Tenants were caught off guard last week when the Nakusp Health Unit building, located beside the Post Office on Broadway St., was put up for sale.

The Kinsmen and Kinettes built the building on property owned by the village in 1968, at which point the keys were handed to the village along with a contract allowing the Interior Health Authority to pay only $1 per year lease for twenty years. After a renewal of that contract for another 20 years, the time is up and Nakusp Mayor Karen Hamling says, “After forty years and forty dollars and the village having to put an awful lot of money into repairs ... I don’t believe the taxpayers can afford it.”

The Health Unit currently provides a range of health care and support services, specifically to those who have acute, chronic, palliative and rehabilitative health care needs. They provide home support, home care nursing, adult day programs and meal programs and respite care. They also help with assisted living and hospitality services such as housekeeping, laundry, recreational opportunities and run a 24-hour response system. Not only are these services available, but the Options for Sexual Health clinic is run out of the building as well as the optometrist. Alcoholics Anonymous meets in the basement up to twice a week.

IHA Health Services Administrator for the Arrow Lakes Diane Gagnon says some administration changes had been made and she’d only learned of the sale earlier last week. “I apologize if there was a gap in communications with staff at the Nakusp Health Centre, but we will have time to address any necessary changes.”

Gagnon adds the public health, home and community care services are important and staff will be worked with if a move is required. “We are confident we will have an appropriate location for these services, even if a move does become necessary.”

Hamling says she hopes IHA buys the building, or whoever does will lease it out to those who currently occupy the building. While Hamling says the issue was talked about in public during the Sept. 8 council meeting, no one from the Health Unit was invited to listen to the decision being made. “It would’ve been a good idea for administration to ask IHA to let their tenants know the building was going up for sale,” she says. “It shouldn’t disrupt what’s happening down there.”