History of VARS

Valemount Affordable Rentals Society (VARS) was incorporated on Oct 26, 2017, but how it came about is a bit complicated. And the story starts with a different non-profit society.

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The Valemount Learning Society (VLS) was incorporated in 1997 but had been around as part of the Canoe Robson Education Development Association since 1984. After many years of studies in the early 2010’s, VLS started the Valemount College in 2016. The goal was to replicate the Northern Outdoor Recreation Ecotourism (NORE) program which the College of New Caledonia had canceled in 2011. They cancelled the program because it was too small for them, but it had been very successful for Valemount. 

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When the first College Director was hired, he had a hard time finding a place to live, which brought up the question – where would the students live? The housing situation in Valemount had changed considerably since the NORE program was active in the early 2000’s and there was now very little vacant accommodation in the community. 

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Two VLS Board members (Jen Applebaum and Korie Marshall) as well as it’s Executive Director (Riette Kenkel) were on the Village of Valemount’s Housing Committee.  

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“The Housing Committee exists to advise Village Council in matters regarding affordable housing opportunities in the Valemount area. The objective is to assess the housing situation and identify new housing options for seniors, students, young families and a new workforce that may be attracted to Valemount.”​

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 – from the January 2017 Terms of Reference for the Village of Valemount Housing Committee

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The Village created the Housing Committee in response to its Housing Needs and Demands Assessment, completed in January 2016. The assessment suggested a need for increased housing diversity, greater affordability and choice, and more flexible designs and options, especially to accommodate a growing demand for housing for single people, such as staff for tourism and service industries. 

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The committee heard repeatedly from small business operators, real estate agents and others that there was not enough housing, especially affordable housing, for individuals in the community. This was starting to have an impact on businesses, many of whom were struggling to find housing for staff, and without housing, couldn’t bring in staff to keep their doors open as often or as consistently as they wanted. 

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Among much other work, the committee looked for existing organizations that might take on the challenge of developing more housing, especially for single people. At the time, the only non-profit or subsidized housing in Valemount was operated by the Valemount Senior Citizen’s Housing Society, which was focused on finding supports for seniors to remain in their community. They were not looking to expand their target demographic. Robson Valley Support Society (now Robson Valley Community Services) was considering housing but was focused on safe housing and transition housing for women fleeing violence, and they were not looking to expand their target demographic ether. No other local non-profit had capacity or interest in exploring housing, except VLS. 

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Around the same time, the 5th Ave building that VLS had been operating out of was put up for sale. VLS was not in a position to buy it, and out of concern that new owners might have different plans for the building, the board started looking at other properties in the area. They found the Ramakada Motel, which was for sale along with the adjacent house and two vacant lots. 

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With the bones of a new affordable housing society in place, VARS got start-up funding and in-kind support from VLS, grant funding from Columbia Basin Trust, and a mortgage and 30-year operating agreement with BC Housing. We purchased the properties and began the process of amalgamating 2 of the lots, rezoning, and renovating the 8 former motel units into long-term affordable housing for adult students and lower-income workers. We hired a professional property manager (Jen Applebaum of Rustic Luxury) to oversee the renovations and then the day-to-day management of the rental properties. 

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We named the property Juniper Square and were renting out the first units in December 2018. Valemount College was having challenges getting its first classes going, but we quickly filled the furnished bachelor and 1-bed units, mostly with new staff at local businesses.

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VARS also applied to BC Housing’s new funding program, the Community Housing Fund, to build 13 more units of affordable housing for seniors and families. We received initial approval in December 2018, but construction didn’t begin until mid-2020. Our “phase 2” project – Juniper Square 2 – was completed in fall of 2021. We continue to rent out the renovated 3-bedroom house as affordable housing for a local family.

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As we enter 2025, there is still work to do. Over the past 4 years, the Valemount community has seen the impacts of COVID-19 and the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion on local residents, businesses, and housing. We’ve seen new residents, and more people who want to move to Valemount, and we’ve seen impacts of poor snow conditions for sledding in early 2024, and highway closures due to the Jasper wildfires in the summer of 2024, both of which had negative impacts on many local businesses. 

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According to the Village’s 2024 Interim Housing Needs update (Appendix I of the 2022 Housing Needs Report, which uses standard calculations required by the province), 119 new units are needed by 2029, and 324 new units within 20 years. That is on top of the 53 units created between 2022 and 2024 (32 of which are in non-profit owned, multi-unit buildings), and the 22 units VARS created between 2019 and 2021.

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VARS has plans for 12 more single units on the same lot as the house, and we may be able to use funding through BC Builds to do it. There are existing apartment buildings in the area that we could buy, through the Rental Protection Fund, to ensure they stay affordable rentals for the long term. There is a vacant lot we could buy to develop commercial space on the main floor with rental housing above. Or an underused hotel that might be renovated. There may be more calls for proposals from BC Housing or other funders, or opportunities to work with other developers. We’re still a small organization, and we’ll need to plan our path carefully.