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Millennium Place negotiations continuing

Whistler Interfaith Society votes unanimously to reject proposed lease; municipality’s next steps unclear
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No Deal Whistler Interfaith Society rejected the latest RMOW plans to assume ownership of Maurice Young Millennium Place over concerns about access

The waters surrounding the future of the Maurice Young Millennium Place remain muddy, with the Whistler Interfaith Society (WIS) refusing to agree to the latest lease and terms of transfer proposed by the municipality.

On Sunday, Sept. 21, the WIS membership voted unanimously against the proposed legislation needed to transfer ownership of the building from the interfaith society to the municipality.

WIS informed the Resort Municipality of Whistler that they would only continue discussions if they were guaranteed long-term use of the building. Among many things, WIS is concerned that that proposed lease is only for a five-year term, compared to their current 99-year lease, of which they still have 91.5 years left.

“I think we made it very clear to them (the RMOW) that it has to be a very long term commitment, and five years in the overall scheme of things is just a blink in time for faith communities,” said Peter Shrimpton, WIS president.

WIS’s vote, however, puts a question mark on the future of the interfaith and multi-purpose Millennium Place facility.

The RMOW has guaranteed the $3.2 million loan for the building with the North Shore Credit Union (NSCU). To date, NSCU has not been paid back any principal, and this year the credit union informed the RMOW that they do not want to wait any longer to be paid back and will be considering their options.

To bridge financing, the municipality planned to borrow money from the Municipality Finance Authority (MFA) on Tuesday, Sept. 23, at a similar interest rate to the current NSCU loan. In order to borrow the funds, though, the RMOW and WIS needed to agree to the title transfer terms on Sept. 22, which did not happen.

Now, it’s not clear what the municipality’s next steps will be. The MFA does not meet for another six months.

In a statement sent to Pique Newsmagazine on Wednesday, Sept. 24, spokesperson Michele Comeau Thomson wrote: “Given the decision by the Whistler Interfaith Society regarding MY Place, the Resort Municipality of Whistler will be continuing discussions but is not in a position to comment publicly at this time.”

Councillor Tim Wake, who sits on the Millennium Place Society Board, added he is very concerned about the consequences WIS’s vote could have.

“I am very disappointed to hear of the interfaith society’s decision,” said Wake. “I don’t understand what their solution is here.”

Meanwhile, the NSCU said this week that the credit union will not pursue foreclosure, although it is a legal option.

“North Shore Credit Union has not threatened foreclosure in any of our discussions,” said Doug Smith, NSCU vice president of corporate affairs.

He added: “We are standing ready to make sure our interests are protected but to be a facilitator, not a blockage. We need to protect the interests of North Shore Credit Union members but many of them are the very same people that support the municipality and support the Whistler Interfaith Society. We are all in this together.”

Smith also said NSCU thinks Millennium Place, assessed at $10 million in 2007, is an absolutely wonderful place and an asset to the community.

The transfer of ownership from WIS to RMOW has been on the books since 2007, when the NSCU originally called the municipality’s loan guarantee.

In the spring of 2007, a memorandum of understanding on the terms of transfer was agreed upon between the RMOW and the WIS, although nothing was signed. Eighteen months later, the RMOW forwarded the draft agreement to the WIS, and three weeks ago, WIS was informed of the Sept. 22 MFA deadline.

According to Shrimpton, the new lease, which will be between the municipality and the Millennium Place Society Board, is significantly different from the existing one. He wrote a letter to the RMOW expressing his concerns.

Over the past week, the RMOW and WIS have continued negotiations, and on Friday, a two-page use agreement was drafted to bridge some of the interfaith society’s concerns, although the five-year term remained.

Shrimpton called the discussions “fruitful” and “positive”, adding: “I must say it is the first time in 18 months that we have been communicated with in a respectable fashion.”

During Sunday’s meeting, however, many WIS members said they wanted more security to use the building to practice their faiths.

WIS director and former president Morgan Montgomery said: “As one of the directors, I do not see us being able to trust the municipality any more.

“They have waffled on this for 18 months. If we say yes, that does not mean they will follow through. I am very strongly against this. I feel we are being very marginalized. In five years, we will not have a building to step into, nor will the community.”

And Mohammad Afsar, another director, stressed that council’s decision last week to authorize the transfer documents was based on an assumption that the proposed lease is similar to the existing lease.

“What I conclude is that council made a decision based on the assumption — which we are disputing — that this new lease does not have major differences that have significant impacts,” said Afsar.

“My own understanding is that if we approve it today, then we are giving away any leverage we as a society have.”

WIS acquired the land from the province in the 1990s and opened Millennium Place in May 2001. The interfaith society was not able to cover construction costs, however, and the RMOW agreed to guarantee a loan. In 2005 the RMOW took over the debt payments.

The WIS, formerly called the Whistler Skiers Chapel Society, is composed of different faith groups, including the Whistler Village Church, Church on the Mountain and the Jesus is the Lord Church. The society currently voluntarily pays the Millennium Place Society $50 for each service.