The Malaspina room at Powell River Town Centre Hotel was packed with people last night (March 7) for a workshop hosted by City of Powell River. Participants were eager to talk about the future of the downtown area, with a focus on Willingdon and Marine avenues, the old arena site and the Westview wastewater treatment plant.
The Downtown Design Plan workshop included colourful poster boards with renditions and photos depicting the possibilities. According to some of the information already collected through past surveys and consultations, more than 70 per cent of the population wants to see improved green space and community gathering places, street improvements on Willingdon Avenue, and beautification of Marine Avenue. People want traffic to slow down on Marine and feel that heavy trucks using Marine as a thoroughfare impacts their experience.
“This is the phase two [of three] open house of the downtown plan, looking at redesigning Marine and Willingdon avenues, the surrounding lands, all the way from the old barge terminal to the old arena site,” said city manager of planning services Daniella Fergusson. “The purpose of this event is to tell people what we have done so far, and we want to get people’s feedback on what the streets should look like. Marine we have less control over, because it’s a provincial highway, but Willingdon we can control.
“We are envisioning the future for the old arena and the Westview wastewater site [which will be decommissioned], so [tonight] folks can sit down with Derek Lee from PWL Partnership, [a landscape architect and urban design company] and tell him ‘I think it should be this’ and he’s going to sketch it out.”
Fergusson said people who have been in the region for a long time want to see greenspace.
“Folks who are maybe younger want to see housing they can afford, some want to see civic facilities, where you could have meetings or events, or cultural celebrations,” she added.
Workshop participants were eager to write down their ideas, discuss the possibilities presented on the posters and post ideas with sticky notes.
“We did do an archaeological study [at the old arena site], so I think there is a real opportunity to make sure the public waterfront stays public; we will be achieving so many goals at the same time by doing that,” said Fergusson. “Another thing we are looking at is how we connect the Willingdon Beach Trail to the seawalk. Our bicycle network plan suggests a multi-use path on the side of Willingdon.”
One participant, Ethin Dube, was concerned about street safety; specifically inclusive crosswalks for people who may be older or visually impaired.
“Most crosswalks in town don’t have the audible beep to tell you when it’s safe to cross, and in my opinion we need more accessible crosswalks,” said Dube. “The only visually impaired accessible crosswalk we have, that I’m aware of, is by McDonald’s, and it beeps when it’s safe to cross.”
Another workshop participant, Maggy Gisle, who has lived in the area for more than 50 years, said, “in my personal view the space, [treatment plant area] needs to be an open market and garden with flowers, a nice seating area, and a children friendly space; a place where you could sell farmers’ market type of stuff underneath a roof, to protect from rain or snow so it could go all year-round.”
When the Catalyst Paper Tis’kwat mill site was curtailed, the province approached the city, asking how it could support the city by strengthening the already existing and successful commercial areas, according to Fergusson.
“Our downtown is successful, however, there are a few things we can do right now, to make it look nicer, and feel nicer,” she said.
To find out more and give feedback, go to participatepr.ca/downtown-plan.
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