The Golf Course

Chapters

1. 0:00 Cold open
2. 2:22 Act 1: The price
3. 3:20 Act 2: Paying for it
4. 6:26 Act 3: Fast
5. 8:40 Act 4: The clubhouse
6. 10:36 Act 5: The other golf course
7. 12:56 Act 6: The gap
8. 15:48 What we still don't know
9. 16:47 Close

Read more on this site

• The Eaglecrest golf course The purchase, the budget, the reserves and what the public hasn’t seen.
• Fact-check: the Town’s Eaglecrest FAQ Each claim in the FAQ, checked against Town records.
• The Memorial Golf Course The Town’s other golf course: grants, waived fees and loans.

Transcript

Cold open

“And the concern for me is this. Eight and a half million to start off with, maybe nine. Another six, seven, eight million for all of the other stuff that needs to be done, even before the money starts to flow in.”

“We know, as you mentioned, that we have drainage issues in Eaglecrest. Right now we’ve acknowledged we have about 900,000 of asbestos-cement pipe in the neighbourhood that has to be solved. We have a $1.75 million storm main replacement and drainage solution that is required. We’ve talked about $5 million for the roundabout.”

“So I want to go into this with our eyes wide open. That eight and a half million is not the target. It’s probably more like eleven million, or eleven and a half, to deal with the issues that I know of.”

“But I never thought it would end up being $21 million. We need to clarify that, ’cause that is not what we paid.”

Narrator: Eight and a half million. Then eleven, maybe eleven and a half. Now, $21.2 million. [1][2][3]

Narrator: The Mayor has a point. The Town paid $8.5 million for the Eaglecrest Golf Course. The rest of that budget is what it costs to own it: rebuilding the course, fixing the clubhouse, buying equipment, servicing land for sale, and work in the neighbourhood. All of it is meant to be paid for by selling land. So far, none has sold. [4][3]

Narrator: This episode follows the money: what Council was told about the cost, the risks and the return, when it was told, and what the public got to see. [4]

Narrator: This is Let Them Eat Golf, a podcast about what Qualicum Beach Council said no to, and what it said yes to, built from the Town's own records. Episode 2: The Golf Course. The narrator's voice is AI. The tape is from the Town's meeting videos, and residents aren't named. No candidate, party or campaign pays for, sponsors or authorizes this podcast. [5]

Act 1: The price

Narrator: The talks began in 2023, when an agent for the owners approached Town staff. In February 2025, the Town announced it would make "no further offers." The talks went on anyway, and by May, staff were offering "$8.5 million in cash." The year before, the land had been appraised at $3.41 million. The Town said the higher price reflected the land's "rezoning potential." [6][7][8][9]

Narrator: At a Town Hall meeting that July, a resident asked what due diligence had shown that it was the right price. The Mayor answered. [10]

“Yeah, we’re still doing a due diligence on the property itself, the buildings, environmental and all that, but the number is far too much, as far as an appraisal, more than double. But it’s not based on the fact that we would be trying to run it as a golf course and make a profit. This is for long-term investment forever.”

Act 2: Paying for it

Narrator: Not a profit, then. So how would the Town pay? It decided that the same day, July 23rd, 2025, at a special Council meeting. $6.5 million would come from reserves, surplus, and a provincial grant that had been set aside for Saahtlam Park, pickleball courts and a bus garage. The last $2 million would come from selling Town land. To make room, the plan pushed back 33 of the Town's own initiatives, among them a study for the Seniors Activity Centre and an accessibility plan. [11][12][4][13]

Narrator: Councillor Scott Harrison asked what came after the purchase. [14]

“Just the last question for funding is, okay, so this funds the purchase of the golf course. What happens when we have to upgrade irrigation, address the clubhouse, buy equipment? Will that come from the town, or will that come from the operation of the golf course, and how long would it take for that to be paid back?”

Narrator: Staff said that wasn't answered yet. It was part of the due diligence still under way, starting with a building inspection: "an evolving conversation." The plan passed 4 to 1. Mayor Westbroek and Councillors Anne Skipsey, Petronella Vander Valk and Jean Young voted for it. Harrison voted against. The Town, he said, was "spending way too much money." [14][11]

Narrator: To test whether land sales could cover the purchase, the Town brought in consultants: MODUS Planning, working with Westplan and Cunningham and Rivard Appraisals. We found no Council vote on hiring them. The Town hasn't published their study, and the copy released under freedom of information has its financial figures blacked out. [15][16][17][18]

Narrator: At the public hearing that October, one of the consultants explained why owning the land mattered. [19]

“The number one most important factor in the entire conversation for us was that if the town buys the land, you are both the developer and the regulator. This is a very rare situation to be in. It gives you a maximum amount of control over the most number of variables that would impact risk or value.”

