The tourist information kiosk project in Mesachie Lake has been completed, with new signs erected at the pull-out site last week.
“It turned out nice,” Cowichan Lake District Chamber of Commerce president Jim Humphrey said.
“It’ll be good for people going out and about. They’ll be able to see this, and they can certainly find contact information for people.”
The signage includes a list of chamber members, along with their phone numbers, as well as various bits of information about the area.
A board of animal and plant species make up one section, while maps, safety information on the Cowichan Lake weir, and other things, fill out the rest.
Humphrey estimates the entire project, including site work, cost about $40,000.
Half of the funds were procured through a Union of BC Municipalities grant.
Other contributions came in the form of money from the local Chamber of Commerce and Johel Brothers Contracting, as well as in-kind work by Tuck Brothers Contracting Ltd.
Funds also came through the Area F (Honeymoon Bay/Skutz Falls) Parks budget, advertisers, and other sources.
The kiosk’s location at the end of the Mesachie Lake Skydome field has come after many years of consideration, Honeymoon Bay/Skutz Falls area director Ian Morrison said.
The intention has always been to have it near to where the Pacific Marine Circle Route meets up with South Shore Road, he said.
As such, it was initially to be located even closer to the turn off, but early plans fell through when they could only secure a five-year lease on the land.
With the CVRD’s requisition of the old store site to expand the Mesachie Lake Skydome field to regulation size, space was made available for the kiosk.
After that, everything fell in to place once the Chamber of Commerce came on board, Morrison said.
The kiosk’s completion comes at a great time, Morrison said.
The Town of Lake Cowichan’s elected officials have planned a luncheon with various Pacific Marine Circle Route stakeholders, at the Association of Vancouver Island Coastal Communities in a couple weeks.
“Maybe we can get the Port Renfrew people to do something like this, too,” Morrison said, of the kiosk.
The Pacific Marine Circle Route is a circular paved roadway that links communities like Victoria, Duncan, Lake Cowichan, Mesachie Lake, Port Renfrew, Sooke, and others, with one another.
The town’s elected officials hope to create tourist opportunities for the area, through co-operation with the Circle Route’s many stakeholders.
Meanwhile, work at the kiosk isn’t quite done, yet.
The wood needs some finishing, and Morrison’s planned a meeting with the Ministry of Transportation in order to get additional signs out, directing people toward the kiosk.
