The Cowichan Valley Regional District is looking for someone to take the sticks after most people surveyed said they were not willing to pay for repairs.
Who wants the world’s largest hockey stick?
That’s exactly what the Cowichan Valley Regional District wants to know, after a survey found that residents in the area don’t have much love for the aging 62.5-metre-tall structure.
The stick was originally commissioned for Expo ’86 in Vancouver, but has since become available and 30 communities competed to get it.
$150,000 was raised to build this massive structure on Vancouver Island, and it was eventually located next to the Cowichan Community Center.
The stick, which weighs 28.12 tonnes and was recognized by Guinness World Records as the largest hockey stick and puck in 2008, has been there for the past 35 years.
However, the Douglas fir branches and packs are now “decayed to the point that the structure must be replaced or removed to ensure public safety,” the district said in a statement Monday.
Replacement cost is estimated at $1.2 million to $2 million. Consultants previously told regional districts that the sticks were in poor condition and would need to be replaced by 2025 if the decision was made to retain the world’s biggest title.
The district, which assumed responsibility for the bar in 1994, turned to the public to find out how much Cowichan residents valued it. There weren’t that many.
Of the roughly 3,000 people who responded, 70% were ready to say goodbye to the big stick, officials said.
In response to the survey responses and high replacement costs, the Cowichan Core Recreation Board directed staff to eliminate the sticks next year.
However, the CVRD “recognizes that there may be a public interest in acquiring ownership of the world’s largest hockey stick structure in its current form,” and that the CVRD has “acquired and used this structure.” It is an interesting process in which we plan to accept proposals from local organizations or individuals who wish to do so through a formal express drive. ”
If you think this stick would be suitable for the side of your barn, or for attracting people to your business or organization, this is your chance.
A request for expressions of interest will be published in the new year.
To follow, please visit cvrd.ca/3018/Procurement.
cjwilson@timescolonist.cm
