Money was the wedge that came between the Chilliwack Community Arts Council (CCAC) and the City of Chilliwack and led to the CCAC's departure from the new cultural centre.

While both the CCAC and city hall say there is no animosity, there are different takes on who decided to end the relationship.

In an interview with the Times, Mayor Sharon Gaetz said the sides came to a "sad agreement" after five years of negotiations over money.

When the Cultural Centre was conceived, both the Chilliwack Music Academy and the CCAC were invited to be core partners in the project. Gaetz said the academy sold its building and put the proceeds towards the new centre in addition to purchasing 22 pianos.

Negotiations over how much the CCAC would contribute has continued since then.

"Basically it's about the amount they would bring to the table after they sold their building," Gaetz said Friday. "We have given them free rent for two years and they not only had free rent we have extended that until January 2013.

"[They] decided they wanted to take the arts council out of the Cultural Centre and move somewhere on the south side of the freeway."

CCAC executive director Rod Hudson said sides parted ways because the city didn't accept the council's offer.

"We made an offer and they turned it down and said we've got until January to leave," Hudson said Monday. "It was definitely a parting of the ways and they wanted more money than our board was prepared to pay."

While both Hudson and Gaetz differ on precisely why the negotiations failed, both insist there are no hard feelings.

"Honestly I don't think there is," Gaetz said. "You come to the end, you have a professional relationship. I'm not sure we would have the Cultural Centre in our community without the CCAC."

Hudson said the creation of the Chilliwack Cultural Arts & Cultural Centre Society led to a duplication of services, and the CCAC didn't want to be "the fly in the ointment."

"We don't want to go head-to-head with anybody," he said.

Hudson said on Monday they were considering three possible locations in the Sardis/Vedder area for relocation.

Acting CCAC president Gail Caljouw said the council is excited about the move.

"Plans are being put into place and we hope to announce our new location in the community very soon," Caljouw said in a press release.

phenderson@chilliwacktimes.com