Councillors in Gibsons have endorsed a staff plan that could preserve Stonehurst, a home at 529 Gibsons Way that’s also known as the Inglis House.
The home was built in 1913 by Dr. Frederick K. Inglis and it served as the Sunshine Coast’s first medical clinic. It also has a place in national history. Near the end of the First World War, Inglis shared the home with Methodist minister James Woodsworth and the debates the two men had over socialism and pacifism played a key role in shaping the philosophy Woodsworth would carry with him when he helped found the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) in 1932. The CCF would later become the New Democratic Party.
The building is currently a single-family home with six bed and breakfast suites. The owners, Bill and Evlyn Sluis, however, are considering selling and Bill Sluis told the Feb. 21 committee of the whole meeting that they’ve already turned down at least one substantial offer.
In a letter to the Town, Sluis said, “I turned down the offer because the buyer had plans to demolish the house. My concern is the type of buyer that is interested in the house and property are developers who would like to put multi-family developments on the land while taking down the house … I am a long-time resident of Gibsons. I think it is important for the history and the culture of the Town to try to preserve the existing building.”
Sluis and Town planning staff are proposing a rezoning and subdivision that would allow the back portion of the property to be developed, while the front half – with the Inglis home – would be subject to covenants to preserve the key historic elements of the building.
The idea of a formal heritage designation was rejected because it would be so restrictive that the Sluises might not be able to sell at all.
Mayor Wayne Rowe praised Sluis for taking the initiative to come to the Town before selling the property. “You see yourself eventually no longer being the owner of this property, yet you take sufficient enough interest in the Town to try to recognize the unique value of this property ... I commend you for trying to put the Town as well in your interests.”
That said, Rowe voiced a couple of concerns with the proposal: rezoning without a specific development proposal in mind, and the need to have a second access through Town-owned property currently being eyed as a future location for a tiered parking lot.
Coun. Silas White pointed out that when it comes to architecture, the Sunshine Coast is a very “young” part of the world.
“There aren’t many historically significant buildings on the Coast, but this is one of the few that is – unquestionably. I think it’s important for the Town to take this opportunity to look at its preservation. We’re very lucky right now to have an owner of the property who’s supportive of that and wants to work with us,” White said.
A 2015 online petition to have Stonehurst recognized as a heritage site got more than 200 signatures.
The committee voted unanimously to have Town staff start work on a zoning bylaw amendment to be brought back to council.
