An Open House was held by the Crowsnest Pass Opportunity Development Cooperative to showcase its first initiative. Top photo, Ryp Athletics is housed in one half of the building while Crowsnest Laser Clinic is in the other.
DIEGO SYZ
Pass Herald Staff
The Crowsnest Pass Opportunity Development Cooperative introduced its first official initiative to the residents of the Crowsnest Pass area, October 9th.
Ryp Athletics, Crowsnest Medical Vein and Laser clinic along with four new apartments rented to Riversdale Resources were displayed for all to see at their grand opening.
“It’s exciting to say the least, this is one development, and there’s already talk of other Cooperative initiatives coming on the heels of this one,” said CODC Chair Jay Yanota.
A couple of private businessmen put their own money behind it, developed the building and then started a cooperative (to help manage financing through 37 investor groups from the Crowsnest Pass area), said Yanota.
“It was $12,000 per share and the investors can expect a return of their investment and a (potential) five per cent return is what we think we can do,” he said.
“Instead of one person taking all the risk, now several people take some risk.”
“Both businesses (Ryp Athletics and Crowsnest Medical Vein and Laser clinic) supply services which are important to the people of Crowsnest Pass,” said John Pundyk, treasurer for the CODC.
“The laser clinic, for example, provides a facility which is normally not found in a small community,” he said and continued; “Usually people have to travel to a big city to get this kind of service.”
“This Co-Op mechanism is in the early stages in Alberta,” said Yanota.
The whole idea is having locals invest in businesses in the community, Yanota explained.
“As a community we came together to help develop and revitalize the building,” said Shane Stewart, owner of Burrows Building, the company in charge of renovating the building.
You can now find Ryp Athletics, The Crowsnest Medical Vein and Laser Clinic and the four apartments rented by Riversdale Resources.
“It was an 8,700 square foot renovation.”
We took a building that was vacant and because it was an important historic resource we obtained heritage status for it, then began developing, he said.
The Peuchen Block building at Blairmore’s 13000 block gained historical status not only through its namesake, Arthur Godfrey Peuchen, but because it has been a prominent commercial building since it was built in 1911, according to a report prepared by Ian McKenzie for Crowsnest Pass Municipal Council.
The Peuchen building contained such historical fixtures as the Blairmore Trading Company, the Blairmore Hardware Store, Kubik’s Dry Goods, a part of both Robinson’s and Stedman’s department stores, a poolroom, restaurant, furniture store and Safeway grocery on the main floor and a law office, insurance office, dentist office, customs office, credit union and an RCMP office upstairs according to the report.
The building’s namesake, Arthur Peuchen, survived both the sinking of the Titanic and World War I, also, he gained prominence in Blairmore after he bought the timber rights, cutting camps and Blairmore sawmill, the report said.
