Updates for July 8, 2018
Vancouver Island Vipassana Association
Time-limited opportunity to purchase this property
Potential New Site for Vancouver Island Vipassana Centre Is Turnkey-Ready!
Near Victoria in the Cowichan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
An outstanding opportunity has come up to purchase a 13.5-acre property near Duncan, BC, to become the new home of Dhamma Modana. This would replace the existing site at Lake Cowichan.
The new property is a few minutes from the city of Duncan, in a quiet, protected, semi-rural residential area that offers features likely to attract many old students who are looking to live close to a centre. Current structures cover 12,000 square feet of space, but zoning is in place that allows expansion up to over 40,000 square feet. For the purchase price, the trust could have a facility capable of accommodating courses for 40 people almost immediately, with very little work or extra expense required. This compares with the estimated $3 million needed to build a basic centre at Lake Cowichan, not to mention the years of work and effort required for such a project.
The sellers have accepted the trust’s offer to purchase the Duncan property for $1.5 million Canadian. A recent market assessment shows that the Lake Cowichan property is worth approximately $1 million, but drawing on that equity could take time. Meanwhile, to purchase the new property, we have until Friday, July 20, to confirm to the sellers that we have the finances in place.
Generous old students have already pledged $700,000 in loans and $40,000 in dana. The trust estimates that an additional $850,000 is needed, in either donations, monthly pledges, or loans with or without interest. Bridge loans would be repaid as soon as the old centre land is sold.
All old students wishing to participate in this project are invited to contact the trust (see below) to either make a direct donation, or to arrange for a short-term bridge loan until the Lake Cowichan land is sold. Once the purchase goes through, we could be able to start offering 10-day Vipassana courses on Vancouver Island within months.
Click here for a five-minute video of the site:
To offer a donation or a loan (even for a short duration) for this project, please contact Robert and Edith Strand (phone 1-604-819-4859 or email [email protected]).
(Click here to donate.)
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More Details
This 12,000-square-foot building sits on 3.5 acres zoned for private institutional (PI) use. It contains a room suitable for a meditation hall, dining rooms, a kitchen, 18-plus single bedrooms, 10 bathrooms and over a dozen other multi-use rooms. The 3.5-acre site backs onto an additional 10 acres zoned rural (A2), with walking trails and two (12 x 14 feet) buildings suitable for retreats. Adjoining the 10 acres are protected wetlands and marsh conservation areas.
The buildings circle an inner courtyard accessing a meditation hall for up to 40 students. The living room close to the main entrance has a private exterior entrance, which would allow local meditators to drop in and meditate.
Recent building updates include new steel roofing, R50 ceiling insulation and an efficient geothermal heating and cooling system. There are four septic fields in use on the property, and water is supplied by the municipality of North Cowichan.
The PI zoning does not limit the number of residents on site, and allows for building coverage of up to 30 percent on the 3.5 acres. This means there is ample room for future building development.
The property is on a quiet, residential cul de sac. It is set back from the road, and there is very little traffic noise. The forest cover on the land also keeps ambient sound to a minimum. The Duncan/North Cowichan area hosts a growing population and is an attractive area for people who are looking for a rural feel with larger city amenities.
As with all Vipassana centres, support comes from generous donations of old students. Whether large or small, your support will help the Dhamma Modana trust seize this wonderful opportunity for the spread of Vipassana meditation on Vancouver Island.
| READ MORE ON OUR WEBSITE |
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