The Board of Education of School District 27 conditionally accepted the offer submitted by Williams Lake First Nation to purchase the site of the former Poplar Glade School.
Chief Willie Sellars said they are grateful and fully intend to deliver a quality project that will meet the needs of all residents of the region and add value to the City of Williams Lake.
“We want to do a housing development, we want to build that out. Some of the things that we are doing around the area right now are setting the tone for our future development and future builds. We’re excited
and if anything that we’ve done so far is a reminder that it’s going to be awesome, it’s going to be cool, and it’s going to be cutting edge”.
In a release, Sellars said, “We’re confident that a project on the Poplar Glade site can address housing needs for our members, the needs of Indigenous and non-Indigenous people who are currently living within Williams Lake looking for permanent housing, and for others who are seeking to relocate to the Cariboo.”
“Williams Lake First Nation has demonstrated an ongoing ability to complete first-class projects while supporting the continued economic and social development of their community, as well as the broader community of Williams Lake,” the Board stated in a release.
The Board added that they received five offers, all of which met or exceeded the base value set by the board.
The City of Williams Lake also had a bid in to redevelop the property at the former Poplar Glade site.