I didn’t want to get off on a repeat of last week but I think it’s worth mentioning that it’s too bad the Groundbreakers Collective and the hospital backed away from their application to rezone the Eighth Avenue lots for a demonstration garden since their public hearing in Smithers council.
The word came down on Friday that they decided that considering the controversy it seems to have development that it wasn’t in their interests, which is community building.
From the sounds of it the group has moved on intact and have eagerly jumped into their other projects, which includes taking over the garden on Princess Avenue.
I asked Emily Bulmer, the Collective member mentioned in the news story this week, whether their work at the Princess gardens will do anything to prove to the critics that they know what they’re doing as far as maintaining a pleasant site.
She wasn’t convinced that would be the case. She pointed out that some of the criticism stemmed from things like the graffiti and art at the existing gardens. While they can prove they can do the work, it’s hard to argue personal taste, she said.
Well at the very least maybe they’ll go back to the drawing board over the summer and figure out a new plan with the hospital. There is talk of using another lot on the south end of the hospital. It might not be as prime a location, but certainly a possible plan B.
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As I was at a loss to find a suitable place in this week’s paper to properly report on it (even though Lorraine Doiron beat us to it in her column recently), the Northwest Animal Shelter is the latest local group to get in on the Pepsi Refresh Challenge. They’re competing for $100,000 to build a much needed shelter. You can read more about it at www.nwas.ca.
Cameron Orr is The Interior News’ editor and writes On the Line.
