The dispute between the District of Peachland and the Baptist Church on Lake Avenue over the town鈥檚 plan to acquire the property for a protective services building has been unfolding for several years, according to a timeline released by the church.
, the church says the issue first surfaced in October 2021, when the town鈥檚 CAO and fire chief approached the pastor about purchasing the property or sharing a future building. At the time, the fire hall master plan had already been approved without any mention of needing the church site.
In Feb. 2022, Peachland created a fire hall advisory committee, but the church says it was not invited to participate. That fall, residents voted in a referendum to approve a new fire hall, with no indication that church lands would be part of the project.
In Nov. 2023, the church says the district made an unsolicited offer of $1.3 million for its property. The church rejected the proposal, citing independent estimates that put the replacement cost of the land and building at more than $4.3 million.
The matter escalated in March 2025, according to the church, when the town wrote a letter saying it had the authority to expropriate the land. Shortly after, the church says it discovered procurement documents revealing a far larger 鈥渕ega complex鈥� plan than voters had been told about 鈥� including a new municipal hall, housing, RCMP offices, commercial space and parking, in addition to a firehall.
Also in March, it was learned that $17.5 million approved by Peachland residents to build a new fire hall would not be enough to cover the costs of the project.
In the months that followed, the church pressed for answers on whether the district could build west of the current site or allow the congregation to move across 13th Street, but says those questions went unanswered.
On July 24, the town issued a press release after a closed council meeting stating it was in talks with the church about relocation. Church leaders say they were blindsided by the announcement and issued their own release the next day, calling the approach 鈥渟hocking and disheartening.鈥�
The church published its and a document on Aug. 21, saying it wants to support a new fire hall but remains opposed to losing its property through expropriation.
In a statement to Black Press Media, District Chief Administrative Officer Joe Creron said, the district looks forward to a scheduled meeting with church representatives to continue to discuss their varying points of view.
"Ultimately, it鈥檚 through these face-to-face meetings that we will be able to resolve the complex issue we face in providing a suitable protective services building for the community and while still meeting the needs of the Peachland Baptist Church,鈥� Creron explained.
