A foundation operated by Telus has purchased property at Cawley Point with plans to redevelop the site into a children’s camp, says Sechelt Mayor Darnelda Siegers.
“They want to have the camp up and running this summer,” said Siegers at the Jan. 16 Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) policing and public safety committee meeting. The sale is expected to close Jan. 24.
Cawley Point is located at Storm Bay on the east side of Sechelt Inlet just north of Salmon Inlet and is also the site of The Wilderness Resort and Retreat at Cawley Point, an off-grid 124-acre eco-resort that has been for sale since at least July 2019. Telus did not confirm the details of its land purchase in time for print deadline.
The foundation will be submitting a rezoning application to the SCRD and applying for a foreshore lease, Siegers said, who added that other redevelopment projects are under consideration related to the camp.
That includes redeveloping Telus’s Inlet Avenue location in downtown Sechelt by “expanding how much land they’ve got at Inlet to also have residential,” in order to provide housing for the approximately 50 people who would be employed at the Cawley Point camp. Plans may include constructing a multi-storey building with the potential for a restaurant on the top floor.
The Telus site at Wilson Creek may also be redeveloped because “they’ll need places for mobilization, et cetera,” said Siegers, who added that all plans are preliminary.
Siegers raised the issue at the policing committee because Periwinkle Lane, which runs behind the Inlet Avenue location, could also be redeveloped as part of the project. The lane has been “an issue” for the Downtown Business Association, said Siegers. They also plan to reach out to the Sechelt Legion, since it may be moving to a nearby location.
A formal announcement is expected within the next two weeks.
