Following complaints from members of the Cowichan Lake Community Forest Co-op, the Town of Lake Cowichan has cleaned up the Forestworkers Memorial Park at Ts’uubaa-asatx Town Square.
The Town’s superintendent of public works, Trevor Auger, explained at council’s parks committee meeting on April 16 that the crew had been hard at work.
“After the communication to staff, we went out there and cleaned up the landscaping beds, trimmed all the flowers and bushes there, power washed all the bricks. We’ve re-sanded all the bricks and we have the fountain all done. You have to go by and have a look.”
Coun. Tim McGonigle thanked council for expediting the work, adding, “The next point would be to look at the benches and to discuss some sort of a plan with the Cowichan Lake Community Forest Co-op, which previously did the large sign. They did them with the artist, Zak Stolk, and if you would like I would be pleased to approach them on perhaps combining our efforts.”
McGonigle was also happy to see the new handrails at the park.
“There’s a little more safety coming down those stairs now, and that was noted,” he said.
Austin asked what was being done about the possibility of a five-year funding agreement with the co-op for work on the park.
“We are in preliminary discussions of what they will do; when that comes forward from the board I will certainly pass that on.”
After that, Dalton Smith, manager of the Cowichan Lake Education Centre told council that when he had last spoken to Town CAO Joe Fernandez, just before he started his holidays, there were plans already being discussed to work on the big sign at the park.
Previously, Lorne Scheffer and Bruce Ingram from the co-op board had spoken forthrightly to councillors, saying that the park’s condition told a tale of neglect that they called “shameful”.
