Lake Cowichan council, which had been concerned about the rough condition of the Pacific Marine Circle Route, checked in again with the idea at their May public works committee meeting.
Mayor Ross Forrest, who had raised the subject in April said, “I have seen some emails since then. Whether any more work has been done on it since then, I don’t know.”
Coun. Tim McGonigle replied, “They are patching as they go but it will take a considerable amount of time given the condition of the road.”
Forrest continued, “Like we said at the last meeting, it’s been weather-related. They’re waiting for an opportunity to do it. We were a little bit premature, last month, wanting to get on them right away.”
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Lake Cowichan council is trying to figure out what to do with two wood carvings, donated by the Lake Days Society.
Coun. Bob Day asked, “I was just wondering if there is still an appetite to have them placed somewhere. I would understand that the garden gnome needed to find a different kind of location or if both of them would go in a park someplace. Or maybe one of them could be in the lobby of the new town hall or they might be raffled off.
“Right now, they’re sitting out there in a bay [of the old fire hall]. If we could move them it would be great.”
Coun. McGonigle asked if staff could consider if there’s a theme they would be looking at for decorations in parks or if they want carvings throughout the town.
“We have to be careful that we don’t place them just anywhere. Perhaps staff could come up with ideas for them.”
Cara Smith of the Cowichan Lake Community Garden asked if the gnome might be placed in the garden. Between the public works and parks committee meetings, Smith and councillors went out to have a look at it to see if it might be suitable.
Watch this space to see where the gnome ends up next.
North Shore Road work causing traffic concerns
In Laketown Rock news, questions were asked at Lake Cowichan town council about what will happen with people trying to get from the site into Lake Cowichan by way of North Shore Road, where the Lake Cowichan First Nation is working on a project on the waterfront right now. It’s right near the road.
“Construction is going on along North Shore Road. There are heavy traffic delays so if you can avoid that area, please do,” town works superintendent Nagi Rizk told council May 2. “We are being kept abreast of what’s going on there.”
Coun. Carolyne Austin chuckled, “A traffic jam in Lake Cowichan” but Rizk explained, “It is a big time traffic jam. I stood in the line there quite a while. And it’s kind of a narrow road so there’s not too much give in there.”
Mayor Ross Forrest agreed.
“I drove by there on Saturday and it was single lane. You were off the side of the road on a piece of plywood. It was tight getting by there.”
Coun. Lorna Vomacka asked, “if it’s along North Shore, how is that going to affect the event at Laketown Ranch on the May long weekend?”
Risk said, “they’ll have to go around it.”
Austin added, “I believe they tell people not to go down North Shore anyway; they don’t encourage it.”
Risk, “The regular process is that the event organizers submit a traffic plan to the ministry, and the ministry approves the plan or rejects it or modifies it. They’re aware of it and the event organizers know they are not to encourage traffic on North Shore Road, even without construction. They know that from last year.”
Coun. Tim McGonigle said, “In fairness, I would like to point out that the event in May will not be the number of people that are at Sunfest. It will similar to the Bio Cup numbers.”
Epidemic of vehicles hitting elk on Highway 18
Will wildlife fencing along parts of Highway 18 solve the continuing problem of elk wandering onto or across the highway, causing great danger to themselves and passing vehicles?
Coun. Carolyne Austin asked if, since elk crossings were becoming more frequent, there is some way to let drivers know of the hazard, perhaps with increased signage.
Mayor Ross Forrest said, “Mainroad is aware of the problem,” sharing that he’d heard from a friend that one week, the company had had to pick up eight dead elk.
He said trimming back the trees along the road has helped but now the problem is getting bad again.
Coun. Lorna Vomacka said she heard of other areas being able to put up wildlife fencing along portions of the highway.
Councillors decided to ask the Ministry of Transportation to look at the idea.