The Regional District of East Kootenay (RDEK) Board of Directors this morning unanimously approved an extension of the occupancy of the Edgewater Post Office building through May 2026 as efforts continue to seek an alternate location to house the postal services within the community.

“We recognize the importance of the post office service in the community, and it was abundantly clear following our community meeting in June that it was important to residents and the postmaster to provide a longer occupancy, if at all possible,” explained Electoral Area G Director Roberta Schnider.

“Safety is our top priority as the building is failing. We have been doing regular inspections on the current building and the latest inspection report from the engineers did not identify further signs of deterioration since the last inspection. With this result in mind, I sought the approval of the Board to extend the occupancy of the building through May and am grateful for their support.”

The extension was approved with a series of conditions to ensure the ongoing safety of the space, including a satisfactory report from the professional structural engineer in October permitting occupancy for another six months, the roof being cleared of snow, not allowing more than 12 inches of snow to accumulate on the roof, and no other significant changes in the building.

“RDEK staff are continuing to work to identify any possible options for a post office building. They have not given up, in spite of the hurdles we’ve encountered, and I encourage the community to continue their independent efforts as well as we all understand how important this service is within the community,” added Schnider.

The RDEK has been working to establish a postal office service and seek approval from the community to build a purpose-built building; however, has encountered issues with legislative authority and Provincial approvals.

The current Edgewater Post Office building and former Credit Union Building are both in failing condition and need to be decommissioned.

While the board has approved an occupancy extension in an effort to support establishing an alternate location for the postal service, directors have approved the immediate formal closure and decommissioning of the Credit Union.

The buildings will remain decommissioned while the RDEK seeks partners to collaborate on a potential housing development project, and will be demolished as part of any future site preparations.

e-KNOW file photo

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