After months of addressing issues raised by its insurer earlier this year, the City of Parksville has reopened portions of the Parksville Wetlands (formerly known as the Ermineskin parkland).
On Feb. 23, the city announced the closure of access to sections of the Parksville Wetlands on recommendation of the Municipal Insurance Association of British Columbia, as part of a liability risk assessment.
Related: City of Parksville closes Ermineskine parklands to public
Since February, operations staff have addressed many items which could be considered a risk to the public in order to expedite the reopening of the wetlands. Staff fenced off an area of concrete and metal debris on the knoll in the centre of the park until such time as access with machinery is possible. The makeshift crossing of the watercourse has also been removed.
The city noted in a news release issued on May 8 that access from the end of Foxtail Avenue to the wells-access road and toward Despard Avenue or Coldwater Road remains closed to the public. Signage has been placed at the end of Foxtail Avenue and at the start of the trail to the knoll in the centre of the park, which advises crossing at the watercourse is not possible.
The city added the 97-acre parkland to its outer parks inventory in a $1.3 million purchase from the Ermineskin Cree Nation, approved by council vote on Sept. 18, 2017.
On April 4, 2018, council approved a motion to refer to the property as the Parksville Wetlands, pending the decision on an official name for the park.
“We’re not renaming a piece of land; we’re changing how we refer to it,” said Coun. Kim Burden, who brought the motion.
“We’ll want the consultation of the public and our neighbours as to what we’ll name it formally.”
In its release, the city said it sees this as the first step in preserving the Parksville Wetlands as a natural area for citizens to enjoy.
— NEWS staff/
City of Parksville release
