After more than 25 years in the community, Cloverleaf Montessori Preschool will soon close its doors, after its tenancy was terminated by Christ the Redeemer Church in late January.
The church, located in west Cloverdale, has leased Bell Hall to preschool owner and operator Feiza Maidens since 1989. But as of August this year, the preschool has to be out of the hall.
There is growing frustration between Maidens and the parents of the 42 children enrolled at her school, and the leadership of the church.
As the tenancy termination notice was given in late January, many deadlines for daycare and preschool enrollment for the coming September had already passed, said Maidens. She is concerned that her students, who range from three to five years old, may not be able to find a place to go for the fall.
鈥淟egally, they have given me enough notice,鈥� said Maidens. 鈥淏ut morally and compassionately?鈥�
She is also concerned that she won鈥檛 be able to find another building and secure the appropriate permits to open a new location in that time period. Maidens and the preschool鈥檚 parent group have submitted several requests for a nine-month tenancy extension, which would allow the school to run until June of 2019, giving Maidens time to find a new place and parents time to secure other preschool placements if necessary.
The church extended the original termination date of June 2018 until August 2018, but has said no to additional extensions, citing a safety report detailing major structural problems with the building as the reason why the preschool must move out.
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But Maidens and the parent group have not seen the safety report, and disagree with its findings.
鈥淚 asked them if I could see the report, they said no. Parents have asked them. They have been bombarding them with calls, emails,鈥� said Maidens. 鈥淐an we see the copies? Then we know. Then we get it. But no. We are not supposed to see the copies and we are wondering why.鈥�
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The preschool was evaluated by the fire marshall and Fraser Health in January and February of this year. Cloverleaf passed both with 鈥渇lying colours,鈥� earning a low risk rating, said Maidens. She does not believe that any major safety or health concerns would have been completely missed by the two inspections.
Maidens said she has been the ideal tenant for the past 26 years. She renovated the space when she first moved in, and has changed the carpets, floors, windows, and paint over the years to bring the building 鈥� which was constructed in the 1930s 鈥� to modern standards.
The disagreement over safety stems from a leak in the preschool鈥檚 kitchen ceiling, according to Maidens. 鈥淭his year we had a bit of a leak in the ceiling in the kitchen,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 approached [the church] a couple times and nothing was really happening.鈥�
Maidens informed the church that parents had offered to fundraise for a new roof for Bell Hall, but 鈥渢hey didn鈥檛 like that,鈥� she said. She offered to pay for a tarp on the roof, in lieu of rent. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 when it stirred the pot, I think, and that鈥檚 when I got the [termination] letter.鈥�
Safety concerns raised by church
The church has not been responding to the calls and letters from parents asking for a lease extension, according to Maidens. Furthering to their frustration is that both Christ the Redeemer Church and the Diocese of New Westminster place the responsibility of terminating the lease on the other, leaving parents unsure of who to contact on the issue.
When the Cloverdale Reporter contacted Christ the Redeemer Church, office staff said that the Diocese of New Westminster had been in charge of the decision.
Rob Dickson, director of finance and property at the Diocese of New Westminster, disagreed, and said that the decision was made by the parish based on safety concerns, and that the Diocese supported them.
鈥淭he tenant and the condition of the building has been under review for a long time,鈥� said Dickson. 鈥淭he building鈥檚 deterioration is significant, it鈥檚 not just a matter of a few roof tiles.鈥�
Dickson said 鈥渃onstruction experts looked at the building鈥� and an inspection report was made to the leadership of the parish. He refused to show the inspection report to the Reporter.
Dickson said Maidens was well aware of the ongoing safety concerns, as she 鈥渨as given notice in 2014 that 鈥� the parish would not extend the lease beyond a month to month at that stage and to be prepared to move.鈥�
Maidens denies that the church told her the lease was changing in 2014 due to safety concerns. She did not secure a long-term lease in 2014, when her previous contract was up, but she attributed it to a change in church leadership 鈥� the reverend changed at that time, she said.
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鈥淚 didn鈥檛 pursue it because there was lots of change,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 never really thought about it.鈥�
Cheryl-Ann Archibald, a member of the leadership at Christ the Redeemer Church, said that the church 鈥渉ad hoped to replace the roof years ago and just couldn鈥檛 afford to鈥� and that the issues with the building extended far beyond the roof. 鈥淭he entire building is well past its life,鈥� she said.
鈥淭his is not new information to Feiza,鈥� she said. 鈥淪he has known at least the last four years that we have concerns about the condition and safety of the building.鈥�
鈥淭he building experts we had in to look at the building and give us a report say the roof does not have another year in it. And it鈥檚 so bad that, I think it was said to me that even a roofing company shouldn鈥檛 be up on the roof.鈥�
Archibald said that an inspection report had been made to the Diocese 鈥渋n the early part of the year.鈥� She said that the inspection report could not be shared with the Reporter.
鈥淯nfortunately a lot of energy is being put into trying to change the state of affairs rather than being put into finding a new location,鈥� said Archibald. 鈥淔eiza has been in Bell Hall for 25 years, she鈥檚 established in the neighbourhood. I get their angst, but if they would just put their energies into finding a new place, I鈥檓 sure they could accomplish it very quickly.鈥�
A new home for Cloverleaf
Maidens is determined to find a new location in Cloverdale, and has been working with the school鈥檚 parent group to find a suitable building. 鈥淚鈥檝e looked at many, many places,鈥� she said. 鈥淪o far, it hasn鈥檛 been very bright, and we鈥檙e running out of time. September is around the corner.鈥�
She is hoping that someone in the community might have information on a location, and reach out to her. But even when she finds a location, she said zoning and licensing will take time. 鈥淚t can take 9 to 12 months, so can you please give me until next June 2019? In fairness, for everyone. For my staff, for the parents.鈥�
鈥淚 don鈥檛 want to leave the community. I don鈥檛 want to start from scratch鈥� If there are no plans [for the building], then why [can鈥檛 we stay]?鈥� she asked.
鈥淲e are asking short term. These are children. And isn鈥檛 the church supposed to be helping the community, setting an example for society? These are three-year-olds, five-year-olds that have no place to go.鈥�
editor@cloverdalereporter.com
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