Skip to content

Cumberland asked for tax break for new visitor centre

Comox Valley Economic Development Society president Murray Presley appealed to Cumberland Council Monday to consider a tax exemption.

Comox Valley Economic Development Society president Murray Presley appealed to Cumberland Council Monday to consider a tax exemption for the Vancouver Island Visitor Centre.

The centre is scheduled to open in the coming months at the highway interchange, which falls within Village boundaries. It is expected to serve about 50,000 visitors thisyear.

"This visitor centre should drive tourists into Cumberland," Presley said.

While noting local governments are "usually starved for money," Presley said other B.C. visitor centres such as those in Parksville and Port Albernihave been granted exemptions.

The four local governments provide CVEDS with funding.

• Costs for the recent municipal election in Cumberland were $267 over the budgeted $15,110 due to unforeseen additional expenses for training,advertising and election official wages.

• Coun. Kate Greening will attend a Comox Valley Environmental Council meeting next Wednesday and report back to council. The group asked if a Village representativecould attend about six meetings this year.

• Committee of the whole meets at 5:30 p.m. Monday in council chambers. Trilogy president/CEO John Evans is scheduled to provide an update of the project. The agenda also includes a water and sewer update from Village engineer BobHoffstrom.

In a report to council, Hoffstrom said construction is mostly complete on the water main along Cumberland Road to the visitorcentre.

"Chlorine residuals and water quality have been difficult to maintain in this long dead-end water main," Hoffstrom states.

Flushing and water testing will establish a procedure for maintaining acceptable water quality to the centre.

reporter@comoxvalleyrecord.com