Lake Forest Co-op wants to have Youbou Lands business park, run marina, boat ramp

Doug Marner, Lake Cowichan Gazette — 2 Sep 2008

The Cowichan Lake Community Forest Cooperative is interested in acquiring the proposed business park at the old Youbou millsite, as well as managing the proposed marina and boat ramp.

Pending rezoning approval, a spokesman for the owners of the property, Thomas Kreilein, said he’s interested in the idea.

Lorne Scheffer, chairman of the Forest Co-op, wrote to Kreilein saying he believes it’s an excellent opportunity for the Forest Co-op. In a telephone interview, Scheffer said this would come under the Forest Co-op’s mandate to create jobs.

“If the Forest Co-op is to survive, we need to look at different ways to create jobs,” said Scheffer. “I can’t tell you how excited I am about the possibilities.”

He suggested the business park could include a small cabinet making business, for example.

Kreilein — whose Youbou Land Development Group is proposing a 1,950-unit residential development, resort and marina on 673 acres at the old Youbou millsite — said the group wants to turn over the 10-acre business park to a non-profit group that can create jobs.

“There still needs to be some discussions about this and our rezoning would have to be approved, but this is something we could support,” said Kreilein.

The Forest Co-op is still waiting for official word on its application for a land-based licence that would increase the fibre it can access. It currently has a non-renewable licence for an annual harvest of 13,885 cubic metres, which expires in 2015. In a partnership between the Forest Co-op and the Pacheedaht First Nation based in Port Renfrew, Qaly’it Community Forest Limited has been formed that would manage the new licence, if granted.

Category: Business, Community