At the Town of Lake Cowichan’s Parks, Recreation and Culture Committee meeting, on Tuesday, March 5 there were many updates on several community projects.
Saywell Park beach
The washrooms are nearing completion then the crew will move onto the next project which will be refurbishing the railway boxcar located at the park. The plans also include a large, floating viewing and swimming platform to be constructed in June of this year.
Library facility construction
The roof beams of the new Lake Cowichan branch of the Vancouver Island Regional Library went up last week with walls to going up this week.
The library is being built near the corner of South Shore Road and Renfrew Avenue. Construction began in January.
The Town of Lake Cowichan donated the land where the library is being built. The donation of the land has been the catalyst needed to expand library services for the citizens of Cowichan Lake.
The area has needed a larger, more modern facility for a number of years and this new branch is pivotal in the revitalization of the downtown Lake Cowichan core.
The new branch will be more than twice the size of the current branch and will include more public access computers, a designated area for children with special computer stations that have educational, fun-filled software that promotes literacy, a designated area for children’s programs, a study space and an enhanced collection with many new items
TD Green Streets Grant
— Edible Tree Programme
Bob Day says that the Town of Lake Cowichan has applied for a $4,000 grant to plant trees -with edible crop — likely in Central Park. The grant application closed on Feb. 22, and they hope to hear back soon.
During the Town of Lake Cowichan’s Public Works Committee meeting, on the same evening, members were told that the $1,000 anti-graffiti grant from B.C. Hydro has received. The projects that they are looking at is the electrical box in front of info centre and another option would be the control boxes at King George and South Shore Roads.
Speed board signage along North Shore Road
Nagi Rizk, superintendent of Lake Cowichan’s Public Works and Engineering Services reported that he has been in touch with ICBC regarding placement and size of a speed sign, but notes that the sign will have to be a stand-a-lone as there is no resources to man the sign. The size of the sign may be the same as the one at Cassidy on the Hwy. 1 north to Nanaimo. The plan is to have the sign operational by September, in time for back to school, if they are successful in obtaining the right equipment.
South Shore Road
Resurfacing Project
Nagi Rizk has been told that the tenders for this project went out the first part of this week. Mayor Ross Forrest remarked that the longer this goes on, the more it will cost and that it is frustrating for council and residents alike.
Forrest noted that this process is now one month and one day behind as the original tender was to be let on Feb. 4. It could well be a two-week tender process and then a contractor would have to be chosen. The hope is that the paving could begin during, or just after, spring break.
2013 Pitch-in Week
The date for the 2013 Pitch-in Week has now been confirmed as April 27. From 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. It is hoped that the garbage collected can be dropped off at a central place like the Country Grocer parking lot where there would be enough room to make it a community event day. Details will follow.
Integrated Urban Drainage Management
Town of Lake Cowichan’s Chief Administrative Officer, Joe Fernandez, reported that the town had received 100 % of the funding applied for —a total of $174,000.
Coun. Bob Day noted that it is important to dwell on the fact that this grant will fund the cost of producing a plan for drainage for the whole town and will identify where work needs to be done.
Nagi Rizk noted that the grant applied for must be used for integrated urban drainage management.
Upgrade plan of the Waste Water Treatment Plan
Joe Fernandez reported that the Town of Lake Cowichan contributed $337,000 towards the project, with Nagi Rizk noting that this is a 2014 project and that all work is planned in 2014. He also notes that their design is in 100 per cent compliance for the funding.