, and likely won’t revisit plans from several years ago to upgrade hospitals in Campbell River and Comox.

“I’m not sure that would be the option. I think it’s clear the region in some way, shape or form does need a new facility,” he said. “What we need to figure out with everybody, I think, is what services do actually need to be provided in each community and see if there’s a solution moving along that line of discussion and that line of thought. I’m still optimistic that we will find a solution that will be acceptable to all parties.”

Waldner said the debate over where a new regional hospital should be located has been one of the toughest issues VIHA has ever faced.