The ambassadors have delivered their report and it certainly isn’t rosy.
Ballenas Secondary School students Julie Preston and Nolan O’Hara spent a couple months talking to locals and tourists as Parksville Downtown Business Association youth ambassadors. They delivered a report to city council last week.
“Many guests found the appearance of the town sub-par or unclean,” said O’Hara. “And pedestrian travel was found to be uncomfortable.”
When asked for further details, the ambassadors said people pointed to garbage and cigarette butts, especially along the waterfront and city streets, as one of the top concerns. They also said people spoke about the Island Highway as a impediment, a pedestrian blocker between the popular community park and the downtown shops.
“Guests often didn’t want to travel up the hill,” said O’Hara.
In addition to speaking to hundreds of guests and residents, the ambassadors also visited 139 Parksville businesses. Preston and O’Hara said they enjoyed the work and both said it was rewarding.
Of the people they spoke with, 42 per cent were local, 26 per cent were from other parts of B.C. and 12 per cent from Alberta. They spoke with more people from Europe (6.7 per cent) than from the U.S. (4.8 per cent) or the rest of Canada (4.4 per cent). Most of these interactions (77 per cent) were on the beach or in community park.
Preston and O’Hara reported that the number one topic of conversation in those interactions was about the ambassadors themselves, people curious about their summer job for the PDBA. Enquiries about Beachfest, shopping, dining, along with expressing concerns and complaints, were the other leading topics of conversation.
In addition to the comments about cleanliness, the ambassadors reported feedback that suggested:
• guests were interested in nature-based activities.
• bylaw enforcement and maintenance at community park was an issue.
• more bike racks in community park would be welcomed.
• more recycling and garbage disposal is needed at the the park.
Mayor Marc Lefebvre and councillors thanked the ambassadors for their work and Lefebvre said the data will be valuable when the city embarks on its planning process for community park later this year.
