Chris Mathieson has been given a one-year lease arrangement to continue running the Grist Mill in Keremeos, but he expects to turn that into a 10-year operating agreement shortly. (Richard McGuire photo)
A long-term 10-year agreement aimed at keeping the Grist Mill in Keremeos open is close to being finalized.
“We’ve agreed to all the core details, so hopefully it’s just a formality,” said Chris Mathieson, of Mathieson Heritage Services, who in February was given a one-year temporary lease on the site.
Mathieson has operated the historic site for the past two years, but until now the lack of a long-term agreement has hampered his ability to make it financially viable.
The provincial government has been funding the site, but the province wants to make provincial heritage properties financially self-sufficient in the future.
Mathieson said the long-term agreement would see provincial funding decreased each year.
“The province has agreed to continue to provide some operating support for the next few years, which will decline every year,” he said. “That’s actually what I asked for, because the site can make money to operate in the long run, but it needed an orderly way to get there.”
The province is also providing funds to address a number of deferred maintenance issues, Mathieson said. Those repairs, some of them safety related, will be among the first things he’ll address.
Dave Cursons, chair of the Grist Mill Foundation, said his board is very pleased with the agreement.
“We’re pleased in particular that the government has made up its mind to continue to operate its designated provincial historic site at the Grist Mill and Gardens in Keremeos,” said Cursons. “We are also pleased that they chose an operator that we know to be capable and enterprising.”
Cursons said his foundation has never been happy with the one-year agreements of the past because they have meant the province might suddenly pull out.
Those fears increased when the government put out a request for proposals seeking a private operator for the site last August.
“Our concern was with an offer to anyone to lease it, it could have become practically anything,” Cursons said, noting the need to protect the mill and museum as a heritage site.
The Grist Mill was built in 1877 and is an iconic historic site, the only functioning water-driven flour mill west of Ontario.
The province purchased it as a heritage property in 1979.
The 4.94-hectare site includes 2.02 hectares of fields and gardens, the mill, a 19th century house and farm outbuildings, a modern visitor centre, parking, camping and tearoom facilities.
The lack of a long-term agreement has made it difficult to operate in the past, Mathieson said, adding this was also a problem for others before him.
“People don’t book weddings two months out,” he said. “They book weddings eight months or a year out. I haven’t been able to commit to things like that.”
Over the past year he has had wedding inquiries, advertising opportunities and grants with deadlines that could not be met due to the uncertainty, he said.
In addition to dealing with the deferred maintenance, Mathieson said he would also be moving forward with organizing summer programming at the mill.
“Just making sure we’ve got a great summer concert series lined up and we’re booking those weddings and other rentals when we can,” he said. “We would like as much activity as we can make happen.”
There will be other community events each month including at Canada Day, B.C. Day, Labour Day and the fall fair, he added.
The Grist Mill opens for the season just before the May Victoria Day long weekend.
Cursons said the Grist Mill Foundation is now a registered charity, so it can do fundraising. Any funds raised would be for programming to engage the public at the mill rather than to offset the responsibility of the province to maintain the capital assets, he said.
“We were very happy with (MLA) Linda Larson’s efforts on our behalf,” said Cursons. “We’re pleased that the minister was finally able to construct something workable for us,” he added, referring to Steve Thomson, minister of forests, lands and natural resource operations, whose ministry is responsible for the B.C. Heritage Branch.
RICHARD McGUIRE
Osoyoos Times
The Grist Mill in Keremeos. (Richard McGuire photo)
Chris Mathieson has been given a one-year lease arrangement to continue running the Grist Mill in Keremeos, but he expects to turn that into a 10-year operating agreement shortly. (Richard McGuire photo)
