Duncan - In response to "Is it time for something other than the cross?" The cross on Mt. Tzouhalem is a historical landmark that has graced our Valley for over 40 years. It is thread in our Valley's fabric that makes it beautiful and unique.
The walk or ride to "the Cross" is a go-to destination for local and visiting hikers, mountain bikers, horse riders, runners and dog walkers. It has been the subject of many pictures, paintings, rumours and stories.The outcropping on which the cross stands provides stunning views of the ocean, rivers, lakes, forests and mountains encompassing our city. Every time I stand there, I am in awe of the beauty of the land I call home.My parents moved to Providence Farm, at the foot of Mt. Tzouhalem in 1980, the year I turned five, as I looked up at the mountain, the cross captivated my imagination and my heart.I have hiked that mountain countless times throughout the years but there is one day a year that I have ascended almost every year since I turned five and that is Good Friday. What a small group started has now grown into a treasured family and community tradition in which hundreds of the young in age to the young at heart partake.The cross on Mt. Tzouhalem is an identifying legacy of our Valley as much as "the Stick" at the arena and the Cairn on Mt. Prevost. The opposition may say, the cross is a symbol of a faith community but, really, the cross on Mt. Tzouhalem is a symbol of our unique Cowichan community and history.Let's encourage the Nature Conservatory of Canada to reinstate this important attribute of historical heritage back to our Valley!Christine CumpstoneDuncan