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Westporte Place could get new park after losing three playgrounds

Tsawaayuus-Rainbow Gardens continues to expand in Port Alberni neighbourhood
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A patch of sand can be seen on Woodland Crescent in Port Alberni where a playground was once located. (ELENA RARDON / ALBERNI VALLEY NEWS)

The City of Port Alberni is looking into building a new park at Westporte Place after the neighbourhood lost three playgrounds in a matter of years.

A small playground along Woodland Crescent had to be closed and removed last year due to safety concerns, while the River Road Park had most of its playground removed back in 2020. A third park was demolished to accommodate the expansion of Tsawaayuus Rainbow Gardens back in 2016.

READ MORE: Westporte residents in Port Alberni concerned by park closures

Members of the West Coast Native Health Care Society, which operates Rainbow Gardens, were in city council chambers on Monday, Feb. 13 to talk about their future plans for the property. While the society still has plans to develop an “outdoor gathering place,” their priority is building more housing for seniors.

Rainbow Gardens currently includes a 102-unit campus, made up of assisted living units, independent living units and low-income units for seniors. Bev Denning, a member of the board of directors for the West Coast Native Health Care Society, says the society recently moved 48 low-income seniors into rental units at their newest apartment complex, and a waitlist is already emerging.

READ MORE: Tsawaayuus-Rainbow Gardens expanding with five-storey apartment

“We want to maximize the land that we have and make as many rental units available as we possibly can do,” said Denning. “That is our paramount goal.”

Derek Appleton, the vice president and building committee chair for the West Coast Native Healthcare Society, said the society still has plans to add one more building to their campus.

“The amenities and the park that go with that would come after that fact,” said Appleton. “There are still plans to build a gathering space there. We now have 102 residents there that still want an outdoor space.”

John Jessup, the society’s project manager, says that landscaping will be the “very last” part of the project. The West Coast Native Healthcare Society is a non-profit society, and funding for Rainbow Gardens has come from BC Housing and the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC). The park space will entirely depend on how much funding is received.

“Our priority is naturally towards amenities that serve the senior residents at Rainbow Gardens,” said Jessup.

Mayor Sharie Minions says she wants to support the “good work” Rainbow Gardens is doing in building housing for seniors, but also wants to make sure that Westporte residents have a park space.

“I think there is a balance of needs here,” she said. “I think housing is a critical need in our community, but we also need to make sure we’re not overlooking the need for green space.”

She asked staff to prepare a report on park space in the neighbourhood, looking at where a park would be best suited and what it could potentially look like. She pointed out that the province recently announced $1 billion in funding to municipalities and regional districts for housing infrastructure and amenities. The city will hear more information about this funding in March.

READ MORE: Province pledges one-time grants totalling $1B for B.C. cities, regional districts

“I think there is a timely opportunity to re-look at the Westporte Park situation and determine where it is best suited,” said Minions.



elena.rardon@albernivalleynews.com

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Elena Rardon

About the Author: Elena Rardon

I have worked with the Alberni Valley News since 2016.
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