Getting Lumber in Lake Cowichan may be more difficult in the coming months as Irly Bird Building Supplies closes its doors at the end of October.
Lake Cowichan Mayor Tim McGonigle says the closure “leaves a void in the West Cowichan area for the purchase of building materials locally.”
Rod Peters owns the store and it’s been a longtime supplier of lumber in Lake Cowichan since the 1950s.
Rod Peters was mayor of Lake Cowichan but announced he was stepping down as mayor in July 2020 because of an illness in his family.
Before being elected mayor he served two terms on Lake Cowichan council. Peters was first elected as a councillor in 1986 and returned to council as mayor in the municipal elections of October 2018.
Mayor McGonigle adds that while there are other hardware store options, they can’t normally supply lumber which will force Lake Cowichan residents to get materials in North Cowichan.
“Hopefully the owner of the building will be able to find a willing buyer to provide the materials locally,” says Mcgonigle.