As the RCMP investigation continues into the suspicious fire which destroyed the Pioneer Mall in Mill Bay on Friday, May 27, and possible remediation work begins by the Ministry of Environment, the developer which owns the land says the province is slowing down its plan to add rentals and seniors housing.
“Here we sit patiently, good thing we’re busy in Victoria,” said Mike Baier, co-founder of the development company Limona Group which owns the land where Pioneer Mall sat.
For the past 11 years, Baier says the Victoria-based Limona Group has worked to rezone this 150-acre property to create a new community in Mill Bay with 1,000 new homes including seniors housing, rental apartments, as well as a shopping centre.
“It’s all rock-solid, so we don’t get it,” said Baier.
Baier says despite Vancouver Island Health Authority, the CVRD and multiple independent engineers all signing off, for the past two years they’ve been waiting for the province to green light their water license.
“It’s just very frustrating to have to wait when we think we’re there,” said Baier.
Baier says other developers in Mill Bay are waiting too, and no one knows why.
“My call to the province itself is to do something, change their mandate, get them more staff, do something because it’s all unacceptable,” said Baier.
“They’re all crying for affordable housing, rental housing and seniors housing. We’ve got it all. It’s just sitting here ready to go.”
For now, Baier is concerned the developers they have on now for the seniors and rental housing may drop out, as others have, unable to wait on unpredictably slow bureaucracy.
According to RCMP, over the past year, the Pioneer Mall building has been the subject of ‘numerous trespassing and mischief files’.
“Shawnigan Lake RCMP has responded to two previous reports of arson prior to the recent one,” said RCMP spokesperson Alex Bérubé.
On November 26. 2021 RCMP say a fire broke out, the damage limited, due to quick work of fire department. There was evidence of squatters in the building, but no suspects.
On March 27, 2022, there was another fire.
“A fire investigator determined possible accelerant used to start a fire in the bathroom of the building,” said Bérubé.
Because of these previous fires, and the fact that there was no source of heat (that power had been disconnected for some time), Shawnigan Lake RCMP investigators are confident this most recent fire is suspicious.
Bérubé was unable to provide names of possible suspects at this time.
“We are asking anyone with any information to contact the detachment or Crime Stoppers,” said Bérubé.
As for possible remediation, the Ministry of Environment says the Limona Group hired an environmentally qualified professional to assess and recommend the next steps, including sampling as needed.
“That work is ongoing and the ministry continues to monitor. It would be premature to speculate on costs and timelines,” said the Ministry of Environment in a statement to CHEK News.
Kori Sidaway