Narrator: And what would the golf course itself earn? On September 17th, as Council voted to look for an operator, Harrison asked. [20][21]

“So one of the questions I’d have too is, do we have revenue expectations? So is this something where it’s expected to generate a profit after we’ve invested sufficiently to make it up to a certain standard? I mean, obviously it’s not going to be profitable year one. … But, you know, three or four years out, are we expecting a lease rate where it’s reducing the tax burden for the community as a whole? Or are we expecting a lease rate which basically pays for itself?”

Narrator: The Mayor, in the chair, replied. [20]

“Well, this is a request for proposal, so we’ll see.”

Narrator: The motion carried 4 to 1, Harrison against. Neither of the Town's Eaglecrest FAQs, nor its five-year financial plan, expects any income from the course. We found no business plan or estimate of a return in the public record. [21][15]

Act 3: Fast

Narrator: All of this ran on a deadline. The purchase agreement, signed on June 26th, 2025, said the price would "take into account the value of the Lands once rezoned." And the sale couldn't go ahead unless the land was rezoned for housing by November 1st, a condition that "may not be waived." The Town never published the contract. It came out under freedom of information this September. [22][4]

Narrator: At the public hearing on the rezoning, the Director of Planning explained the deadline. [19]

“The buyer, in this case the town, wanted as long as possible to do its due diligence and consult with the public. The seller wanted as short a timeline as possible so that they could move on to other projects. The timeline that we’re going through right now is the result of that negotiation.”

Narrator: That was October 6th, 2025. The Town says about 400 people came. By our count, 42 spoke: 34 against the rezoning, and 4 for it. Many said it was moving too fast. [23][19][4]

Narrator: Before the hearing, the Town ran a three-week survey. Its first question asked what people thought of the proposal to buy Eaglecrest: excited, unsure, or concerned. There was no way to say no, and no question mentioned the price, where the money would come from, taxes, or the risks. 65.8% said they were excited. Staff told Council that showed "an overall positive view." [24][4][25]

Narrator: The environmental studies weren't finished either. On October 22nd, staff still listed the first one as "Anticipated October 2025." That same day, Council adopted the rezoning, 4 to 1. Westbroek, Skipsey, Vander Valk and Young voted for it. Harrison voted against. Five days later, behind closed doors, Council removed the last conditions on the purchase. The sale closed on December 1st, with nothing held back. That fall, a private foundation gave $2.125 million toward it, on the condition that about 40 acres stay park. [25][26][27][22][28][29]

Act 4: The clubhouse

Narrator: For supporters, the case was about control. [4]

“What hasn’t been emphasized is there is a downside to private ownership. And unfortunately, in this community, we’ve had mixed results with private developers.”

Narrator: The clubhouse had closed, and the Mayor said he could see a time when the owners fenced the property off and boarded the clubhouse up. But the Town had already had the buildings inspected, in August 2025. The inspector priced the repairs section by section, and warned readers to "be prepared for costs that could potentially be 5 to 10 times more." The report listed materials that may contain asbestos, needing a separate survey. The Town didn't publish it. It came out in August 2026, after a review by the Information and Privacy Commissioner. [30][31][4]

Narrator: The budget now holds $600,000 for the clubhouse. In June 2026, the Town's Chief Administrative Officer looked back. [3][4][32]

“I think the other thing that people will remember, when we first started talking about the clubhouse, we had talked about cleaning some carpets and putting up some paint, and wow, has that changed along the way. And I think it’s really well received by the public, what that venue has become.”

Narrator: The restaurant, The Shack Taphouse, opened on June 3rd, 2026, under a lease Council approved in a closed meeting. The rent is $4,500 a month, rising to about $5,700 by 2030. That's about $279,000 over four and a half years. The Town put in $180,000 for equipment and repairs, which leaves about $99,000, before the Town's share of repairs. [33][34][4]

Act 5: The other golf course

Narrator: Qualicum Beach already had a golf course: the Memorial course, on Town land, leased to and run by its own club. Back in September 2025, the Mayor pointed to it. The Town had bought that course too, he reminded Council, and people had criticized it then. [35][1]

“But it turned out to be a good decision, and I think this will be a good decision in the long term, to own about 100 acres, and we sell about 10 or 12 to make that work, without raising taxes, and having control over issues like irrigation.”

