More out-of-work Cowichan Lake residents can expect to find employment at Lakeview Park and the Cowichan Lake Education Centre (CLEC), this spring/summer.
This is, thanks to another approximately $50,000 grant from the Ministry of Housing and Social Development.
Although the specifics of what will be done with the grant have yet to be worked out, Lakeview Park and CLEC manager Dalton Smith said that it’ll likely go toward 16 weeks of employment for four participants and one supervisor like last time.
“This will go toward Lakeview campsite improvements,” he said.
The grant workers will spend some time on the CLEC, but Smith said that, with spring/summer being the peak time for the centre, more attention will be spent on Lakeview Park and the park’s campsites, in order to disturb guests as little as possible.
The public beach will be one of the main focuses, with a floating wooden platform installed.
“Our public beach is getting more and more use,” Smith said.
Fences and shrubs to more clearly mark out campsites will also be installed/planted, and fire hazards, such as brush, will be cleared out.
A bigger project, with Smith is currently unable to provide the details on, will also be looked into.
The announcement of this $50,000 grant comes at the same time the CLEC and Lakeview Park’s previous such grant-enabled period of employment is coming to a close.
During the past 16 weeks, this previous grant has also served to employ four local area citizens and one supervisor.
During their employment, the group of five have worked at chopping wood, built $30,000 worth of cafeteria and picnic tables, made improvements to one of the CLEC’s buildings, and done various cleanup and repair jobs on-site.
This group of employees were all previously employed in the forestry industry in some capacity, were on Employment Insurance when they received 16 weeks of employment at the CLEC.
Such grants are important, Smith said, not only for Lakeview Park and the CLEC, but because it ensures at least temporary employment for local citizens who have been unable to find any.
“Lake Cowichan’s been particularly hard hit over the years,” Smith said, citing the slow down of the forestry industry as a key problem that has been facing the area.
Grants are constantly being applied for, Smith said, with the manager enthusiastically stating, “who knows what’s around the corner.”
