Cowichan Tribes Key To Rescuing Greg Norman Course

An opportunity now exists on Vancouver Island for the possible resurrection and completion of the Greg Norman designed golf course within the former Cliffs Over Maple Bay project near Duncan, BC.

The following item by Carla Willson was originally published by Victoria's Times Colonist.

By Carla Wilson, Times Colonist

The Cliffs Over Maple Bay's potential new owner is crafting a plan that would put parcels back on the market in a few weeks and see the Cowichan Tribes take majority ownership in the Greg Norman-designed golf course.

Dana Carroll's vision would resurrect the 135-hectare, residential and golf development that went into receivership last year. Developer Warren Paulin failed after massive debts piled up and because a water supply for the 18-hole golf course had not been lined up.

If all goes according to plan, what's now largely bare land seven kilometres northeast of Duncan will become a community, featuring a golf course that's now 60 per cent complete.

Once the site development is complete, Carroll estimated, it will be worth several hundreds of millions of dollars.

The five-phase project includes 349 single-family lots, plus zoning for up to 345 multi-family units, a hotel and commercial space. All but 15 of the 72 single-family lots in the first phase have been sold, states an information package.

Development will repair what Vancouver-based Carroll, president of Salish Park Holdings, calls "an eyesore."

Carroll said yesterday that his offer of $25 million has been accepted by the current owner, with conditions to be removed by Sept. 25. The project went into receivership last year after mortgages went into default. Debts were calculated at more than $30 million.

Vancouver lawyer Alan Frydenlund, who represents the first mortgage-holders -- Fisgard Capital Corp. of Victoria and Liberty Excell Holdings of Calgary -- said the mortgage of close to $20 million had been assumed by the property's current owner, a numbered company registered as 0844246 B.C. Ltd.

The sale was approved in a ruling by the B.C. Supreme Court in Vancouver. Another branch of Liberty also held a second mortgage, which was foreclosed, Frydenlund said.

A spokesman for the current owner was not available for comment. The B.C. court registry lists Gordon Taylor as its director. Taylor is the president of Liberty Mortgage Services Ltd. of Calgary.

Carroll, once a part-owner of the Thrifty Foods' Tsawwassen store and former chairman of Vancouver's Urban Communications Inc., has worked with First Nations on land use and economic development.

If the sale goes through, Carroll said that in the short term, land would be sold in phases. Some could go on the market as soon as the end of this month. No homes have been built so far.

While the municipality of North Cowichan has agreed to run waterlines to the residential component, water to the golf course had been a barrier to development.

A letter of intent has been signed with the Cowichan Tribes that would see water from the area's aquifer available for the golf course, Carroll said. The best site to tap into the aquifer has not been determined, he added.

Applications for federal funding have been submitted but Carroll would not provide details.

Plans call for the Cowichan Tribes to initially own 75 per cent of the golf course, with the possibility of eventual full ownership, he said. Cowichan Tribes is known for its progressive and diverse economic presence in the Cowichan Valley.

"To me, it was kind of a perfect scenario, with the Cowichan band being as forward-thinking as they are," Carroll said.

John Keating, Cowichan Tribes land manager, said that to Chief Linda Hwitsum, this property "is in the heart of the Cowichan Tribes territory so that anything that occurs within that is of great interest to us. And certainly from an economic point of view, we look at all opportunities that would fall within that area."

The band was approached in the spring by Salish Park, he said. "We are exploring and doing due diligence in those areas right now."

He confirmed that the band is looking into the aquifer issue.

The project could deliver economic benefits through such areas as sand and gravel requirements, labour, training and ongoing employment, Keating said.

cjwilson@tc.canwest.com