Sea to Sky Community Services (SSCS) is starting an open chat with Pemberton locals about its new Harrow Road Affordable Housing and Community Hub project. They will be at the Pemberton Farmers’ Market at the Downtown Community Barn every Friday until the end of summer to hear comments, questions and suggestions.
The project on Harrow Road has been in the works since 2022, and a related zoning amendment was adopted in October 2023.
Located at Harrow Road and Highway 99, the 63-unit, five-storey building will feature a mix of one-, two-, and three-bedroom units, with 30 per cent allocated for market rentals, 50 per cent for “rent geared to income,” and 20 per cent for low-income households. The 9,000-square-foot bottom floor will be used for SSCS’ new offices—in which they will run 28 of the 40 programs they offer throughout the Sea to Sky—with the rest of the space slated for commercial uses. SSCS now hopes to build the development in just two years.
Pemberton’s mayor and council previously adopted a two-year permissive tax exemption for the build, and also agreed to waive associated development fees totalling $311,383.
A land-blessing ceremony with the Lil’wat Nation is planned around the end of summer this year, on Sept. 24, and construction will begin in late September. Director of housing at SSCS, Jess Abraham, told Pique getting the land blessed before turning the sod was incredibly important to them.
“We have been working with Lil’wat Nation for the last few years,” she said. “We have a working relationship with them already. They seemed very interested in doing the blessing.”
Abraham estimated construction should be completed in just 24 months.
“We are hoping to open in fall 2026,” she said.
SSCS has gone from strength to strength in the community for three decades, and staff hope the new development will further their reach.
“We provide new programs and support to Pemberton and its surrounding area. Sea to Sky invests more than $2 million annually in the community through these services,” said Abraham. “We have 20 full-time staff that live and work in Pemberton. They want to see the community do well and thrive. The new development will have affordable accommodation and a community hub. We have services from newborns up to seniors. It will be a safe and accessible space for community members.”
In the meantime, the team hopes to create a fun and welcoming atmosphere at their farmers’ market booth. They are also planning to have a presence at other big community events.
“Essentially, it’s just the commitment to connecting and engaging with the community,” said Abraham. “If people want to leave questions or comments about the new building, we will bring the answers back to the next farmers’ market. It gives us an opportunity to continue the conversation. There will be a spin the wheel with giveaways and a colouring area for children. In general, it’s about building relationships. We can hear concerns and things we might have missed.”
You can read more about the Harrow Road development at sscs.ca/harrowroad.