Narrator: "Control over issues like irrigation." Two months later, the Memorial club came to the Town about its own. Its irrigation system was more than 40 years old, and replacing it would cost $848,000. The club asked for $398,000, as a grant or a loan. [36][37]

Narrator: To be fair, the Town hadn't ignored that course. In 2023 and 2024, Council put $431,000 into it in grants and waived fees, and lent the club $350,000 more. This time staff said no. The lease made irrigation the club's job, and the water reserve a loan would come from was already short. Here is Council's decision, on December 17th, 2025, in full. [35][36][30]

“Number 37, golf club irrigation. And I think the staff recommendation is pretty clear, so would someone care to make the staff recommendation? Councillor Harrison, Councillor Skipsey. Discussion? All in favour? Opposed, if any? Carried.”

Narrator: Later in that same meeting, Council moved ahead with rebuilding the Eaglecrest course. Harrison called it "a bit of a leap in the dark." [30]

“But it is just, there’s that risk element, where we’re leaping into the unknown financially, and I guess we’ll see what happens.”

Narrator: In February, Council hired a contractor for $1.18 million. By July, the contract had grown to $1.45 million, including $80,000 to dig a pond and $174,000 to dredge it. The Town also bought nearly $248,000 of irrigation materials itself. [38][4][39]

Act 6: The gap

Narrator: In June 2026, staff brought Council a bigger budget: $21.2 million. Harrison asked how the land sales were going. [3][32]

“So my question, and I’m not trying to be difficult when I say this, though, but to date, how many lots has the town sold? — Thank you. So currently we haven’t sold any. We do have the process in place. We have eight acres actively listed and six additional lots listed.”

Narrator: The Chief Administrative Officer added that the Town had owned the land for just six months. [32]

Narrator: Now the arithmetic. The budget bylaw counts on $17.8 million from land sales between 2026 and 2028. Add the $2.125 million donation, and that's just under $20 million. So even if every lot sells on schedule, the plan is about $1.2 million short of its own budget. Staff's June presentation had land sales at $19.1 million. On July 15th, before the final vote, Harrison said his own sum of the land sales came to $17.8 million, not $19.2 million. The finance director answered. [3][18][4][40]

“Your worship, I would have to go back and take a look at the numbers. I can confirm that we had approximately, I think it was $19 million that we’re receiving from the sale of assets, and $2,125,000 came from a donation, for a total of just under $22 million.”

Narrator: He said the numbers overall were correct, and offered to explain them after the meeting. We haven't found that explanation in the public record. The budget passed 4 to 1: Westbroek, Skipsey, Vander Valk and Young for, Harrison against. [40][41][3]

Narrator: The gap would be bigger without one change made in June. The Town moved nearly $2.9 million of new water and storm mains on Eaglecrest Drive out of the project and onto its own reserves. It has applied for a federal grant toward them. None has been approved. [4][18]

Narrator: As of September 18th, no land sale had closed. The Town's FAQ says land sales will fully fund the project, "based on Council's current decision making and land valuations," and admits that "markets have changed since the time of testing." Until land sells, reserves carry the cost. The affordable housing reserve is empty, and the one most community requests draw from ended 2025 overdrawn. [4][18][9][42]

What we still don't know

Narrator: Some things still aren't public. The environmental reports. The consultants' figures on land sales. Any estimate of what the course will earn. And how $17.8 million of land sales and a donation cover a $21.2 million budget. [4][18][21]

Narrator: Nor is the Town's economic development strategy. Council hired a consultant to write it in March 2025, for about $112,000, mostly paid by a provincial grant. Staff listed it as complete on September 9th, with its recommendations left for the next Council. On September 29th, we wrote to the Town asking it to publish the strategy before advance voting. On October 1st, the Town's Director of Planning replied that the report will be made available before the Town's 2027 strategic planning, "to allow both Council and the public time to review and consider its recommendations." He didn't give a date. [43][44][4][45]

Close

Narrator: Credit where it's due. The purchase agreement, the building inspection, the restaurant lease and the staff emails in this episode were released under freedom of information and published by Town Hall Math, a separate, independent project, at townhallmath.ca. [46]

Narrator: Every document in this episode is linked in the show notes, and on the Eaglecrest page at letthemeatgolf.ca. If we got something wrong, email facts@LetThemEatGolf.ca, and we'll correct it, here and on the site. If you're heard in this episode and want your voice taken out, write to the same address. [4]

Narrator: Advance voting is October 7th and October 14th, at the Civic Centre. General voting day is Saturday, October 17th. [47]

