This past Family Day my wife and I went down to the community park along with hundreds of others to walk the boardwalk.
The weather was gorgeous and so many families were out enjoying it that parking became an issue. Rather than park in the curling club lot, many drivers chose to park on the grassy area next to the volleyball pit. This resulted in a muddy quagmire forming. This damaged the grass to the point the city will need to spend money repairing the damage. During the summer the City of Parksville erects temporary ‘no parking on the grass’ signs. The signs come down before winter. My first question is why not erect permanent signs?
My second question is why was the boardwalk and sidewalk were not cleared of snow? The walk is a very popular spot for many residents every single day and for many it is a safe place to walk rather than on slippery sidewalks after a snowfall. You would certainly have thought that clearing the walk would have been a priority for Family Day.
My last gripe is about the city’s lack of foresight regarding services in the park. There were people from all over the Island and many other parts of the country at the park on Family Day. Families enjoying themselves. Yet you could not buy a cup of coffee, hot chocolate or a snack. It is time to bring a Beach Hut-type of restaurant, such as that in Qualicum Beach, to the community park. This food truck idea is not working.
Jerry Filipski
Parksville