French Creek School and Parkland Purchase Referendum

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On April 8, 2025, the Regional District of Nanaimo (RDN) Board approved a resolution in camera to purchase the former French Creek School site, a 3.7 hectare (9.15 acre) property located at 2350 Alberni Highway, Coombs, from School District 69 (SD69) for $1,300,000. Part of the purchase would be funded through long-term borrowing which requires elector approval.

On May 27, the RDN Board approved the resolutions required to proceed to referendum to obtain the assent of the electors of the Electoral Area 'F' Community Parks and Halls Local Service Area for borrowing up to $824,000, plus interest, repayable over a period of no more than ten years, to purchase the property. If approved by the Inspector of Municipalities, the referendum would take place in the fall of 2025.

The purchase of the property is included in the approved 2025-2029 Financial Plan. If the referendum is approved by the electors, the purchase would be funded through $376,000 of Electoral Area ‘F’ Community Parks and Halls reserve funds, $120,000 of Community Works Funds and long-term borrowing of $824,000 plus interest.

The estimated annual cost per average household in Electoral Area F for the loan repayment is $22.71 per year over the ten year loan term. Future use of the property will be determined after public engagement if the referendum is successful.

For More Information and to Get Involved

  • Stay informed by clicking on subscribe to leave your email address and receive email updates
  • Visit our What's New updates that will share information on the referendum including how and when to vote
  • Explore this webpage to find out more about the agreement to purchase the property, the property and next steps including staff reports and other documents in the Background Documents and links
  • Check out the FAQ's, which answer common questions and will be added to along the way based on what we are hearing
  • Ask a question and we will do our best to answer it and share the information with everyone

On April 8, 2025, the Regional District of Nanaimo (RDN) Board approved a resolution in camera to purchase the former French Creek School site, a 3.7 hectare (9.15 acre) property located at 2350 Alberni Highway, Coombs, from School District 69 (SD69) for $1,300,000. Part of the purchase would be funded through long-term borrowing which requires elector approval.

On May 27, the RDN Board approved the resolutions required to proceed to referendum to obtain the assent of the electors of the Electoral Area 'F' Community Parks and Halls Local Service Area for borrowing up to $824,000, plus interest, repayable over a period of no more than ten years, to purchase the property. If approved by the Inspector of Municipalities, the referendum would take place in the fall of 2025.

The purchase of the property is included in the approved 2025-2029 Financial Plan. If the referendum is approved by the electors, the purchase would be funded through $376,000 of Electoral Area ‘F’ Community Parks and Halls reserve funds, $120,000 of Community Works Funds and long-term borrowing of $824,000 plus interest.

The estimated annual cost per average household in Electoral Area F for the loan repayment is $22.71 per year over the ten year loan term. Future use of the property will be determined after public engagement if the referendum is successful.

For More Information and to Get Involved

  • Stay informed by clicking on subscribe to leave your email address and receive email updates
  • Visit our What's New updates that will share information on the referendum including how and when to vote
  • Explore this webpage to find out more about the agreement to purchase the property, the property and next steps including staff reports and other documents in the Background Documents and links
  • Check out the FAQ's, which answer common questions and will be added to along the way based on what we are hearing
  • Ask a question and we will do our best to answer it and share the information with everyone

  • What happens now that the referendum question is approved by the RDN Board?

    Share What happens now that the referendum question is approved by the RDN Board? on Facebook Share What happens now that the referendum question is approved by the RDN Board? on Twitter Share What happens now that the referendum question is approved by the RDN Board? on Linkedin Email What happens now that the referendum question is approved by the RDN Board? link

    The borrowing bylaw will be sent to the Inspector of Municipalities for approval which can take up to 12 weeks. Once approval has been given, the Chief Election Officer will set the date for the referendum which must be on a Saturday not more than 80 days after the approval of the Inspector.

    Pending inspector approval, it is planned that the referendum date will be announced in Summer 2025 along with the voting location and information session dates and locations.

    The full report presented at the May 27, 2025 Board meeting can be found here.

Page last updated: 31 Jul 2025, 11:24 AM