The Village of Burns Lake is going to develop an uptown property for economic development.
The parcel of land was owned for several decades by the Magee family, located at the base of Boer Mountain at the top of Ninth Avenue. The formal address is 1675 Gowan Road.
Mayor and council voted in favour of hiring a consultancy firm with expertise in the field to explore the options for what that strategically located property might become. It is on the cusp of the village’s residential area, but also surrounded by active transportation amenities and recreation hotspots like the Ride Burns mountainbiking trails, the Rod Reid Nature Trail, the Lake Babine Nation reserve land, the Burns Lake Community Forest, and other stakeholders of consideration.
“With grant funding, the village has contracted Greentech Asia to develop a Concept Vision and Action Plan for the former Magee property,” said Village of Burns Lake chief administrative officer Sheryl Worthing. “This will involve engagement with key partners regarding potential use of the land such as Ride Burns, First Nations, local tourism, and business stakeholders as well as potential funding agencies such as NDIT, the Province etc.”
The total parcel of land is 60 hectares with only one home (the former Magee residence) and its outbuildings as structures of note.
Greentech Asia stated that public consultation will the key order of business, at this point, to determine what best uses might be for the land. Priorities would be identified via the consultation outreach, authentic and appropriate uses identified by First Nations dialogue, plus the range of community benefits and potential revenue generation that could be applied.
The process led by Greentech Asia would include a market assessment and business plan, cost estimates and projections, and eventually a budget.