Williams Lake's Tourism Discovery Centre (TDC) has a new lease on life, for five years at least.
At the regular meeting of city council on Dec. 17, council voted to renew five-year leases for the Williams Lake & District Chamber of Commerce and Museum of the Cariboo Chilcotin Society for use of the TDC building.
During the meeting, Mayor Surinderpal Rathor said at the time the building was constructed in 2005-2006, he was a city councillor.
He said he had called it a "white elephant" back in 2005, but added it is also a "great addition to our community," though he still has some mixed feelings.
The term white elephant usually refers to a "possession that is useless or troublesome especially one that is expensive to maintain" according to the Oxford English Dictionary.
Rathor said the loan of over $1 million the city took out for its construction should be paid off next year. The building cost over $3.5 million to build at the time, much of which was covered by grants. The city put in over $530,000 in cash towards the construction as well.
Rathor said he was originally against the construction of the TDC when it was built and he still has reservations about the cost to taxpayers, but he also appreciates the building's unique attributes and how it highlights the community's log building and forest industries.
As one of the many volunteers helping to keep the museum going, which operates out of part of the building, Amber Nehring, president of the Cariboo Chilcotin Museum Society, said the building does draw in people from all over, however.
"We have a diamond that tourists are coming to see," she said of the log structure.
When speaking later to the Tribune, Rathor said he still wonders if the city could not get more value for their dollar out of the building, though he thinks the chamber is doing a good job with Tamara Garreau, chamber executive director, operating the building. But he feels he needs to watch tax dollars.
"As a mayor I have to balance everything," he said, adding his preference is for the city not to have to borrow money if possible.
"I like to live within my means," said Rathor.
The city has paid $89,000 in 2024 up to November, $90,000 in 2023 and $83,000 in 2022, for the building's maintenance.
Additionally, included in the city's 2025 draft budget was the refinishing of one sidewall of the building, estimated at $33,000. The city needs to refurbish the log walls on a rotating basis to maintain the log structure.
The five-year lease agreements will be in effect from Jan. 1, 2025 to Dec. 31, 2029 at a lease rate of $1 per year including taxes.
Councillor Angie Delainey called the TDC a "beautiful building" but also wondered if there would not be a way to create revenue for the city instead of costing them money.
She suggested dedicating a committee of the whole meeting to discussing ideas on how they might be able to generate more revenue from the facility.
"I'm looking to try and see what kind of return on investment we can get on this building," she said.
Councillor Scott Nelson, who was mayor when the TDC opened in 2006, said the building is an opportunity to promote the region as a whole and acknowledged the work the chamber has done in increasing the events taking place at the facility.
"It is a jewel and it's just about paid off, which is even better news," he said. The city expects the remaining $129,805 owing on the building to be paid off by April of next year.
The Williams Lake & District Chamber of Commerce has operated out of the building since it opened in 2006, managing both their own operations and the visitor centre services out of the building.
The Museum of the Cariboo Chilcotin moved into the building in 2017 and uses it to showcase local historic displays, host events and maintain archives.
The chamber is currently given $160,000 annually and the museum $24,000 under fee for service agreements.
Editor's note: This story has been updated to include input from the museum society.