Sources

1. Regular Council video, Sep 17, 2025 (opens in a new tab)
2. Regular Council video, Sep 9, 2026 (2:47:36) (opens in a new tab)
3. Financial Plan Amendment Bylaw No. 921.01, adopted Jul 15, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
4. Let Them Eat Golf: Where the money went, Eaglecrest Golf Course (opens in a new tab)
5. Let Them Eat Golf: About, and how this was made (opens in a new tab)
6. Town memos and emails with the owners (FOI-2026-42, published by Town Hall Math) (opens in a new tab) , pp. 1, 12–14, 38, 42, 47
7. Town news release: Eaglecrest Golf Course acquisition, Feb 13, 2025 (opens in a new tab)
8. Town FAQ: Eaglecrest Golf Course lands, Oct 31, 2025 (opens in a new tab) , p. 5
9. Town FAQ: Eaglecrest financial plan project update, Sep 14, 2026 (opens in a new tab) , p. 4
10. Town Hall Committee of the Whole video, Jul 23, 2025 (25:03) (opens in a new tab)
11. Special Council minutes, Jul 23, 2025 (Resolution 25-180) (opens in a new tab)
12. Special Council agenda and deferral lists, Jul 23, 2025 (opens in a new tab)
13. Staff report: 2025–2029 Financial Plan Amendment, Oct 22, 2025 (opens in a new tab)
14. Special Council video, Jul 23, 2025 (35:30) (opens in a new tab)
15. Let Them Eat Golf: Who advised the Town on Eaglecrest (opens in a new tab)
16. MODUS change order and staff emails, Jul–Sep 2025 (FOI-2026-12, published by Town Hall Math) (opens in a new tab)
17. Eaglecrest due diligence records, incl. the MODUS memo of Sep 25, 2025 (FOI-2026-33, published by Town Hall Math) (opens in a new tab)
18. Let Them Eat Golf fact check: the Town’s Eaglecrest FAQ (opens in a new tab)
19. Town of Qualicum Beach: Eaglecrest public hearing video, Oct 6, 2025 (opens in a new tab)
20. Regular Council video, Sep 17, 2025 (operator request for proposals, 5:14:45) (opens in a new tab)
21. Let Them Eat Golf fact check: Anne Skipsey’s website, the return on investment (opens in a new tab)
22. Purchase and sale agreement, signed Jun 26, 2025 (FOI-2026-38, published by Town Hall Math) (opens in a new tab) , recital E
23. Town media release: Eaglecrest public hearing video and next steps, Oct 9, 2025 (opens in a new tab)
24. Town survey results: Eaglecrest Golf Course, Sep 2025 (opens in a new tab)
25. Regular Council agenda, Oct 22, 2025 (opens in a new tab) , p. 82
26. Regular Council minutes, Oct 22, 2025 (Resolutions 25-251 to 25-257) (opens in a new tab)
27. Regular Council agenda, Nov 20, 2025 (Oct 27 closed-meeting motion) (opens in a new tab) , p. 67
28. Donation agreement (FOI-2026-24, published by Town Hall Math) (opens in a new tab)
29. Parksville Qualicum Beach News: Christopher Foundation donates $2.1M, Nov 19, 2025 (opens in a new tab)
30. Special Council video, Dec 17, 2025 (opens in a new tab)
31. Pacific West Building Inspections, Property Condition Assessment 6861-2025, Aug 20, 2025 (FOI-2026-33, published by Town Hall Math) (opens in a new tab)
32. Regular Council video, Jun 24, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
33. Eaglecrest Golf Course restaurant lease, Apr 2, 2026 (FOI-2026-23, published by Town Hall Math) (opens in a new tab)
34. Town news release: Eaglecrest Golf Course restaurant opening, Jun 3, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
35. Let Them Eat Golf: Before Eaglecrest, the other golf course (opens in a new tab)
36. Let Them Eat Golf: Memorial Golf Club irrigation request (opens in a new tab)
37. Committee of the Whole agenda and scoping sheets, Nov 12, 2025 (opens in a new tab)
38. Staff report: Eaglecrest Golf Course Reconfiguration contract award, Feb 11, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
39. Eaglecrest payment records, Feb–Jul 2026 (FOI-2026-54, published by Town Hall Math) (opens in a new tab)
40. Regular Council video, Jul 15, 2026 (11:05) (opens in a new tab)
41. Let Them Eat Golf fact check: Anne Skipsey, the July 2026 budget vote (opens in a new tab)
42. 2025 Audited Financial Statements, Note 11 (opens in a new tab)
43. Regular Council minutes, Mar 12, 2025 (Resolution 25-061) (opens in a new tab)
44. Regular Council agenda, Sep 9, 2026 (opens in a new tab) , p. 132
45. Letter to the Town’s CAO asking it to publish the economic development strategy, Sep 29, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
46. Town Hall Math (independent project) (opens in a new tab)
47. Let Them Eat Golf: Qualicum Beach election 2026 (opens in a new tab)

Spot a mistake? Email facts@LetThemEatGolf.ca and we’ll correct it, in the episode and here. If you’re heard in this episode and want your voice taken out, write to the same address.