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Scenic view for late parks steward

You can’t find a better spot at Cowichan Lake than where Wayne Palliser’s memorial bench is located.
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The bench and plaque at Mile 77 Park

You can’t find a better spot at Cowichan Lake than where Wayne Palliser’s memorial bench is located.

Down a short walking path to the river, at Mile 77 Park off the Youbou Highway, the bench is shaded by tall nearby trees, and overlooks a small rocky Cowichan Lake beach on the lake’s north arm.

During his two years with the Youbou/Meade Creek Park Commission, Palliser spent a fair amount of time at this park.

“Each member of the commission has a park that they keep a check on, and he always walked his dog (Bud) there, and opened and closed the gates and the washrooms,” commission chair Marcia Stewart said.

“It was close to home... He was gung-ho. He was a dedicated commission member. He wanted to make sure things were done, and done right.”

“The thing that made the biggest impact on me was his commitment to the environment,” fellow commission member Gerald Thom said.

“He was always out in the outdoors.”

The bench and plaque were unveiled a few months ago, courtesy of the commission.

Palliser died January of this year.

“He was quite a vocal member of our commission,” Stewart said.

“Things are a lot quieter without him.”